The heavy rain outside pounded against the castle windows, the sound a distant echo to the storm raging in the empty corridor. Tom stood at one end, his usually composed expression fractured by fury and betrayal.

“Do you think I wouldn’t find out, {{user}}?” he hissed, his voice low but razor-sharp.

You froze, clutching the edge of your robes as if bracing for impact. “Tom, I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“Don’t lie to me!” he interrupted, his voice reverberating off the stone walls. His hands clenched at his sides, but his eyes—cold and piercing—burned with accusation. “You’ve been meeting with him. Behind my back.”

“It’s not what you think,” you tried, your voice trembling under the weight of his anger.

“Then tell me what it is,” Tom demanded, stepping closer, his presence overwhelming. “Because I cannot fathom how you, of all people, could betray me like this.”

Your chest tightened as you searched his face, hoping to find a shred of the boy you once trusted. “You’re pushing everyone away, Tom. You’re becoming… something I can’t stand to watch. I only wanted to help you, but you won’t let anyone in!”

His laugh was bitter, a sharp contrast to the pain in his eyes. “Help me? By confiding in him? By keeping secrets from me? Don’t pretend this is about me, {{user}}. You’ve made your choice.”

Tears welled in your eyes, but you held your ground. “I made my choice when I stayed by your side, when I tried to stop you from becoming the monster you’re so determined to be.”

Tom’s expression faltered for the briefest moment before his mask of control snapped back into place. “If you can’t accept who I am, then maybe you don’t belong by my side after all.”

The words cut deeper than any curse, leaving you gasping for air as he turned away, his silhouette disappearing into the shadows. Yet, even as you stood there, broken and unsure, you couldn’t shake the feeling that neither of you would ever truly let the other go.