The Echo Before The Explosion

Her voice softened. "Because I want to make sure he never swallows you whole."

He stared at the snow. "He won't."

She looked at him again. "You are already becoming something sharp. Something fast. You see what others miss. You speak like a king, but you look like a boy. That is dangerous."

He tilted his head. "Why?"

"Because they will either follow you or try to destroy you."

He rubbed his hands again. "I'll shoot the ones who try."

She didn't laugh.

Instead, she stepped closer and held his face in her hands.

"Promise me something, Dima."

He nodded. "What?"

"If you ever feel like your heart is gone. If you ever wake up and feel nothing at all. Don't keep walking. Stop. Find something real. Even if it's small. Even if it hurts."

He blinked. "Like what?"

She thought for a moment. Then whispered, "Like love. Or truth. Or the sound of your own voice before it becomes just like his."