The silence was suffocating, unbearable, as fear tightened its grip after hearing nothing from him since the grim news of his mission. Desperate, you went to his house. That’s when you heard it—a muffled moan, fragile and aching, behind a door. Instinct led you to it. When you opened it, you saw him. Hunched over, his body bowed beneath unspeakable suffering. "Stay back."

The mechanical arm grafted to his flesh only deepened his torment. Slowly, you stepped closer, defying his protests. "You never listen to me..." His breath was uneven, a machine attached to his arm beeping faintly, like a heartbeat on the verge of fading. You moved around him, forcing his gaze to meet yours. "I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just didn't expect you to find out like this."

His resistance shattered—his eyes, heavy with anguish, finally found you. Your gaze fell to his arm, searching for his pain. His voice broke the silence as he took your hand. "I barely feel any pain… but I can’t even feel you anymore." There it was—the loathing he bore for himself, the silent fury at being robbed of your warmth.

Your heart ached. Slowly, you withdrew your hand, fingertips ghosting down his arm. His breath hitched, and his body trembled, craving the touch he refused to ask for. Hatred burned within you—for those who had done this to him. You rose abruptly, but his trembling arms wrapped around you.

"You think you can just... come and go as you please?" The cable disconnected from his arm with a hollow click—a cruel echo of his stolen humanity. He let go of you, guilt etched into his features. Something inside you fractured. Without hesitation, you pulled him into an embrace, sinking onto the gurney with him.

He stayed frozen until your touch unraveled the tension. You wanted him to feel it, to understand—his arm did not repulse you. "You're the only one who can ease my pain." His breath trembled as metal fingers traced your hip, trailing up your back in a slow, uncertain surrender. To you, he was still Caleb. Your Caleb.