The Weight of Truth
Snow fell softly outside the window, each flake drifting like a quiet witness to the torment inside Xiao Yan's heart. He sat on the edge of his bed, silent, his hands trembling, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.
LuQi's voice cut through the silence, concerned but cautious.
"You've regained your memories, that's good news. What do you remember then?"
Xiao Yan said nothing. His gaze remained fixed on the floor, a single tear slipping down his cheek.
"Why… why are you tearful?" LuQi pressed, becoming impatient.
At that moment, Mi-An stepped forward, her eyes soft but heavy with unspoken words. She knelt beside him.
"You knew!" Xiao Yan's voice cracked, almost breaking. "You knew!!"
Mi-An lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"You knew he was my father!" Xiao Yan groaned, clutching his chest as if trying to hold his very heart together. "The Ansha was my father, and Nem… Nem was my enemy. Mi-An, you knew!"
"I'm sorry," she whispered again, voice choked.
"I killed my own father," Xiao Yan said, and now the tears streamed freely, hot and unforgiving. Mi-An reached out, trying to comfort him, but he pushed her away. "Let go… I want to be alone."
Outside the room, Mi-An's heart ached. She sensed the depth of his pain and left quietly, unable to bear watching him suffer.
LuQi placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Mi-An, take good care of him."
"You… thank you," she said, her voice trembling. The world outside seemed unbearably cruel, and she let herself collapse to the cold floor, tears flowing freely.
Inside, Xiao Yan whispered brokenly into the silence:
"Father… Father!! Father!!! Why didn't you tell me? Father… I've failed you… Father!!!"
Snow continued to fall, drifting past the window like a silent memorial for the Ansha, for the past, and for Xiao Yan's shattered heart.