The room wasn't as cold as Juni expected. It was just quiet.
The legal office smelled faintly of paper and disinfectant. Juni sat between Evelyn and Elian, feet flat on the floor, hands folded tightly in his lap.
He had been told what would happen. He had been told what wouldn't. Still, his heartbeat counted every second.
"You can stop at any point," the caseworker reminded him gently. "And you don't have to look at anyone you don't want to."
Juni nodded. "I know." His voice didn't shake.
When his uncle entered the room, Juni felt the familiar pull in his chest—the instinct to shrink, to become quiet enough to survive. But this time, something was different. He wasn't alone.
His uncle didn't look at him at first. When he did, his expression was tight, defensive. "This is ridiculous," the man muttered. "He's exaggerating."
Juni's fingers curled. Elian stayed still. Evelyn didn't move.
The silence held.
"Juni," the caseworker said softly, "when you're ready."
Juni inhaled slowly. He didn't look at his uncle. He looked at the table. "…He hurt me," Juni said. "More than once."
The words didn't come with drama. They came with certainty.
His uncle scoffed. "I never meant—"
"That's not your turn," the caseworker said calmly.
Juni's shoulders trembled. He continued anyway. "…I learned how to stay quiet so it wouldn't get worse," he said. "I learned how to make myself small."
The room felt impossibly still.
"…I don't want to live like that anymore."
His uncle's jaw tightened. "You're going to ruin everything," he snapped. "Do you know what this does to the family?"
Juni looked up then. For the first time, he met his uncle's eyes. "I know what you did to me," Juni said. His voice didn't waver. "That matters more."
The caseworker took notes.
Clear. Methodical.
Boundaries were explained. Orders discussed. Temporary arrangements outlined.
Nothing dramatic. Nothing negotiable.
Juni listened. Asked questions. Answered when needed. When it was over, he felt strangely hollow—and strangely tall.
Outside, the sky was pale, stretched thin with winter light. Juni stood still for a moment, hands shaking now that it was done.
Elian didn't say anything. He simply stood beside him.
Evelyn placed a hand lightly on Juni's shoulder. "You did exactly what you needed to," she said.
Juni swallowed. "…I thought I'd feel brave."
Evelyn shook her head. "Brave comes later," she said. "Right now, you're just real."
As they walked away, Juni realized something quietly astonishing. The fear was still there. But it wasn't in control.
He had spoken. He had been believed.
And for the first time—He wasn't standing in shadow. He was standing in the light.