Orion’s POV

The afternoon hung heavy in the air as the conversation with Damien and his friend dragged on. I found myself almost forgetting the chaos that had surrounded my life recently, but just for a moment. It was good to laugh again, good to be surrounded by people who were easy to talk to, even if they didn’t know the whole story. We hung out for hours, the conversation drifting from one topic to another, the type of mindless banter that felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders.

But as the sun began to sink into the horizon, reality knocked at my door once again. It had been...