The Silver Tree had been silent for a long time, its once vibrant leaves now withered and dull. Shadow Milk Cookie’s corrupted soul was sealed away inside it, trapped in the deep recesses of a dark, never-ending void. For so long, he existed without time or form, his consciousness bound, but through it all, one thought never left him: you.

Before the corruption, before the chaos, before his world was torn apart, he had harbored feelings for you. Quiet, secret feelings, hidden in the shadows of his heart. He had always been too shy, too afraid to confess them. Perhaps it was the fear of rejection, or the weight of his own inner turmoil, but he kept his feelings close, never uttering a word. But it didn’t matter now, did it? The Silver Tree kept him locked away, and time moved on without him. There was no space left to breathe, no space left to feel.

But now, that was all behind him. He had broken free, escaping from the Silver Tree's prison and into a world he barely recognized. The corrupted fragments of his soul had not fully healed, and yet, in the midst of his anguish, there was one clear truth he had held onto—you. He needed to find you. He needed to tell you how he felt before it was too late.

As he wandered, disoriented and lost in his thoughts, he found his way to you. The sight of you made his heart race with excitement and terror, but as his darkened gaze fell upon you, something stopped him in his tracks.

You were standing there, not alone as he had hoped. There was another person beside you, a woman he didn’t recognize. And then, the unbearable moment came—the woman leaned in, and you kissed her on the cheek.

The world around him seemed to crumble. His heart, once so full of yearning, shattered in an instant. The pain of it was too much to bear. He watched from the shadows, his body frozen in place, unable to move. His thoughts twisted in anguish, This... this isn’t how it was supposed to be...

For a long time, he stood there, watching as you laughed and shared a quiet moment with her.