When his mask cracks Novels & Stories

he whispers. A rope of tear drags down his face and I quickly swipe it off. “What’s wrong?” I ask, my tone soft. He hushes, “nothing. . .I’m just happy.” I giggle softly and lean in, my lips ghosting over his. “Why are you happy?” I drawl. “Because I can take my mask off,” he steals a kiss. I snicker. “Because I can stare at my own reflection and recognize myself,” he steals another kiss. “Because my life suddenly has meaning. . .”

Today's incident had blown up. An attack at an event like this would surely be kept out of the news, but behind the scenes, things were bound to get turbulent. After changing clothes, Tabitha stood in front of the mirror and realized that her mask was already broken. The mask was flawless in every other way, but water was its weakness. The moment it became wet, it lost its shape. Combined with the bullet's graze, the damage had worsened—she reached up and touched it, her fingertips catching on a curled edge where the mask had cracked.

Pockmark Mask now. ***

he responded before turning to the lady beside him, “your mum called me, she said to keep you company. You have a lot on your mind, huh?” Rebecca was speechless for a while, how close was she to this couple? Why did both of them have her mother’s number? “Becca always does this” Melisa chipped in, “you always recoil into your shell when things don’t go your way, why do you always do that?” “What do you mean?” Becca asked, “recoil into my shell?” “Your mum said you have been acting weird since this morning” Hardin disclosed, “what exactly is the problem?”

He rips his mask off his face “It can’t be…” I so badly want to be wrong.

Daniel, the IT staff Damien sacked The fourth arrival came in his footsteps silent, his posture impeccable. His mask is a simple thing—smooth obsidian, featureless except for a single crack that ran diagonally across the face. He was known only as the Broken. There was something unmistakable about him, a cold, coiled danger that radiated from every line of his body. He took his seat without a word, his eyes hidden behind the mask, but those who watched him could feel the weight of his presence. Tristan Miller

Nothing feels loose. I turn my head and look back up at Broken Nose. "I'll ask you one more time," he says, cracking his scarred knuckles slowly. "Who did you tell?" I lean forward as far as the duct tape allows, then I spit a mouthful of blood directly onto his shoe.

" The corners of his mouth turn upwards as though he is swallowing his own words because he does not want to utter them. “The ones that want you. The ones that want to take you from me.” “Ezra.” “That’s not real.” “That’s not real,” There is a faint smile that crosses his face. "You didn't think the man with the mask was real, did you? But he was," he says. He gets up, and the air moves for him, like a wave. "He is near now," I think. He must be close enough that I can smell the metal on his skin. It has a biting, almost awkward smell that conflicts with the warmth of his body.

His heart was beating as fast as mine was. “You’re shaking,” I whispered without thinking. He didn’t deny it. He slowly let out his breath, as if he were trying to keep himself in check. “I never expected this,” he said, voice low and rough. “Not like this.” I blinked at him, not understanding what he meant at first. His eyes met mine, and the mask he had worn around me for months cracked—splintering around the edges. His arrogance, his coldness, the stone wall he used to shield himself all rippled for one second, revealing fear. Not fear of death.

My stomach didn't just drop, it fucking plummeted through the earth's core. "I'm not built for it," he continued, voice going quiet and deadly. "I wasn't made for picket fences or anniversary dinners or any of that domestic bliss bullshit. I destroy everything I touch." "You're breaking me," I whispered. His breath hitched. For the first time since I'd known him, I saw something crack in that perfectly controlled facade—regret flickering behind his guarded stare like a dying lightbulb. "I know." "Then stop." "I can't."