Chapter 1005: Chapter 998 - Hypothermia

This wasn't about love. It was about time.

Sean's time was ticking, fleeting like sand slipping through his fingers.

He didn't have much left, and Ryder could see it in the hollowness of his frame, the faint tremor in his hands.

Who wouldn't want to spend their final days basking in the illusion of love, even if it was a lie? Even if it's not real?

Who wouldn't want to die believing their feelings were finally returned, even if it wasn't by the same person they'd loved all along?

Ryder let out a long, shaky breath and turned toward the door. "I hope it's worth it," he said, his voice quiet, almost resigned.

As he stepped into the shadows, he whispered to himself, the words too faint for anyone else to hear. "But illusions can only hold for so long."

Sean didn't respond, his silence a confirmation Ryder didn't need. He simply tightened his arms around Ryley, as if holding on to his world with everything he had left.