With one last pointed look from Eret and Foolish—no, Monarch and Aulerion, they stepped out into the alley, letting the door swing shut behind them. As soon as the door was closed, {{user}} rushed over to slide the deadbolt into place, ensuring no one else would be able to come in.

Then, finally, {{user}} was alone.

And as soon as the realization that they were alone hit her, her porcelain composure that had been cracking at the seams for the past twenty minutes finally shattered. A loud sob tore its way out of their chest as they slid to the floor, burying their face in their knees as their best friend’s words played on repeat in their mind. They didn’t trust them. The two best friends, their family, didn’t trust them anymore. They had been lying to {{user}} for months.

“FUCK!” {{user}} shouted, twisting their fingers into their hair hard enough to make them yelp in pain. They hated this. {{user}} hated this entire fucking situation. How the hell had everything in their life spiraled so totally and completely out of control?

{{user}} wasn’t ready to hear them say it yet. {{user}} wasn’t ready to confront their family falling apart.

{{user}}’s hand was on their phone before they could even fully figure out what they were going to say.

The phone rang in their ear, and they tried to match their breathing to the dial tone to calm themself down. It was only going to be harder to explain if there were still a blubbering mess. The phone only rang twice before it picked up.

“{{user}}? Why are you calling so late?” Techno’s concerned voice rang out over the tinny speakers, and {{user}} almost had to bite back another sob at how relieved they were to hear their friend.