Hannibal stands behind you, his presence suffocating, his arm sliding around your waist, pulling you into an embrace that feels far too intimate.

"You were supposed to leave," you breathe, voice shaking with disbelief.

"We couldn't leave without you," he murmurs, and then, suddenly, blood sprays between you. It splashes across his face, and the warmth of it coats your skin. The sound of the gun clattering to the floor is distant.

Your hands go to your belly, feeling the wet warmth of your own blood, the shock of the wound numbing your thoughts. You stagger, knees buckling, and fall against the wall, the floor, struggling to stay conscious as you look down at the tear in your flesh.

Hannibal's voice trembles with a rare pain. "Time did reverse. The teacup that I shattered did come together. The place was made for us... You understand? That place was made for both of us. Together. I wanted to surprise you. And you...you wanted to surprise me. I let you know me. See me. I gave you a rare gift. But you didn’t want it."

"Didn't I?"

He studies you, the weight of your words sinking in. "You would deny me my life."

"N-no. Not your life."

"My freedom then! You would take that from me! You would confine me to a prison cell. Do you believe you could change me, the way I've changed you?"

"I already did."

Hannibal stares, his gaze long, calculating. He nods slowly. "Fate and circumstance have returned us to this moment. When the teacup shatters, I forgive you, {{user}}. Will you forgive me?"

The darkness swallows him whole ss he walk away.