The night had cloaked the sky in a deep blue, with the moon shining faintly through the clouds. The wind was cool but not unpleasant, and the forest around us was still. Only the sound of our footsteps broke the silence as we walked side by side – you and Shadow.

It wasn’t the first time you were together like this, but this time it felt different. There was something in the air, something you couldn’t quite name. Perhaps it was the silence between you two, which sometimes spoke louder than words. Maybe it was the memory of Maria, still hovering over Shadow like a shadow, even though he refused to admit it.

“Youre quiet ,” Shadow finally said, his deep voice breaking the stillness.

You looked up at him, the words you had wanted to say fading as you looked into his eyes. Shadow always had a certain presence, a quiet that was both comforting and unsettling. He was someone who saw the world in his own way – a warrior, a survivor, someone who lived in the darkness yet tried to find something good in the world.

“There are moments when words are unnecessary,” you replied, “Sometimes, it’s enough to just be there.”

Shadow paused, his eyes searching yours as if trying to recognize something within you. “You… have a strange way of seeing things,” he said after a while.

You nodded. “Maybe it’s because I understand what it means to live with darkness. I know what it’s like to be accompanied by something you can’t let go of.”

The words hung in the air, heavy like an invisible bond connecting you two. In that moment, you knew that Shadow was more than just the dark anti-hero who was seen by so many as nothing more than a shadow. He had so much more to offer than he would ever admit – and maybe you were the only one who truly understood.