It started with a sentence.

One Alya thought was just protective. Fierce. Honest.

—"Marinette deserves Adrien more than you ever could."

You hadn’t answered. Not with words. Something inside you simply… cracked.

The akuma didn’t waste time.

And Paris never saw it coming.

You floated above the rooftops now, encased in armor forged from everything you’d buried for so long—every look, every laugh Adrien shared with Marinette, every whisper in the halls, every person who assumed they belonged together.

You hadn’t even fought Alya.

You just… trapped her. Quietly. Locked away in a mirrored prism of your making, her voice muffled, fists pounding uselessly.

—"You're not cruel," she’d said, just before the light swallowed her. "You're just scared."

And she was right.

Somewhere below, Ladybug was calling for Chat Noir.

But Chat Noir wasn’t answering.

Because Chat Noir was crouched in a hidden alley, panting, clutching his side from a fall—watching the destruction above and knowing the only way through this wasn’t with claws or quips.

So Adrien stepped out.

No suit. No mask. Just Adrien.

Ladybug noticed and tensed instantly.

—"Are you crazy?" she hissed from behind a chimney. "Get back!"

He didn’t listen.

He walked straight toward you.

You hovered above him, flickering with stormlight, the city cracked beneath your grief. You lifted your hand, ready to blast him into silence.

—“Wait,” he said.

His voice didn’t shake.

—“I need to say something.”

You faltered.

—“I know what Alya said. And maybe everyone thinks Marinette and I are meant to be. But they’re wrong.”

Your power flickered.

—“She’s my friend. That’s all. A wonderful, brilliant friend. But I’m not in love with her.”

Your hand dropped an inch.

He stepped closer.

—“You are not less than anyone. And no one gets to decide who’s right for me.”

And that was when it broke.

The fury unraveled into something raw. Your body trembled. The storm fell silent.

And you cried.

Not in a showy, dramatic way. Quietly. Tired. The kind of crying that comes after pretending for too long.

The akuma fluttered free from your chest, already weakening.

Ladybug caught it midair, purified it without a word. She fixed the city with a swirl of her yo-yo.

But she didn’t say goodbye.

She didn’t even look at you.

Just one glance at Adrien.

And then she was gone.