Chapter 45 45

Chapter 45 45
Azxel was down for the past few days, ignoring and avoiding Jaelen like the boy was a plague.

Not subtly, either.

If Jaelen entered a room, Azxel left it. If Jaelen spoke, Azxel acted like the sound hadn’t reached him.

In class, Azxel chose seats far from him, always angled toward Sky, always with his shoulder turned away.

In the cafeteria, he ate unless Sky was there, in which case he laughed too loudly, smiled too brightly, like he was proving something.

Jaelen watched it all from a distance.

The worst part wasn’t the silence. It was how intentional it was. Azxel didn’t look confused or conflicted. He looked decided like Jaelen had made a choice, and Azxel had responded by cutting him off cleanly.

Once, Jaelen passed him in the corridor. Close enough to brush sleeves. Azxel flinched.

Jaelen stopped walking after that, standing there while Azxel continued down the hall without looking back. His chest felt tight, sharp, like something had lodged itself there and refused to move.

Sky noticed everything.

He always did.

He made sure to sit closer to Azxel when Jaelen was around. He spoke louder, chuckled and laughed softer, right into Azxel’s ear. Sometimes he glanced up, catching Jaelen’s eye with that same lazy, knowing smile, as if to say: See? He learned fast.

It was already evening, Jaelen came back to the room later than usual. What’s surprising was that Azxel was already there curled up with his knees pulled in, Sky’s jacket hanging off his shoulders like it belonged there. The room smelled faintly unfamiliar, like Azxel had tried to overwrite it.

Jaelen paused at the door.

Azxel didn’t look up, he didn’t even react like Jaelen stood there.

Jaelen took a step inside. “Az—”

“Don’t,” Azxel said quietly.

It wasn’t loud and it wasn’t angry.

That was worse.

Jaelen stopped.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Azxel continued, still not facing him. His voice wobbled just slightly, like he was holding it together by habit alone. “You said no and i heard you. So… just don’t talk to me like before.”

Jaelen swallowed. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

Azxel finally turned his head then, eyes sharp and bright, hurt sitting naked in them. “You did.”

Silence settled between them, thick and uncomfortable.

Jaelen nodded once. “Okay.”

He didn’t argue or try to explain. He turned and went to his bed, sitting down slowly, staring at the floor.

Azxel watched him for a long moment, something conflicted flickering across his face then he looked away again, pulling Sky’s jacket tighter around himself like armor.

From the hallway, faint laughter echoed. Sky’s voice drifted closer.

Azxel’s shoulders relaxed instantly.

Jaelen noticed.

That was when it hit him, fully and finally, Azxel wasn’t just choosing Sky. He was learning to punish anyone who didn’t play along.

And Sky had taught him exactly how.

Jaelen then realized, he had been a pawn again in Sky’s game and Azxel wasn’t even interested in him. He was just playing along.

He could see why Sky sent Azxel to stay away from him for four days. All this was planned. He chuckled, staring deeply at Azxel who looked less concerned.

“Fool! I realized I’m a big fool.” Jaelen took a knife from the locker and began piercing his skin. He chuckled as he pierced every part of his arms.

Azxel looked at him and looked back at the door like it was none of his business.

Jaelen was going mad.. Untill, it hit him he was being more foolish.

“Azxel, I’m so—” The word died in Jaelen’s throat when he realized the door stood open and worse more, Azxel was gone.

For a second, Jaelen didn’t move. He just stared at the empty doorway like it had swallowed something alive. The room felt suddenly wrong and quiet, too wide, like the walls had stepped back to watch him unravel.

The knife slipped from his fingers and clattered softly against the floor.

He laughed once, breathless and hollow, dragging a hand through his hair. “Of course,” he muttered. “Of course you left.”

That was when it finally hit him not in a sharp way, but heavy and crushing. Sky hadn’t just taken Azxel.

He had orchestrated the distance, set the timing, taught Azxel when to turn away and when to soften. Jaelen wasn’t rejected out of confusion or pain.

He was removed.

Jaelen sank down onto the edge of the bed, elbows braced on his knees, staring at the floor. His hands were shaking now, not with anger, but with the aftershock of it all the realization that he had been reacting exactly how Sky wanted.

A knock sounded at the door. Jaelen stiffened.

Another knock came, firmer this time.

He didn’t answer.

The door opened anyway.

It wasn’t Azxel.

It was one of the night supervisors, his eyes narrowing immediately as they took in the room, the tension, Jaelen’s state. “Jaelen,” he said carefully in a very low voice only Jaelen could pick up. “You’re coming with me.”

Jaelen didn’t argue or even resist. As he stood up, his gaze drifted once more to the open doorway, to the space Azxel had occupied for years and now avoided like it burned.

Somewhere down the hall, laughter echoed, it sounded like Sky’s voice, unmistakable, amused.

Jaelen felt something inside him finally go still.

Not healed.

Not okay.

Just… coldly aware.

Sky hadn’t won because he was stronger.

He’d won because Jaelen had kept trying to save someone who wasn’t asking to be saved.

And that realization hurt worse than anything else.