82 - Names Are Shackles

Ruin

I’m sitting across from Ryker, my hands clenched into fists on my knees. The silence in the office is thick, almost tangible, as I muster the courage to voice what’s been haunting me for years. Ryker’s gaze is steady, patient, waiting for me to speak.

“I want to tell Chloe Jane about my past,” I finally say, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

Ryker’s eyebrows shoot up, surprise etching his features for a moment before he leans back in his chair, nodding slowly. “That’s a big step, Ruin. But it’s a good one. Purging yourself of that past... Chloe Jane will understand. She loves you.”

I nod, not entirely convinced but appreciating his support. “Yeah, I just... I don’t want there to be secrets between us. Not about something this big; something that shaped me this round of my reincarnation.”

“Good man,” Ryker says, his voice warm with approval. “You’re doing the right thing.”

Ryker was the one who found me starving and out of my mind on the streets. He’s the one who took me in