Shameless One

Shun's smile faltered, not from disbelief, but from the weight of the revelation and its potential repercussions. He imagined the shockwave it would send through the public if it ever reached their ears. Silver's slight gasp snapped him back; it was the first time he'd seen a flicker of surprise cross her usually unflappable face.

"Why…?" Shun furrowed his brows, grasping for answers. From Vito's expression, it was clear Krystal Fritz had been a respected principal. What could drive someone of her stature to such a drastic act—to burn down her own academy, students and all?

"Why would she do it... and more importantly, how?" Silver's head dropped, lost in thought.

Seeing their expressions turn grave, Glynn abandoned his own attempt at levity. "As I said, I don't know the full story. This is about as much as I've gathered. Trust me, when I first heard it from my father, I was as baffled as you. It didn't affect me directly, so I didn't dig any deeper."

He paused, casting a pointed glance at Silver. "You didn't even know the truth, did you?"

Silver's head snapped up, and for a brief moment, she cursed herself for letting her guard down before someone who could read minds. Shun turned to her, studying the glimmer of suspicion in her eyes.

Her expression wasn't merely fearful; it was as if her face had turned to stone, white and lifeless.

"What's wrong?" Shun asked, but Silver remained frozen, silent. He redirected his gaze to Glynn, his tone laced with warning. "Say no more. Thank you for your help."

"Let's go, Silver." He turned towards the door, his irritation palpable.

Glynn, too, seemed rooted in place, silently berating himself. Words that should have remained buried had slipped out before he could contain them. This wasn't like him. But there was something about Silver—something he couldn't quite shake.

"Shun," Silver murmured, steadying herself as she realized Glynn had no intention of revealing more. "May I have a private word with Mr. Belkarn?"

"Suit yourself."

Without looking back, Shun exited, slamming the door behind him. His parting words echoed into the room. "Silver, everyone has secrets. It's not shameful to protect them. The shame lies with those who force them into the open."

As the door closed, Silver collapsed, breaths coming in shallow gasps as beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

"Mrs. Iricson, I didn't mean to—" Glynn's words faltered as he saw her distress. A faint instinct hinted this was an omen, perhaps not as dire as it seemed.

Silver shook her head, then raised her eyes to meet Glynn's. "You know everything already, don't you?"

Glynn nodded, slow and deliberate. Silver had anticipated as much.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but…" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Can you keep this a secret, please?"

Glynn slumped back into his chair, pressing his hand to his forehead. "Of course, Mrs. Iricson. I apologise for my foolish mistake. It won't happen again. Everything you've confided in me stays here, as if I never knew it at all."

Silver rose unsteadily, her legs feeling hollow, and slipped out of the room, leaving Glynn to sit alone, mired in his thoughts.

Shun was waiting for her by the front door. Unbeknownst to Silver, he had overheard the entire exchange. He hadn't gained any new insight, nor did he particularly wish to.

He had meant every word he'd spoken. Everyone has secrets, and it's no sin to keep them. In all their interactions, he'd never felt that Silver's secret could harm him. Words may deceive, and memories may even be fake—as Danica Amnir had said—but the truth of human emotion was absolute.

He, too, held a secret that could spell his undoing if discovered. But Silver's burden seemed to carry far greater weight.

"Sorry, Shun," Silver whispered, the words almost inaudible.

"Don't bother." He dismissed her regret. "Let's go home first. We'll talk about what you want to discuss when we're back."

The journey home passed in silence. They walked so close their shoulders almost touched, each lost in their own thoughts, unaware of the closeness between them.

They reached the familiar street, where they had their previous conversation. Shun's heart caught in his chest, and he paused.

Silver seemed to sense it too. She spoke, breaking the quiet with a question that hung in the air like a shadow.

"Shun, what do you think of me?"

It was the same question he had asked her before. Now, he felt the weight of it. His hands were slightly trembling, a warmth he couldn't shake lingering on his skin.

"Silver, you're... someone I would like to stay with forever."

He wasn't lying; at this moment, he couldn't have lied if he tried. He'd always been adept at deceit, but now, with her, he felt vulnerable. Ever since his powers had awakened and afforded him a measure of comfort, his resentment toward the world hadn't lessened. Yet, Silver was a glimmer of light in the darkness he clung to. She had pierced that darkness like no one else ever could.

She was the brightest light he had ever known. The shadows within him fought against her brilliance, yet they could never smother it.

Shun looked at Silver, expecting a smile, perhaps a blush. Instead, he found something far deeper—a peculiar sense of relief tempered with resolve.

Her expression darkened as she asked another familiar question.

"What if I'm an incredibly bad person, worse than you could ever imagine? Would you still want to stay with me?"

Shun considered his answer, tempted to mirror her own response. But instead, he opted for a more inventive approach.

"Then… I guess I'll just have to be worse than you ever could be."

Silver's gaze shot to his, and for the second time that day, disbelief washed over her. Shun continued, unperturbed.

"That way, you wouldn't seem so terrible by comparison."

"A villain with an even worse one at her side, now that's truly something."