Winter stormed down the corridor her breathing shallow and fast clenched fists so tight in that her knuckles stood out white.

Her vision blurred on the edges-not from tears but she felt the raw numbing fury consuming her like that wave crashing against every one of her thoughts.

Her heart hammered painfully in her chest with every step, she tried to process the betrayal she felt—why Karina had to endure something so huge alone, shutting Winter out as if she couldn't be trusted, as if she were just... a bystander in Karina's life. She swallowed hard, her face burning, unaware of anything around her.

The sound of her footsteps down the hall mingled with frantic buzzing thoughts that would not quiet.

She was just going to run into a sprint in desperation out of the air, but she ran into someone before she could take a couple of strides forward.

Her daze jolted her off it by the impact and then had stumbled back only to fall when she caught herself right before falling onto someone; the person she bumped into hadn't been so lucky.

Ryujin sprawled on the floor, groaning irritably, her grin teasing as she looked up.

"Well, well," she said, brushing herself off to stand.

"Didn't know you'd be so eager to run into me, Winter. Visiting Karina, or just in a rush to—" She caught herself, taking in the sharp, glassy edge to Winter's glare, the red rims around her eyes. Winter didn't hesitate once; she slapped at the hand of Ryujin, her face stretched tight over her features and unreadable, but a storm spinning just below her blank facade.

Winter turned on her heel to leave, but Ryujin’s hand shot out, gripping her collar. With a quick yank, the momentum threw her so sharply against the wall at each end, fingers gripped like vice, firmly.

Winter’s muscles tensed, her body reacting instantly, fingers clawing at Ryujin’s hands, trying to shove her away without letting her tears betray her.

Ryujin's grin faded from her face, replaced by something darker, almost taunting.

"Thought you loved her, Winter. This how love works for you?"

Her voice was a dripping challenge, her eyes flashing with the dare, a clear and present intent for Winter to take this blow back.

“Or does this mean I can finally have a shot at her?”

A fresh surge of rage exploded within Winter as her eyes blinked red; she shoved Ryujin back with what little energy she had.

In an instant, she swung; her fist smacked across Ryujin's jaw, shaking through her arm. Ryujin stepped back, wiping her nose as fresh blood ran, and just grinned at it, as if that were somehow funny.

But then Ryujin’s gaze softened slightly, a rare flicker of something genuine breaking through her challenging facade.

"You don’t get it, do you?" she said, her tone gentler but still tainted with frustration.

“I was the one who found her, Winter. Do you even know what happened to her? Karina’s been blaming herself, hiding it all to protect you. Trying to be strong, even though it’s tearing her apart.”

Winter’s grip on reality seemed to slip, her breathing shallowing as Ryujin’s words seeped in, each one striking her Winter’s grip on reality seemed to slip, She felt her defenses crack, her anger melting into something sharper, more painful—guilt.

Her shoulders sagged, her head dropping as Ryujin’s words replayed in her mind, breaking down her resolve piece by piece.

Her voice little more than a whisper, Ryujin continued, "And while you were lost in your little world, she was drowning alone. And the worst part? She did it all for you."

Winter clenched her fists hard as the full weight hit her; her lips trembled. She had been so blind to her own anger, to her own pain, that she hadn't even stopped to see Karina's suffering, hadn't realized that the secrets Karina kept were shields, desperate attempts to protect her.

Winter's knees buckled, and she leaned back to the wall, hot tears streaming down her cheeks as the full force of her emotions finally broke free. She gasped for air, her chest heaving from the effort of holding the sobs back that threatened to tear her apart.

How could she have been such a blind fool? How could she have dared to get angry, when all Karina had done was protect her?

Ryujin, watching Winter’s trembling form, softened, her initial frustration dissolving into empathy. She took a cautious step forward, and without a word, to Winter, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

Winter turned into Ryujin’s embrace, pressing her face into her shoulder as she sobbed, her entire body shaking, letting herself unravel completely, the walls of anger and denial crumbling around her.

Ryujin held her steady, her expression unreadable but her grip gentle, as though offering Winter the quiet strength she’d been denying herself.

Without a word, she helped Winter to her feet, guiding her down the hallway, letting her release the storm that had been brewing for too long. By the time they reached their room, Lia looked up from across the hall, her eyes wide with worry, but Ryujin gave a small nod.

Understanding, Lia backed away, leaving Winter to collapse into Ryujin’s arms, finally letting go of the weight she’d been carrying alone.