The words settle in the air like a death sentence.
Ace stands frozen in the middle of Rey's room, the walls closing in around him.
His chest rises and falls in sharp, uneven breaths, but no matter how much air he drags in, it isn't enough.
It's never enough.
His mind won't stop. The realization is hitting too fast, too hard, and he can't keep up with it.
His lips part, but no sound comes out.
He sways slightly on his feet, the weight in his chest pressing down harder, and before he can stop himself, he stumbles back, his legs giving out as he drops onto the edge of the couch.
His fingers curl into the fabric, gripping hard, but the pressure does nothing to ground him.
Kieran left.
Why?
Why does it always end like this?
Why is it always him?
A sharp, bitter laugh rips from his throat, but it dies just as quickly, swallowed by the suffocating silence.