Novel & Cerita Fragile Hearts

he added, on sensing my discomfort. His voice was so vulnerable that it was giving me a heart ache, not because I still have some kind of soft corner for him, but rather I know how it feels, I had been there, with countless nights all ending in nightmares, which won't let you sleep, and how you need someone to hold onto, but you know there is no one, absolutely no one. It's just you trying to hold together your broken pieces in the middle of the night, when every other being is sleeping soundly.

It feels like death, just the same as bereavement and in quiet moments, it chokes my breath. Only Marvis whom I loved so much could be my assassin. It takes an inside job to attack one so resilient to emotional injury. That is my heartbreak. My heart has been shattered to millions of pieces that I don't even know how to pick and gather them so I can mend it.

Inside, we found a faded photograph, capturing a moment in time that had been carefully erased from our memories. As we moved from one trial to the next, Helena's grip on us tightened. She forced us to confront painful memories and buried emotions, each revelation peeling back the layers of our lives. It was in those vulnerable moments that our love for each other shone brightest, serving as an anchor amidst the storm of chaos and uncertainty.

I ran a hand through my dark hair, trying to push back all the racing thoughts. “You don’t know me, Artemis.” I let out a big breath and sat down in the closest chair, resting my hands on my knees, and looking down. “I want to know everything about you, stop pushing me away.” When I finally looked up, I couldn't understand Artemis's expression. But her eyes looked soft and vulnerable, which made my heart hurt. She seated herself before me, clasping her hands firmly in her lap. With a sorrowful expression, I tightened my fists and turned my gaze. My voice trembled as I spoke, “I’ll hurt you, Artemis. I’m broken."

Mia advised softly. "You're right. I do need to rest. I'm exhausted," Noah said. "I'll have to look into this and get back to you soon. Just keep me updated," Mia reassured her. "Sure, I will. Goodnight, Mia" Noah said and hung up. Rest did not come easy. The images of that night flashed through her mind at every turn. Damien so passionately entwined with Clara was an image she could not rid her mind of. It wasn't supposed to matter anymore; they had, after all, agreed upon this arrangement. But seeing him with another person, one he obviously cared for, shattered the fragile pretension she had held onto.

Controlled chaos. A van rolled past, headlights washing the warehouse in sterile white light. In that momentary glare, the cracks in the bricks showed, the boarded windows rattled, and the faint smear of blood at the edge of the doorframe caught the rider’s attention. They revved the engine once—sharp, decisive.

My heart was breaking too loudly to hear anything else. I looked at Harper. Then back at Roman. And in that moment, every fragile piece of hope I’d been carrying, Shattered!

That was what the system was trying to become too. Not flawless. Functional. Adaptive. Capable of carrying unresolved strain without collapsing into rigidity or chaos. Her chest tightened faintly. Because maybe humans weren’t so different after all. Maybe healing wasn’t becoming untouched again. Maybe it was learning how to redistribute weight without denying it existed. Her father stirred faintly in his sleep, his grip tightening weakly around her fingers before relaxing again. The tiny movement nearly broke her heart. Not because it was dramatic. Because it was fragile. Human beings were fragile.