Chapter 14: Fractures of Trust
Adrian had always been good at keeping secrets. But lately, the weight of them pressed harder than the bruises on his ribs. Every lie to Marco, every half-truth to his grandmother, every silence when someone asked if he was okay—it all piled up until he felt like he was suffocating.
Elias's words haunted him: "Isolation is death. You'll need someone at your back."
Adrian didn't want to believe it. He had survived alone so far. But the attack in his apartment had changed something. He couldn't shake the image of blood on the floor, the sound of fists slamming into walls, the way the pendant had pulsed like a frantic heartbeat. If another hunter came, would he survive? And if Marco happened to be there, would he get caught in the crossfire?
The thought made Adrian's stomach twist.
That evening, Marco showed up unannounced, carrying a bag of takeout. "You've been ghosting me," he said, dropping the food on the table. "So I figured I'd force you to hang out."
Adrian forced a smile. "Sorry. Been busy."
Marco studied him, eyes narrowing. "Busy with what? You look like hell, man. Bruises, cuts… are you fighting someone?"
Adrian froze. He wanted to laugh it off, to say he'd tripped, to make another excuse. But the words stuck in his throat. Marco wasn't stupid. He had noticed too much already.
"I can't explain," Adrian said finally. "Not yet."
Marco frowned. "Not yet? What does that even mean? You're scaring me, dude. If you're in trouble, tell me. I can help."
Adrian's chest tightened. He wanted to tell him everything—the pendant, the Qi, the hunters, Elias. But Elias's warning echoed in his mind: "Trust is risk. Isolation is death. Learn to tell the difference."
Was Marco the difference? Or would telling him just paint a target on his back?
The silence stretched. Marco sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. Don't tell me. But whatever this is, it's eating you alive. And if you don't let someone in, it's going to kill you."
Adrian looked away, guilt gnawing at him. Marco was right. But the risk was too high.
Later that night, Adrian met Elias at the warehouse. He told him about Marco, about the questions, about the guilt. Elias listened quietly, arms crossed.
"You want to tell him," Elias said.
Adrian nodded. "He's my friend. He deserves the truth."
Elias shook his head. "Truth is a weapon. Once you give it, you can't take it back. If you tell him, you drag him into this world. And this world doesn't forgive innocence."
Adrian clenched his fists. "So I just keep lying?"
"You protect him," Elias said firmly. "Sometimes protection looks like silence. Sometimes it looks like distance. If you care about him, don't make him a target."
Adrian hated the answer. It felt wrong, cruel. But deep down, he knew Elias was right. Marco wasn't ready. Maybe he never would be.
They trained until dawn, Adrian forcing himself to focus, to channel the Qi with discipline. The stones steadied him, the pendant guided him, and Elias's voice kept him grounded. But even as he grew stronger, the fracture inside him widened.
Trust was a burden. Silence was a prison. And Adrian was trapped between them.
When he returned home, Marco's takeout was still on the table, cold and untouched. Adrian sat down, staring at it, feeling the weight of everything he hadn't said.
He whispered to himself, voice hoarse. "I'll survive. I'll rise. But I won't drag him down with me."
The pendant pulsed faintly, steady and calm.
But Adrian knew the truth: every secret had a cost. And sooner or later, Marco would demand answers.