Wings that are plucked.

Night fell heavy over the mansion. But their hearts even heavier. Kai looked outside seeing the snow falling. The city lights barely visible because of the thick annoying fog. He always hated fogs...now more than ever.

Kai sat at the edge of the guest room bed, staring at the dark window. His breath fogged on the glass. the cold outside was merciless. But inside, something colder sat inside his chest. His own heart felt too heavy for his body. First the incident in Japan. Now this!?

He should leave. He should’ve left hours ago. But he couldn't. The gates were locked and he was too drawn in to leave. instead, he sat there, heart pounding, feeling the weight of everything he didn’t understand. Confusion took him over.

A soft knock came at the door.

Kai turned sharply, standing. Before he could speak, Alexander stepped in definitely not waiting for permission, not hesitating. I mean this is his house. His mansion. His power. His influence. His wealth. His damned pain.

He looked… tired. Not the polished, untouchable man from earlier, but something rawer. His pale eyes landed on Kai, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

“I thought you might be gone, vanished and invisible once again." Alexander said quietly. His voice low and barely above a whisper.

Kai swallowed hard. “You locked the gates...and i can't just climb over them. they are covered in spikes."

A faint smile touched Alexander’s mouth. “You’re not wrong.” He stepped closer, each footfall silent. “But you’re still here aren't you? Still in the palm of my hand. As i said...your a child drawn to a flame that will soon burn you."

Kai felt his back press slightly against the wall. “Why do you care?” he asked, voice cracking. “You have power. Money. Everything. Why me? And quit with the riddles."

Alexander’s smile faded. A stern and cold expression taking over his features as he fixed his crisp suit.

“I told you,” he murmured, stepping closer. “You remind me of someone. Someone I failed.”

Kai shook his head. “I’m not them.”

“I know.” Alexander’s eyes darkened. “But maybe this time, I can keep the story from ending the same way. Perhaps...i can get the happy ending. That's what i wanted. But in this world it seems that even those with the coldest hearts will eventually freeze of their own coldness. Their own isolation."

Kai’s chest tightened painfully. He didn’t want to know but some reckless part of him the whispered ask. That damned question that would break everything apart like always.

“What happened to them?”

Kai could hear his own voice. It was small...timid and so fearful. But why!?

For the first time, something flickered behind Alexander’s cold exterior it was something raw and sharp. Something darker and colder than the winters of Russia and deeper than the depths of the sea...

“She loved me,” Alexander said softly. His voice not wavering. “And because she loved me… she died. Her love was too strong...it made her weak and vulnerable.”

The words landed between them like a blow.

Kai’s breath caught. Was this gonna be how he died? “You… killed her? Did you? I heard mafiosos usually killed their lovers to keep their secrets safe-"

Alexander’s gaze sharpened. “I didn’t pull the trigger. But it was my world that swallowed her whole. The confusion of it all. The pain and influence left her vulnerable. I wish i had been the one to pull the trigger. Perhaps she could've died by my hand..."

The room felt too small, the air too thin. And the pressure too heavy for either of them to understand.

“I’m not here to hurt you, Kai,” Alexander murmured, stepping so close Kai could feel his breath. “But you’ve walked into something you don’t understand. And now, you can’t just walk back out.”

Kai’s heart pounded so hard it hurt. His eyes filled with fear. “Are you going to kill me?"

Alexander smiled faintly, brushing a hand against Kai’s jaw his touch almost gentle, almost cruel. Something Kai couldn't place...that expression on Alexander's face...so familiar...

“No,” he whispered. “But loving me might. It killed her, so it'll kill you... She was kind and different... Orange hair just like yours. Those same dark black eyes. They were filled with warmth even during the harsh winters of Moscow."

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