Regulus’s voice was soft, almost reverent, yet every word seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Tomorrow night… I go alone,” he whispered. “More people will be safe in the long run… one life for thousands… it is arithmetic… it’s right.”

Aiden laughed bitterly. “Arithmetic?” His voice cracked with anger. “You think you get to play god with her life? Do you even hear yourself? The world means nothing to her if you’re not in it. Nothing.”

He took a step closer. “There are times,” Aiden continued, his voice trembling now, “when you have to let it all burn down, Regulus. You can’t save everything. Sometimes… sometimes the world doesn’t care if you do. Sometimes… you can’t measure life in numbers, because life is more than numbers. It’s messy. It’s human. And if you don’t let go, if you insist on carrying the impossible, you’ll… you’ll destroy the people you love most.”

Regulus’s lips pressed into a thin line. “And that’s why you’ll never understand,” he whispered. “That’s why you are weak. If I don’t destroy it… the world burns anyway. If I hesitate, if I pause… the consequences are worse than my absence. She’ll understand. She has to."

Aiden’s hands clenched into fists. “Oh, spare me the hero song and dance,” he spat. “If you love her like you claim, you’ll stay. You’re abandoning her when she needs you most! When she looks for you and there’s nothing but absence, do you think the world you’re saving will comfort her? You are not… not better than him. Sacrificing whatever you deem necessary for your grand cause…”

Regulus’s eyes burned. “I do love her, Aiden!” His voice snapped like a whip, shaking with anger. “I love her more than anything! But love doesn’t always mean staying. Sometimes… sometimes love means stepping aside so she can survive, even if that survival breaks her.”

Aiden’s laugh was hollow. “That’s complete nonsense!” he shouted. “Love doesn’t mean abandoning the person you claim to care for. Love doesn’t mean forcing her to watch you leave because you think the world is more important than her. She’ll never see the hero in you if the cost is her heart. She’ll only see the emptiness you leave behind. You’re making a huge mistake, Regulus… one that she’ll never forgive you for. And maybe you think she will understand, maybe you think she’ll see the arithmetic, the logic… but hearts aren’t calculators. She’ll only feel your absence.”

For a moment, Regulus seemed to crumble. His voice became a fragile whisper, barely audible: “Then I guess… that is my cross to bear as well… promise me… you’ll look after her. Keep her safe…”

Aiden’s stepped closer, catching Regulus’s trembling hands in his own. “Oh, I will,” he replied. “Because unlike you… I truly have her best interest at heart. I’ll fight for her… I’ll stay when you won’t.”

Regulus’s breath hitched. “Tell… {{user}}… I love her.”