Jalen couldn't sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Mira's face—the exhaustion etched beneath her eyes, the tremor in her hands, the hollow echo in her voice. He thought of how she had whispered that she couldn't feel warmth anymore. How she had smiled without joy.
And all because of him.
He had begged her to stop, but begging did nothing. Mira's love was a force beyond reason, relentless and self-devouring. She would keep giving until she disappeared completely.
So there was only one thing left for him to do.
He would trade instead.
The decision settled on him with terrifying calm. He couldn't bear to see her vanish piece by piece. If he gave something back—if he restored balance—maybe the Exchange would release her. Maybe they could both be free.
He rose quietly, the floorboards creaking under his weight. Mira slept in her chair by the window, her head resting against the cold glass. In the candlelight, she looked fragile, her breath shallow.
He wanted to touch her, to tell her he loved her, but he didn't dare wake her.
Instead, he whispered, "I'll fix this."
And slipped out into the night.
The streets were nearly empty, wrapped in fog. Jalen followed the path he had memorized—the crooked alleys, the silent courtyards—until he reached the Exchange.
The door opened for him again, noiselessly.
Inside, the pale-eyed woman waited, her hands folded neatly before her. "I wondered when you would return," she murmured.
Jalen's jaw tightened. "I want to make a trade."
Her smile curved like a crescent moon. "Do you now? And what will you offer?"
He hesitated only a moment. "Take my happiness. All of it."
The woman's eyes glittered. "So selfless. So predictable. But tell me, boy—do you know what happens when one gives up joy? Do you know the weight of living without light?"
"I already lived without it," Jalen said. "I survived once. I can survive again."
She laughed softly. "And for whom do you offer this bargain?"
"For my sister. End her debt. Whatever she owes you—whatever she's lost—give it back."
The woman's gaze sharpened. "It doesn't work that way."
"Then make it," Jalen said, his voice breaking. "Take what you want from me. Just stop taking from her."
For a long moment, the woman regarded him in silence. Then, she sighed. "Such devotion. It's almost… beautiful. Very well. I will grant your wish."
Jalen's breath caught. "You will?"
She smiled. "Oh, yes. But understand—there is no exchange without consequence."
Her hand brushed his temple, and the world went dark.
Jalen felt something being pulled from deep within—a brightness, a warmth that had taken Mira's blood to create. It tore free of him, leaving behind a hollow ache.
When he opened his eyes, everything was gray. The colors of the world had dulled. Even the woman's pale face looked washed of life.
She leaned close, whispering, "Her debt is settled. For now."
Jalen staggered out into the street, empty, trembling. The night wind bit into him, but he barely felt it. His chest was hollow, his heart heavy but cold.
Still, a flicker of satisfaction remained. He had done it. He had freed her.
When he returned home, dawn was breaking. Mira sat by the window, awake, her eyes shadowed with exhaustion.
"Jalen?" she breathed.
He managed a faint smile. "It's over."
Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I went to the Exchange," he said softly. "I made a trade. You don't owe them anymore."
For a moment, she didn't speak. Then her face drained of color. "You did what?"
"I gave up my happiness," he whispered. "For you."
The sound she made was something between a gasp and a sob.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No, no, no—Jalen, you don't understand. That's not how it works."
He frowned. "She said—"
"She lied!" Mira's voice broke. "The Exchange doesn't release debts—it multiplies them. It binds the giver and the taker both."
The realization hit him like a physical blow.
He looked at her—really looked—and saw the shimmer in her eyes. The faint golden hue that had glowed when she brought joy home was gone.
In its place was something dark.
"I felt it the moment you left," she whispered. "Something changed. It took more from me. You didn't free me, Jalen—you chained us both."
Jalen sank to the floor, his hands shaking. "I was trying to save you."
Tears streamed down Mira's face. "And I was trying to save you."
For a long, breathless moment, they simply stared at each other—two broken halves of the same desperate love.