"That Helios loves you."
Ezra could only stare at Kaelis as he said that.
At first, Ezra's eyes widen in shock.
But then—
"Ha…haha…" Ezra laughs quietly at first.
Because it was funny.
It was an absolute joke.
"Hahahaha." Ezra kept laughing as if it was the funniest thing in the whole entire world.
Too hard, actually.
The kind of laughter that felt forced the longer it continued.
Even when Kaelis just stared at him, not laughing, not amused in the slightest.
If anything, Kaelis looked pitiful.
Like he was watching someone slowly realize something painful in real time.
Ezra kept laughing though.
"Out of all your jokes, Kaelis. That one is by far the—"
"I am not joking, and you know that." Kaelis says seriously. "You're laughing but I can see it in your eyes that you don't find this funny."
Ezra's laughter dies down immediately.
Not slowly.
Abruptly.
Like someone had suddenly cut the sound out of him.
