Deniz and I walk together toward the bus stop, our hands intertwined, fingers laced like they were always meant to find each other this way.
The hill street stretches before us, silent and dark. The only sounds are our soft footsteps and the distant rustle of leaves in the night breeze.
The darkness that once frightened me now feels like a blanket, warm and protective, because he's beside me.
But something has changed.
The fear I felt earlier in this darkness is gone. Not with him beside me. Not after the magic of this night—after the ice cream, the keychains, and the way he looked at me under the stars.
But another fear has taken its place, quieter but more persistent.
Deniz's eyes are downcast, fixed on the path ahead, his face carrying that familiar expression I've come to dread.
Sadness. Blankness.
