[ P ] ghost of my past

i see your fantasy
you wanna make it a reality paved in gold

The words that left his lips only inflicted further pain on her heart. She could feel the pieces of her soul leaving her until the very moment he placed his paw on her chest, separating them. Where she had hoped for warmth, there was only the cold touch of his pad against her skin. When she looked into his eyes, it was as if he had vanished, leaving behind an empty void. Rayne was acutely aware of what he was doing. He was detaching himself from her, deliberately shutting off every trace of his wolfmanity, severing his heart from any deeper connection. Reuben would not pursue her or entertain any thoughts of what they could have been. He would not let her warm the cold spaces of his heart or share another night with her. He would move on with his life, expecting her to do the same.

Her blue gaze was locked onto his paw as it rested against her chest, the gentle push separating them. Her cheeks, stained with tears, glistened as she looked up at him once more, hoping that he might retract his words. Even if she were to offer to run away with him now, she knew he would never allow it.

Reuben was finished with this chapter of his life, and she was part of that past.

Her teeth clenched tightly as she felt the final fragment of her heart being wrenched from her chest with the crushing realization that no matter what she said, he would not change his mind. Her lip quivered, and her throat grew unbearably hot as she fought to suppress the sobs that threatened to break free. Her breaths, once steady, grew rapid and shallow with each passing moment. She shook her head, unable to voice the immense pain she felt.

"I love you, Reuben Karisa. I love all the parts of you that you hate, and how you made me feel during those fleeting moments when you allowed yourself to break free from your chains," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive yourself, for your sake."

She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. This was goodbye, with no promise of a future together or any hope that their paths might cross again.

Rayne could no longer bear to face him. Her heart lay shattered on the floor, scattered at his feet. She turned and left him behind, knowing she could not look back—not because she didn't want to, but because he would never allow it.

exit rayne

code // art

reuben serein

Pushing her away was a kindness that he should have granted her months ago before they got this close. Reuben had been the one to open the door for her and now he was slamming it in her face. It seemed that he was fated to bring grief to those that he loved. Not once, but twice did his poisonous love lay waste to the precious heart she had given him so willingly. He hadn't needed to beg for it or prove his worth even though he didn't deserve it in the first place. Maybe his mother was right about him after all. He was good for nothing.

I love you, Reuben Karsia. The confession tore at him viciously, guilt and regret forming a lump in his throat that settled like a stone. Her love for him was a double edged sword, plunged into both their hearts, wringing out every last drop of pain that it could. He bit his lip hard enough for blood to blossom and clenched his jaw, trying to remain strong and not crumble before her. Keeping her chained to him would only drag her down with him. He had to let her go.

“I love you too, m’eudail. So much that it hurts,” he whispered tearfully into the wind when she was gone, leaving him where he belonged, in her rear view mirror

- Exit Reuben