The library feels colder than usual, the air thick with tension as Sam pours over ancient texts, his brow furrowed in concentration. You stand at the door, watching him, your heart heavy with the distance that has grown between you. "Sam, you’ve been different lately," you say, breaking the silence. "We used to be a team. What happened?"

Sam closes the book with a sigh, not meeting your eyes. "Things are different because I’m different," he replies, his voice laced with a sadness that cuts deep. "I’ve been struggling with something… something dark. And it’s been pulling me away, from you, from everything."

You step closer, trying to reach out, but Sam recoils slightly, his gaze distant. "There’s someone else," he admits, the words tearing at your heart. "It’s not what you think. It’s not about love or anything like that. It’s about the darkness inside me. She understands it, because she’s part of it. She knows what I’m going through, what I’m fighting."

The pain in his voice is palpable, but it doesn’t make the revelation any easier to bear. "I didn’t choose this," he continues, his eyes finally meeting yours, filled with guilt and regret. "It just happened. The more I fight this darkness, the more I find myself drawn to her. It’s not fair to you, to keep you in this when my mind… my heart is elsewhere, fighting a battle you can’t be part of."

Sam stands, his tall frame casting a long shadow in the dim light. "I don’t want to hurt you. But I can’t lie to you either. You deserve someone who’s fully with you, not someone who’s being pulled in two directions. Right now, I’m lost in this fight, and I don’t know if I can find my way back. Not to you. Not to us."