chapter 37: cracks in the silence
the day wore on, the sun casting long shadows across the village as ren and maya walked side by side through narrow, winding paths. the quiet hum of daily life surrounded them — children laughing, merchants calling out their wares, the distant clang of a blacksmith's hammer. yet beneath the surface, ren felt a storm brewing inside him, restless and fierce.
"maya," he began, breaking the silence, "do you ever feel like you're living someone else's life? like parts of you are missing, or hidden?"
she glanced at him, her expression thoughtful. "more than you know. but sometimes those missing pieces are the ones that shape us the most."
he clenched his fists, struggling to keep his pride from flaring. "i hate feeling powerless. like i'm just a shadow of what i could be."
"power doesn't come from denying who you are," maya said quietly. "it comes from accepting every part — even the cracks."
ren's breath hitched as memories flickered behind his eyes: flashes of shadowed figures, whispers of forgotten battles, the chilling void where his past should have been.
"how do you accept something that hurts so much?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
maya stopped walking and faced him, her eyes steady and sure. "by trusting that you're stronger than your pain. that you can grow through the cracks, not break because of them."
for a moment, ren said nothing, letting her words sink deep. his pride, once a fortress, now felt like a cage — one he was beginning to question.
"maybe," he admitted, "there's more to strength than just winning."
maya smiled, a flicker of warmth breaking through the shadows. "there always is."
as they continued down the path, ren's heart beat with a new rhythm — one that welcomed the silence and the cracks it revealed.