The Circle's Ultimatum

The fire crackled between us, but it did nothing to warm the coldness seeping into my heart. Asher held my hand tightly, his touch firm but filled with an unspoken plea. I squeezed back, as if that pressure alone could push away the doubts growing inside me, but it didn’t. There were secrets between us—walls I couldn’t climb, no matter how much I wanted to.

We sat there in silence, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down on both of us. Finally, Asher let go of my hand and stood. His eyes lingered on me for a moment, filled with something I couldn’t quite place—regret, maybe, or fear—before he turned and disappeared into the night. I watched him go, feeling the invisible thread between us strain under the tension.

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