Confess
Imported from SF2 with no description.
No one asked but here's the continuation of the series, thanks for checking this out. I tried to draw Torke (as a newbie artist with zero experience, same as writer) so I hope you all like it UwU
Let's see how Torke and Larke dealt with this complicated situation...
My limbs felt like lead, refusing to respond as the alarm blared. My throat was raw, and my swollen eyes were proof of another sleepless night. Even in this broken state, I forced myself to pull it together. Come on, Torku. You’ve got this.
After what felt like an eternity of trying to convince myself, I finally dragged my exhausted body out of bed. To be honest, sleep was impossible after what I discovered about my brother. His secret.
“Rough night?” His voice echoed from the kitchen, casual but laced with concern. He didn’t need to ask; my appearance said it all.
“You didn’t come home last night.” I sidestepped his question, instead throwing out a fact that hung in the air like a heavy fog.
He paused before forcing a laugh. "Yeah, well... they partied so hard, I couldn’t say no." His voice tried to sound carefree, but I wasn’t buying it. Sure, Mr.‘Partied so hard.’
I narrowed my eyes. "Is that so?" The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. I knew he was holding something back.
He froze, the smile fading from his face. The kitchen went silent.
I couldn’t shake the image from my mind—my brother, kissing someone under the moonlight. It was beautiful in a way, almost mesmerizing, yet it clung to my thoughts like a haunting echo, impossible to erase no matter how hard I tried.
"I’ll make it up to you, okay?" His voice cut through my thoughts, filled with an apologetic tone.
"Nothing." The word slipped out before I could stop it, barely a response, but laced with something more.
"Huh?" His confusion was obvious, his eyes searching mine for a clue. I could almost see the question mark hovering over his head.
I quickly waved it off. "Oh, sure." My voice was flat and empty, betraying none of the turmoil twisting inside.
We ate in silence after that. An awkward, suffocating quiet settled between us, the kind that hadn’t always been there. I couldn’t even pinpoint when this distance between us started growing, but now it felt like a chasm.
"Uh… I’d better get to work." I stood up, pushing the chair back with a soft scrape, eager to escape the suffocating silence.
"Same." He glanced up briefly, then returned to his plate.
"Then… see you later?" I hesitated at the door, lingering for just a second.
"See you." His reply was quiet, almost absent, as if we were strangers in our own home.
***
The workday drags on, each minute stretching endlessly. No task, no distraction, nothing is strong enough to keep that scene from crawling back into my mind. His face, her face—the kiss. It’s like a splinter, wedged deep in my thoughts. I can’t focus. I have to talk to him about it. Tonight. We’ll have a real conversation, no excuses. Surely he’ll be free by then, right?
“Hey.”
Argh, it’s gnawing at me. Stop thinking about it. Focus. Just focus.
"Hey!" The sharp voice cut through my mental fog, startling me.
I turned, wide-eyed, only to see Ben standing beside me, arms crossed, his voice booming close to my ear. "I’ve been calling you."
I blinked, scrambling to snap out of it. "Sorry, I… I didn’t hear you."
Ben huffed, shaking his head. He’s the owner of the shop, usually strict but with a soft side. I knew he cared more than he let on.
"Shh, don’t bother explaining." He held up a hand before I could finish. "If you're tired, just go home early. I’ll cover the rest."
I opened my mouth to protest. "But I—"
"No buts." He waved me off and, without waiting for an argument, practically pushed me out of the shop.
His unexpected kindness left me speechless. "Thanks..." I muttered, my voice barely a whisper, feeling the weight of my emotions dragging me down as I gathered my things to leave.
***
Instead of heading straight home, I found myself drifting toward the river.
I’ve always loved it here. Something about the steady, gentle flow of water soothes me, as if my own thoughts could be carried away by the current. I needed that calm more than ever today.
Sitting by the bank, I let the cool breeze brush against my skin, hoping it would still the storm in my mind. But no matter how hard I tried, I kept thinking about him. About everything that’s happened recently.
I’ve been noticing him more, paying closer attention to the smallest things—the way he moves, the tone of his voice, how the house feels different when he’s around. It’s like I’m waking up to things I should’ve seen long ago.
