𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

➻Chapter 57- Consequences.

TYLER'S POV:

My world was in pieces.

The announcement tore through me, a jagged blade ripping apart my insides. Words escaped me—hell, even thoughts did. I wasn't performing tomorrow. How was I supposed to take this?

"Tyler, listen to me," Darwin said, his voice steady but urgent as he gripped my shoulders. "We're going to figure this out. I promise, I'll find the one who tried to frame you. Please, I insist, remain calm. I am going to do everything on my part, and I need you to cooperate please."

His words should have been grounding, but they weren't. They barely reached me. I stared at the ground, too wrecked to care, his voice drowning in the roaring void inside my head. Everything felt muted, distant. I wanted to scream—wanted to unleash the storm inside me—but no sound came. Nothing did. I honestly couldn't even get myself to process what had just happened with me.

How could someone do this to me? Why? Why steal this? My dream. My goddamn dream. They'd ripped it from my hands like it was nothing. Years of work, of sweat and sacrifice, obliterated in seconds. It felt like my very soul had been shattered, the pieces scattered too far to gather.

I stood there, quivering, hollowed out, a void wearing my skin. Screaming wouldn't fix this; nothing would. The damage was done. My dream—the one thing that defined me—was gone.

And so was I.

The only thing keeping me tethered to reality was the woman beside me. My Adele. 

After Darwin's words—ones I couldn't even begin to process—Adele and I sat outside the academy on a weathered bench, silent under the weight of it all. I felt hollow, like my soul had abandoned me, leaving only this lifeless shell. My head rested on her chest, her hand stroking through my hair in slow, soothing movements. She didn't speak, but I felt the tremble in her body, her silent tears wetting my skin. 

I wanted to hold it together, to be strong, but I couldn't. My dream was gone. Stolen. And I didn't know how to cope with that. It wasn't just a loss—it was a dismantling of everything I'd worked for, everything I'd built myself around. 

A broken breath shuddered out of me, and I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the tears to stay buried. I will not cry. I can't.

"I just need a break," I muttered, my voice raw, the words barely audible as my head grew heavier. "From everything." 

Adele exhaled shakily, and with tender hands, she raised my face to meet hers. Her eyes were red and swollen, her tears unending, carving trails down her cheeks. Despite it all, she gave me a weak, trembling smile, her hands cupping my face as though I were the most fragile thing in the world. 

"I understand," she whispered, her voice breaking, before leaning forward to press a lingering, sorrowful kiss to my forehead. Her lips trembled against my skin, and I could feel her sobbing as she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Tyler. So sorry you have to go through this. I just... I'm sorry for everything." 

I swallowed hard, her words unraveling me further. Adele pulled back, her gaze locked on mine, brimming with devastation. I'd never seen her look like this—so broken, so burdened by something unseen. It hit me like a punch to the chest. 

"It's not your fault," I murmured, brushing my knuckles gently against her damp cheek. Her lips quivered as she tilted her head into my touch, and I added softly, "Don't apologize. Please, don't ." 

She held my gaze, her sorrow so deep it felt like it could swallow her whole. There was something heavy she carried, something I couldn't name but could see etched in every tear she shed. I stared at her, my chest tightening.