As soon as Drystan left Sadiki's chambers, he pressed his back against the cool stone wall, exhaling deeply. His breath came out in shaky waves, the weight of his own emotions pressing down on him like a heavy burden.
The confrontation with Sadiki had been difficult enough, but it was the unspoken emotions he had been hiding, his own feelings for Sadiki, that made it unbearable.
His heart pounded in his chest, the urge to turn back, to gather Sadiki into his arms, overwhelming. But he couldn't. He shouldn't. He had to be the strong one, the voice of reason, even if it meant watching someone he cared about fall apart in front of him.
"I shouldn't feel like this," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. "I can't feel like this."
But no matter how much he tried to deny it, the truth was staring him in the face, he couldn't control the feelings he had for Sadiki.
