The city lights glowed outside Ares's apartment, but inside, everything was still. The air was hushed, untouched since he'd left that morning. He shut the door behind him with a soft click, tossed his keys onto the counter, and didn't bother turning on the lights.
He walked into the living room and stood in the centre for a moment. The silence pressed in, not loud or painful just heavy. Familiar.
His jacket slipped from his shoulders onto the couch. He ran a hand through his hair and sank into the sofa, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
The conversation with his father echoed in his ears.
"You think love will save you. That girl.... Mira. You've already made your first mistake."
Ares stared at the floor. That name, spoken in Ji-Won's voice, left a bitter taste in his mouth. Not because it was true but because it was meant to wound.
And it had.
He reached for the remote and turned on the TV, not to watch anything, but just to fill the room with something that wasn't silence. Colours flickered across the dark walls. He didn't even register what was playing.
His eyes moved to the window. Somewhere out there, Mira was working late. Jae Min might be nearby. The company kept moving forward like it always did. As if nothing had just cracked open beneath his feet.
A soft knock sounded on the door.
He didn't answer.
A moment passed before the door opened slowly he hadn't locked it. Jae Min stepped inside, carrying a small takeout bag in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.
"You didn't answer my texts," Jae Min said, voice low.
Ares didn't look at him. "Wasn't in the mood to talk."
"That's new," Jae Min muttered, placing the bag on the coffee table. He glanced at the TV. "You watching an aquarium documentary or just depressed?"
Ares cracked a small, humourless smile. "Both."
Jae Min sat beside him. The silence returned, but it was softer now.
"Want to talk?" he asked eventually.
Ares leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "No."
"Okay."
Another pause.
Then Jae Min said, "He's a bastard. But you already knew that."
Ares closed his eyes. "He still gets to me."
"You're allowed to feel that. Doesn't make you weak."
"He said…. Mira was a mistake."
Jae Min looked at him, "I'm sorry..."
Ares replied in calm voice, "It's not your fault"
"He just knows everything if not you then someone else will. Like always."
Jae Min leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "You care about her?"
Ares didn't answer right away. "She makes the silence quieter. That's all."
"That's not 'all,' Ares."
They sat in silence again, watching the TV glow.
"I think," Jae Min said after a while, "he's scared of you. Of what you'll become. Because you're not him. And that's the most dangerous thing you could be."
Ares looked over at his cousin, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. "That sounded weirdly wise."
"I had a long day," Jae Min said with a shrug.
The two of them stayed like that sitting in the dim light, not talking much, not needing to. Just sharing the quiet.
No accusations.
No judgment.
Just calm.
When Jae Min eventually got up to leave, he patted Ares's shoulder once. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be another war."
Ares didn't answer, but he nodded.
As the door closed behind Jae Min, the silence returned. But this time, it didn't feel so heavy.
Ares leaned back into the couch, stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then finally let his eyes close.