The last scream, the last words, still echoed in his mind. Those final words were meant for him alone. The honor of that was a painful burden on his heart. Hundreds would have killed for the privilege of being the person mentioned in the final words of one of the greatest humans who ever lived—a man who had saved countless lives and seemed to know everything that would happen to the human species. A man so wise, yet even he couldn’t foresee the betrayal.

The man stepped through the oak doorframe, as he did every evening. The cold winter air seemed to cling to him. He hung his black winter coat, still dusted with snowflakes, on the spruce coat hanger. His footsteps echoed through the mansion's long corridor.

As he approached the room, his eyes lit up with pure happiness at the sight of him. Like every evening, he was looking forward to a cup of good Indian black tea. The tea was brewed in a beautiful dark blue ceramic kettle adorned with golden ornaments. The sound of steam escaping the kettle always relaxed the man. It smelled like warmth itself.

Lowering himself into the soft thinking armchair, he exhaled a sigh of contentment. A servant brought the tea over, placing it gently on the side table. The man began sipping slowly and carefully—it was still too hot to drink properly. He sipped away, unaware of the poison.

A painful cough burst from his chest. Less than a minute later, he collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony as stomach pain tore through him. With his final breath, he screamed, “I love you, Nick.”

Those words seemed to lift a weight off his soul. The pain eased for just a second. His lips curved into a soft smile as his eyes closed, and he slipped into eternal rest.

“I love you, Nick.”

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2/7

Heartwarming words. But for Nick, they were daggers—each one sharper than a thousand knives. They hurt because Nick had wanted to say them to him for weeks, yet never did. He let every opportunity slip through his fingers, and now, he regretted it more than anything.

At first, the man had been just a mentor. But over time, he had become so much more. He could have been even more.

Nick cried. He screamed, “I love you too!” so loud it seemed to reach the highest clouds. He screamed until his lungs gave out, until his body collapsed, laying on the ground fainted.

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A few weeks later, Nick opened the large windows of the mansion. The cold, fresh winter air filled the room.

The snowy spruce forest that once seemed so beautiful now felt barren and lifeless. Along with his happiness, the beauty of the world seemed to have been erased from Nick's mind.

He stepped outside, a thin robe the only thing shielding him from the harsh wind. His breath formed pale clouds in the icy air.

This was the spot. Exactly here, they had stood just a few months ago. Watching the birds take flight. Sharing their first kiss. Nick had made the first move, nervous but determined. They had stayed until sunset, and as the warm light faded into dusk, they laid down together in the soft grass, cuddling until the stars filled the sky.

Now, that warmth was gone. The cold of his solitude pressed harder against him. Nick’s nose reddened from the chill, and his fingers began to ache.

He stared out at the snowy forest, fearing to turn away. He was afraid to lose this view—to let it vanish from his memory if he dared to look anywhere else. But he had to go back. The interviewer would be arriving soon.