His voice was cold, final, as if he had already accepted that fate.
Es’s blood turned to ice.
Her anger surged, her body trembling as she took a step forward.
"Are you insane?!" she shouted. "How dare you talk about death so easily?"
But Ray didn’t back down. His fury matched hers, burning just as brightly.
"Oh?" He scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk. "And how dare you talk about death so easily?"
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, mocking whisper. "What? Do you think you have so copyright over it? That only you get to talk about it?"
The words hung between them like a death sentence, raw and unforgiving.
The alley remained silent except for the sound of their ragged breathing, their bodies tense, their souls bleeding.
The cold air wrapped around them, thick with Es took a deep breath, steadying herself before stepping closer to Ray. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached up, cupping his face with both hands, her touch gentle despite the storm brewing between them.
Their foreheads touched, the heat of their frustration and grief mingling in the small space between them. Her voice, when it ca, was soft, weary—laced with sothing she rarely allowed herself to show.
"Listen." She inhaled sharply before continuing. "I know what I did was wrong. I know it, Ray. But you have to understand... my whole family is involved in this. Even if I stay out of it, they will co for . They will co after us."
She closed her eyes for a brief mont, as if gathering the courage to admit what she had been holding back.
"I don’t know everything. I can’t even tell you why I’m doing this, or what the outco will be. But the one thing I do know is that I want you and our children to be safe. More than anything."
She felt Ray’s breath hitch, his body stiff under her touch, but he didn’t pull away.
"I was born into this life, Ray. I was raised in it. Fighting is all I’ve ever known. I don’t have the luxury of feeling too much, of hesitating." Her fingers tightened against his jaw, her voice thick with sothing almost desperate. "I don’t take death lightly. I swear I don’t. But I was raised in a world where it is always looming, where weakness is a death sentence."
Her voice faltered, and for the first ti, a crack ford in her armor.
"My parents are involved in this. I have no choice but to act." She let out a shaky breath. "But if you and the children are caught up in this... I will beco weak. You are my weak spot, Ray."
His body tensed at her words. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, raw, filled with sothing almost wounded.
"We are your weakness?"
His red-rimd eyes bore into her, demanding an answer, his emotions barely restrained.
Es’s heart clenched. She shook her head quickly, her grip on his face tightening as she tilted her head up to et his gaze.
"No, no, no. I didn’t an it like that." Her voice was urgent, almost pleading. "You don’t make weak. You are my power, Ray. You and the children—you give strength to fight against everything else. But I can’t stand the thought of seeing you hurt. I’ve lost too many people in my life."
Her voice broke on the last words, the weight of past losses pressing against her ribs like a phantom pain.
"And I don’t want to lose you, too."
The alley was silent, except for their heavy breathing. Ray stared at her, his expression unreadable, but his hands twitched at his sides—like he was fighting the urge to hold onto her.
Ray’s voice, devoid of warmth, cut through the stillness like a blade.
"Es, do you think you’re the only one who has lost in life?"
Es stiffened at his words, her breath hitching. She t his gaze, her lips parting slightly, but no words ca.
Ray didn’t wait for her to respond. His eyes, dark and piercing, held hers as he continued.
"Do you really think you’re the only one who has suffered? That you’re the only one who has lost sothing precious?" His voice remained even, yet each word carried a weight that pressed against her chest. "I know you’ve been through hell, Es. But have you ever thought about us? Do you think just because we seem strong, just because we don’t break in front of you, we haven’t lost anything?"
Es clenched her fists, but she stayed silent.
"You were the one who told us that we are strong. You were the one who said that we had suffered and that you would take care of us." His jaw tightened as he stepped closer, his breath warm against her skin. "Do you rember when we confessed to you? When we told you that we loved you? You promised us, Es. You said we were your family, that you would protect us."
His voice wavered slightly, but his eyes never left hers.
"Then why?" His voice dropped to a whisper, raw and broken. "Why do you always shut us out when it matters? Why, when it cos to a dangerous task, when it’s sothing you want to do, do you never consider us? Do you think we don’t have feelings? That we don’t deserve to know? To fight beside you?"
Es opened her mouth, but Ray wasn’t done. His emotions, long buried under layers of control, finally cracked through.
"You say you love us, but tell , Es—how can we believe that?" His voice turned sharp, like shattered glass. "How can we believe you when you knew sothing was going to happen to you? When you knew there was danger, but you still didn’t tell us?"
Es’s breath caught. She took a step back, but Ray followed, his presence suffocating.
"Even though you knew, you still walked out that day. Why?"
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