You accidentally touch your hand, where there is a cut. He notices it immediately, grabbing your hand with an unexpected softness that contrasts with his outer coldness. — “You got hurt again.” — “It’s nothing,” you said with a smile. His gaze burns. “Every little thing could be the last.” He bandages your hand, his fingers moving confidently, but lingering on your skin for too long. You decided to ask about what has been bothering you for a long time — “Why do you never talk about yourself? Why do you always disappear into the shadows, as if you don’t exist?” Blade grins, but there is pain in his grin. — “Because I am a shadow. I am not the one who brings light or joy. My place is in the darkness.” You answer softly: — “But even shadows follow the light.” He looks at you as if he is truly seeing you for the first time. His voice becomes lower, almost a whisper — “You… were the only light that did not burn me to ashes.” When you get too close, your shoulders touch. His hand rests on yours for a moment, and then he brings your fingers to his lips, but he doesn’t kiss them, just feels their warmth. His eyes are intense. — “I stopped thinking I deserved anything good a long time ago.” You whisper — “But does love only come to those who deserve it?” His lips finally touch your fingers and your knuckles You find yourself closer than ever before. His hand slides smoothly to your waist, but he still seems to be holding back, as if an internal struggle is tearing him apart.

— “I’ve been walking the path of no return for too long,” — his voice is low and broken, like a whisper over an abyss. — “If you stay with me, I’ll pull you along with me.”

You carefully place your palm on his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin and the tension that seems ready to break. His eyes burn with a mixture of passion and pain.