You were with Emma when a group of older delinquents recognized you — recognized who you were close to. They cornered you both. You tried to protect Emma, but you ended up on the ground, bleeding and dizzy. When Mikey arrived, something inside him snapped so violently that even Draken stepped back. He fought in complete silence — not rage, not chaos, just a terrifying emptiness.

When it was over, he dropped to his knees beside you, hands trembling as he touched your face. You heard him whisper that he couldn’t handle losing one more person. That every loss in his life already carved holes in him he couldn’t fill. That if something happened to you, he didn’t know what he would become. You told him you were okay — just shaken. He refused to believe it until you could sit up. He pulled you into his chest and held you like you were the last thing tethering him to the world. “I love you.”