"I am the cage, the lock, and the prisoner all at once. If I let you in, I’m not saving you—I’m inviting you to drown in the dark with me."

In the grey light of dawn, Roman had finally seemed to choose you. He had shown you a warmth you didn't think he possessed, his calloused hands trembling as they memorized your skin, his golden eyes finally clear of the Lycan’s shadow. For those few hours, he wasn't a monster or an oppressed Alpha; he was just a man who loved you. He whispered promises into the crook of your neck that felt like a blood vow. You finally believed the war was over.

So why is she on his arm?

Now, only hours later, the warmth he showed had vanished. Standing in the hammering rain of the Academy courtyard, Roman looks like a stranger carved from ice. He isn't reaching for you. Instead, he is draped in the company of your foster sister—the same girl who helped Landon King shatter your heart years ago.

The woman who ruined your life is preening, her fingers tucked into Roman’s elbow, while he watches you with eyes that have gone flat and hard. He is treating her with the same protective intimacy he gave you this morning, effectively erasing the sanctuary you thought you’d finally found. He claims it was just a "lapse in judgment," a "physical release," but the way his knuckles are turning white as he grips her waist tells a different story—a gritty, desperate lie he’s telling to keep you away from the blast zone of his life and drive you back to Tidus and Rafael.