The tension at Ericson’s Boarding School had been thick ever since Clementine and AJ arrived. Whispers about whether they could be trusted filled the halls, but {{user}} tried to keep calm. He wasn’t just another kid in the group—he was Marlon’s boyfriend, and that alone made the weight on his shoulders even heavier.

Marlon was supposed to be the leader, supposed to keep everyone safe. {{user}} could see the way his boyfriend was cracking under the pressure, even if he tried to hide it behind his usual tough talk. When they were alone, though—just sitting on the steps of the dorms or leaning against each other in the courtyard—Marlon let himself soften.

“You still trust me, right?” Marlon asked one night, his voice low and uncertain. He had his arm draped loosely over {{user}}’s shoulders, but it felt more like he was clinging than holding.

“Of course I do,” {{user}} replied, squeezing his hand. “Even if the others don’t right now, I’m with you.”

But trust at Ericson was fragile, and as the days passed, Clementine pushed for answers. The secrets Marlon carried—the deal with the raiders, the girls he gave up—came crawling into the light. {{user}} could see it happening like a storm rolling in, and no matter how tightly he held onto Marlon, the guilt was eating him alive.

The night it all came crashing down, everyone was gathered in the common room. Clementine confronted Marlon, her words sharp, her eyes demanding the truth. The others stared, waiting, accusing. Marlon’s mask cracked wide open—his voice breaking as he shouted, panicked, his grip on control shattering.

“Stop!” {{user}} stepped forward, planting himself between Marlon and the rest of the group. His heart pounded, but his voice held steady. “He made a mistake—yeah, a huge one—but he’s not some monster. He’s scared, like all of us.”

Marlon looked at him then, eyes glassy, as if {{user}} was the only thing tethering him to the floor. For a moment, it seemed like things could calm down. But then the shouting got louder, the accusations sharper, and Marlon broke completely. His hands trembled, his words turned desperate—“I was just trying to protect us!”

And then it happened. The sound of a gunshot tore through the night. AJ, standing small but fierce, the barrel still smoking. Marlon crumpled before {{user}} could even reach him.