The word "end" stayed in Luna's mind long after
Ethan said it.
End the contract. End the danger. End everything.
It echoed again and again, refusing to fade.
She didn't like how that sounded. Not anymore.
Not after everything that had happened.
Not after the way things had started to change between them.
"You mean… after we find it, we just walk away?" she asked quietly.
Ethan didn't look at her. "That was always the deal."
Deal.
That word felt colder than before. Like it stripped everything down to something lifeless.
Luna let out a slow breath, trying to steady herself. "Right… the deal."
Silence followed, stretching longer than it should have.
But something had shifted.
Something neither of them was willing to say out loud.
She closed the file slowly, her fingers lingering on its edge for a second longer than necessary. "So all of this… staying here, being with you… it's just temporary."
"Yes."
One word.
Sharp.
Final.
It landed heavier than she expected.
Her chest tightened slightly, but she forced herself to stay composed. "Good. That makes things easier."
Ethan finally looked at her. His gaze was steady, searching. "…Does it?"
Luna forced a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Of course. No expectations. No complications."
But even she could hear it.
Her voice didn't sound convincing.
Not even to herself.
Ethan watched her carefully, as if trying to read everything she wasn't saying.
"You're lying."
She froze for a brief moment before looking away.
"I'm not."
"You are," he said calmly, without hesitation.
Silence filled the room again.
Luna's fingers tightened slightly at her sides. "Why does it matter?"
The question came out sharper than she intended.
Because it did matter.
More than he wanted to admit.
Ethan stepped closer, his presence suddenly more noticeable. "Because you're starting to treat this like something it's not."
That hit harder than expected.
Luna looked up instantly, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means," he said, his voice steady and controlled, "this is still a contract."
Her expression hardened.
"I know that."
"Then don't forget it."
The words were simple, but they carried weight.
Silence fell again.
But this time, it wasn't quiet.
It was sharp. Tense. Almost suffocating.
Luna let out a quiet laugh, though there was no real humor in it. "You don't have to remind me."
She took a step back, creating distance between them.
"I'm not the one who's getting confused."
That made him pause.
"…What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing," she replied quickly.
But it wasn't nothing.
Because the truth was—
She was confused.
About him.
About herself.
About everything.
And that scared her more than the past ever had.
The past was unknown.
But this—
This was happening right now.
"I'm going out," she said suddenly.
Ethan's expression changed instantly. "No."
"I need air."
"You're not going anywhere alone."
"I'm not a prisoner."
"That's not what this is."
"Then stop treating me like one."
The tension between them rose again, sharper this time.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
They just stood there, looking at each other.
Unspoken emotions building.
Clashing.
Refusing to stay hidden anymore.
Then Ethan exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "…Fine. I'll come with you."
"I didn't ask you to."
"I'm not asking either."
Luna looked at him for a moment longer, something unreadable in her eyes, then turned away. "Do whatever you want."
Minutes later, they were outside.
The air was cooler, quieter.
But it didn't ease anything.
They walked side by side.
Close enough to touch.
But not close at all.
The distance between them felt wider than ever.
Luna kept her eyes forward, her expression calm but distant.
Ethan walked beside her, alert as always, but quieter now.
Neither of them spoke .
Neither of them tried to fix the silence.
Because neither of them knew how.
But both of them were thinking the same thing—
This wasn't just a contract anymore.
It had stopped being simple.
Stopped being controlled.
Stopped being safe.
And that—
Was the real problem.
Because once something becomes real…
Walking away isn't as easy as it sounds.