The rain hammered against the windows, a relentless rhythm mirroring the storm inside Dmitri's mind. He stood motionless, staring at the faded photograph pinned to the wall—a memory from a time before the shadows consumed his life.
Elías entered quietly, sensing the weight pressing down on Dmitri's shoulders. Without a word, he approached and placed a steady hand on his shoulder.
"You don't have to carry it alone," Elías said softly.
Dmitri's voice was rough, strained by years of buried pain. "My past… it's a cage. Every secret, every loss, it chains me tighter."
Elías met his gaze, unwavering. "Then let me be your key."
In that moment, the fragile walls Dmitri had built began to crumble, revealing the raw vulnerability beneath the stoic exterior. He exhaled slowly, the tension easing just enough to welcome a flicker of trust.
"We move forward," Dmitri said, voice steady but quiet. "Together."
Elías nodded, a small, hopeful smile touching his lips as thunder rumbled in the distance, echoing the promise of a new beginning forged in the crucible of their shared darkness.