That quiet evening, the house was brimming with family warmth, their scattered laughter sounding like soft musical notes. Sira sat among her family in the living room, where the scent of tea and the aroma of home-baked goods filled the air. Her mother's voice animated the room as she recounted her latest adventures in the heart of the city, speaking with exaggerated hand gestures as if reliving every moment.
Nearby, Becky was hopping like a rabbit from one corner to another, chasing his shadow and jumping over cushions. Meanwhile, Emma and Itachi were engaged in their daily feline battle; Emma would tap Itachi lightly and then dash away to hide behind Sira or the sofas, acting innocent only to return and start all over again—a game they played by rules known only to them.
A few moments later, Aiden arrived at the police station.
Aiden's footsteps halted at the station door for a brief second. It wasn't hesitation… but a weight he knew all too well. The metal door creaked open with a hollow sound, and the cold white lighting swallowed him whole. He walked down the corridor, the echo of his boots striking the walls in a steady rhythm that didn't match his heart.
When he opened the interrogation room door, Luna was there. Sitting upright, her back straighter than it should be. Her smile was frozen, as if forced onto her lips. Her yellow eyes followed him… unblinking, unwavering.
She whispered, as if addressing a thought in her head rather than him:
— "Aiden… Aiden… Aiden…"
She paused, swallowing the next word slowly.
— "I am happy."
He approached. He pulled back the chair, the sound of it scraping against the floor louder than necessary. He sat. He ran his hand through his hair with unintentional violence, black strands scattering his usual order.
Then… he laughed. A short, faint laugh that came from the depths of his chest—the growl of a beast testing its chains. Luna laughed instantly, as if she had been waiting for it.
— "I love this part of you."
She held her palms up before him, her fingers spread, trembling with a childlike excitement.
— "Give me your eyes."
He leaned on the table, resting his head on his palm, looking at her from a lazy angle.
— "No… no. Not like that."
He fell silent for a moment.
— "I need them."
She chuckled. Her voice wasn't loud, but warm… and terrifying.
— "I love you."
She tilted her head slightly.
— "I love seeing your face. I love speaking your name."
He smiled. A lopsided smile, devoid of warmth.
— "Strange… minutes ago, you wanted to kill me, tear my body apart, take my blood… and my eyes."
She tilted her head the other way, as if thinking hard.
— "And what does that have to do with love?"
She smiled.
— "Killing is a ritual, isn't it?"
He raised his hands slightly, surrendering in mockery.
— "I agree. A ritual… to quench the madness."
A brief silence fell. Then, everything changed. Aiden drew back slightly. The light reflected in his eyes—a dense blackness swallowing the blue, and a blue striking the black like a sea in a storm.
— "Luna…"
His voice grew heavier.
— "Why do you kill the ones you love?"
Her smile slowed. Her feet moved rhythmically, her memory racing ahead of her.
— "Because they told me to."
She paused. Then she continued, like someone reading an ancient inscription on a wall:
— "They used to hit me… lock me in the basement… then they'd say: 'We love you'."
She looked up at him.
— "I understood that love is protection."
She smiled.
— "Everyone I killed… I loved."
She leaned in a little.
— "I am strong. I can face life."
She lowered her voice.
— "But I'm afraid that you might get hurt."
She reached out her hand slowly, stopping just before touching him.
— "I will keep your eyes… right here."
The overhead lamp illuminated the edge of Aiden's face. Half of it was submerged in shadow, the other half frozen.
— "No one is born mad," he said quietly. "Madness… is manufactured."
He looked directly at her.
— "And this is the only thing you chose for yourself."
She smiled defiantly, raising her hand again.
— "Shall we begin? Life is so painful."
He took a deep breath.
— "Before that… one last wish."
— "Tell me where the nine bodies are."
— "And then, I'll kill you."
— "I don't break promises."
She contemplated his face for a long time.
— "Will you wait for me?"
— "Of course."
Then he added, in a lower voice:
— "But… why do you love me?"
She sat up straight. Her voice came out clear, devoid of madness.
— "Because you were there."
— "When my ice cream fell… and I hit the other kids."
She smiled sadly.
— "And you gave me yours."
She left. Aiden remained alone. The air was stagnant. The light was yellow… harsh. He looked at the reflective glass. He didn't see his face. He saw something featureless.
He interlaced his fingers behind his head, leaning down until his forehead touched his forearms. His hair fell, hiding what was left of him.
He whispered:
— "If I let go of what remains of my mind…"
He stopped.
— "I would have been even wilder than her."