Everyone who hadn't been in the room since the start had their own theories, but nobody dared to speak them out loud.
Sylas's face was so fractured, Noxan's state so fragile, that even the quietest breath felt like a natural disaster.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, falling on Sylas and Noxan. It felt like fate bending down to witness them. Dust floated in the air, catching the light,silent, dirty, yet heavy with the weight of the moment.
A loud noise came from the door as emergency doctors arrived, guiding Noxan to the hospital. Sylas was allowed to accompany him, his usually quiet inner wind now turned into a storm, shaking leaves and branches, a tempest unraveling in his chest.
At the hospital, tests were run on Noxan while Sylas spoke with a therapist and psychologist, seeking to understand the depth of what had happened. Slowly, it became clear: Noxan had loved silently, deeply, and secretly. Sylas wasn't traumatized in the same way, but the shock and emotional overwhelm left him.
After an hour, Sylas returned to a steadier state,still worried, yet anchored against the rising tides of confusion and guilt.
Three long hours later, Noxan regained consciousness. He was weak, exhausted, like a soul freshly dragged from the depths, barely able to move. On his right, his mother watched over him nest to a tangle of machines. On his left, he saw Sylas, and a warmth bloomed in his chest. For a moment, the pain and chaos of before faded,all that remained was the care he felt for Sylas.
The doctor entered the room.
"We've run tests," they said. "He's traumatically frozen,he can't remember fully yet. Soon, it will hit him like a punch to the heart. Stay close so he isn't alone."
Noxan's mother needed a quick break and asked Sylas to stay. He agreed without hesitation.
As the room emptied, Noxan's face reflected the depth of the despair he had carried alone. Sylas moved closer and hugged him. Noxan froze, shocked, tears spilling like tsunamis across his cheeks.
Sylas became the hurricane, Noxan the tsunami together, they collided, destructive yet strangely comforting. Sylas's hug was warm, gentle, and tight, trembling with guilt and fear, his face streaked with tears.
Noxan's shock began to soften. He had believed Sylas would never forgivehim, yet here he was, holding him. Relief flooded through him, a quiet undercurrent beneath the tempest of emotion.
The sunlight fought its way through the windows, struggling to shine, but its brightness brought not hope,it cast shadows, like the moon among endless stars.