Winning the Young Artists Showcase felt surreal. The applause, the praise, the lingering warmth of Cassian's words—they all filled Iris with an unfamiliar sense of accomplishment. For the first time in years, she felt seen.
But the high didn't last.
Two days later, the showcase success made headlines in the local paper. Beneath the article celebrating their victory, an anonymous comment thread began to brew. At first, the remarks were harmless—praising their talent and the project's emotional depth. Then came the darker side.
One comment stood out:
"Iris Blackwood? Wasn't her brother the one who... you know?"
Iris's hands trembled as she stared at the words on the screen. The floodgates opened, and speculation about her family spilled out into public view. Whispers she had tried so hard to escape were now magnified for everyone to see.
Cassian found her at their usual spot in the abandoned textile mill later that day.
"I saw the comments," he said, his voice tight with anger. "People can be such cowards, hiding behind a screen."
Iris's gaze dropped to her notebook, her pencil frozen mid-sketch. She wanted to believe him, but the words had already burrowed into her mind.
"You don't have to face this alone," Cassian continued, crouching down to meet her eyes. "We'll get through this, just like everything else."
Iris wanted to believe him, but doubt clawed at her chest. What if the world never let her move past the tragedy that had shaped her life?
***
The next week brought a wave of tension. The art world buzzed about Iris and Cassian's work, but the whispers about Iris's past grew louder. At school, Nathan Hayes seized the opportunity to reignite his torment.
"Nice job, Blackwood," he sneered during lunch. "Too bad everyone's more interested in your family drama than your art."
Cassian, ever her defender, stepped in before Iris could react. "That's enough, Nathan. You've already proven you're a waste of space—no need to remind us again."
Nathan smirked, leaning closer to Cassian. "Careful, Gray. Playing the hero only works if the damsel actually wants saving."
Cassian's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists. Iris placed a hand on his arm, silently urging him to let it go. She couldn't afford another public scene.
***
That evening, Cassian showed up at her house unannounced. He held a sketchpad and a determined expression.
"We're going for a walk," he said without preamble.
Iris hesitated but eventually followed him. They ended up at a quiet park, the moonlight casting silver shadows on the ground.
Cassian stopped by a bench and handed her his sketchpad. "Draw," he said simply.
Iris blinked at him in confusion.
"You always use your art to say the things you can't. So say it. Say what you're feeling right now."
She hesitated, but his steady gaze gave her courage. Slowly, she began to draw—lines that twisted and turned, forming a fragile bird struggling to take flight, its wings weighed down by invisible chains.
When she finished, Cassian studied the drawing in silence. Then he reached for his own pencil and added to it—a pair of hands breaking the chains, setting the bird free.
He held up the completed sketch for her to see. "This is us," he said softly. "We're going to break free from everything holding us back. Together."
Tears blurred her vision, but she nodded, her chest aching with gratitude.
***
As they walked back to her house, Cassian broke the silence. "I'm not just saying that for you, you know."
She glanced at him, her brow furrowed in question.
He looked away, his expression pensive. "I've been carrying my own chains, too. Expectations, family pressures... Sometimes it feels like I can't breathe. But when I'm with you, it's different. You make me feel like I can actually be myself."
Her heart swelled, but she didn't know how to respond. Words felt inadequate.
Instead, she reached out and gently took his hand, lacing her fingers with his. Cassian's eyes widened in surprise, but then he smiled—a small, genuine smile that lit up his face.
For the first time, Iris felt like maybe, just maybe, they could face the world together.