What am I feeling?
My mind drifted, wandering through the haze of memories. I found myself yearning for the warmth of his presence, for the comforting familiarity that filled the house when he was there. So much has shifted, and I’m only now realizing just how much I’ve been missing.
I want…
I don’t know what I want. But before I can grasp the thought, I drift off, lost in daydreams. When I finally stir awake, the evening light is already fading. Time slipped away from me again.
With a sigh, I hurriedly gather my things and head home, though the weight in my chest remains.
“I’m home,” I called out nervously, my voice barely steady as I unlocked the door.
Silence greeted me.
No one’s here.
I sighed, sinking into the sofa, feeling the weight of the emptiness around me. That’s when I noticed a neatly written sticky note on the table:
‘Sorry, I have an urgent matter. Dinner’s already prepared.’
I stared at it for a moment, the disappointment settling in. Seriously, this guy... I stifled a sigh, pushing away the frustration as I forced myself through dinner. The food felt tasteless tonight.
After cleaning up, I headed to bed, though my mind wouldn’t settle. Lying there, thoughts swirled uncontrollably. Why do I feel like this? Why does it hurt so much?
There’s a knot in my chest, tightening with every second. Never before have I felt this desperate to talk to him, to ask him what’s really going on. Why he feels so distant…
And then, without realizing it, I felt something warm on my cheek. Am I… crying?
“Larke…” I whispered into the darkness, my voice trembling. “Why are you doing this?”
***
No dreams tonight—only the vast expanse of nothingness.
I’m weightless, floating in the quiet void.
Then, from the emptiness, a shimmer appears—a gentle sparkle, followed by a stream of water pouring from its core, spiraling around me like an ethereal dance.
The sensation is soothing, each swirl of water calming my mind, washing away the chaos of my thoughts. A cool breeze sweeps through, and for the first time in a while, I feel at peace.
Slowly, my heart begins to thaw, the warmth creeping back as the fire of hope ignites within me.
As if answering some ancient, natural call, I surrender to the flow. Words dance with me, light as air, and I let myself drift—weightless, free.
I woke up with a refreshed mind, the calm settling deep in my chest. It felt like the storm had finally passed.
“We need to talk.” My voice came out firm, more assertive than I expected. Larke raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by the sudden shift in my tone.
“Uh... sure?” He responded, uncertainty flickering across his face.
“I’ll see you tonight.” I made sure to hold his gaze, letting him know this wasn’t a casual request.
“...See you,” he echoed, his voice quieter, unsure.
***
"What do you want to talk about?"
Larke's voice was casual, but there was a slight edge of apprehension. He knew something was coming.
"You remember a couple of days ago?"
"Yeah?" He replied, his brows furrowing.
"I saw it."
His face remained still for a moment. "Saw what?"
"The girl." I forced the words out before I could change my mind.
A long pause. "...Oh. Did you... see everything?" His voice dropped.
"Yes."
"I... see." He looked down, avoiding my gaze, the silence between us growing heavier.
Neither of us spoke. The quiet was suffocating, like the weight of everything we weren’t saying was pressing down on me.
"You're not even going to explain?" I finally broke the silence, my voice low but sharp.
"I..." He hesitated, struggling for words.
The bitterness crept into my voice. "Is that why you've been avoiding me these past few days? Because of her? You don't want to see me anymore?"
Larke’s eyes widened slightly, and he looked at me like I had just said something ridiculous. "Are you jealous that I have a girlfriend?"
Something inside me snapped at the question. Jealous? Why? I didn’t understand.
"No... that’s not it." My words wavered. "I just... I just don’t want you to leave me." My voice cracked, barely a whisper now.
His expression softened instantly, and he stepped closer. "Hey, I’m not leaving you. I’ll always be here, okay? You don’t need to worry about that."
"Really?" I searched his face, desperately wanting to believe him. "Promise?"
He smiled, a warm, reassuring smile. "Of course. Promise."
And just like that, I felt my chest lighten. I could feel the grin spreading on my face, and I didn’t even care if I looked like an idiot.