Muted

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

You collapsed against your apartment door the moment it clicked shut behind you. Sinking to the floor, your legs gave way, and you drew your knees to your chest.

Mind spinning, you struggled to process the chaos of the past few hours.

First came the staggering realization that something fragile might be growing inside you. Then, an overwhelming wave of despair crashed over you as you recalled Yuzuru's capture—how he had been labeled a Sense Offender and restrained right before your eyes. Fear quickly followed, tightening around you as memories of Dr. Eteri's attempt at trapping you too enveloped your thoughts.

Dr. Eteri knew. He knew. You didn't know how much, or how, but you suspected it was enough to imprison you within four walls as well.  It was only a matter of time before he made his move, before the Regime came for you too.

A groan escaped your lips and for a long moment you considered that perhaps there was more to Dr. Eteri then you had realized before.

How could you not have seen it sooner? Dr. Eteri had always been unsettling, always too probing in his questions, especially when it came to the Wall and the Rebels. You had also thought you noticed flickers of emotion in him before—moments when something sharp and dangerous had surfaced in his eyes, but you had dismissed it. After all, he was Dr. Eteri, a model citizen. He wasn't supposed to feel anything. 

But you had been wrong. That smile—the one he gave when Yuzuru was captured—that wasn't the mask you had thought it was. It was real. The twisted satisfaction in his eyes, the way he seemed to savor your helplessness, wasn't your imagination. Dr. Eteri wasn't just feeling—he was a monster.

A sob tore from your chest, jagged and bitter. This was your fault. If only you'd been more careful, more observant. Yuzuru wouldn't be imprisoned right now, wouldn't be branded a criminal for loving you. He'd still be safe and with a free mind.

Now, the Regime would come for you too. And when they found out about the baby growing within you... your punishment would be even worse. If you survived, you would never see Yuzuru again. You'd never hold your child. And with the Daily Supplements they'd force into you, you might not even remember them.

No.

No.

You couldn't let that happen. You wouldn't.

Your hands tightened into fists, the sharp edges of the keys digging into your palms. The pain jolted you back to the present, and you opened your fists, staring down at the two keys clutched in your hands—yours and Yuzuru's.

Yuzuru had refused to take his back this morning. He'd left it in your hand, his eyes full of that quiet, unshakable hope, even though you both knew you shouldn't be near each other anymore.

Even until this morning, he had not given up and had kept fighting—searching for a way through the Wall.

Tears blurred your vision as his words from long ago echoed in your mind. "A person will risk anything for hope and love." He had told you that once, back when all of this had been nothing more than a fragile dream. You hadn't fully understood him then, hadn't grasped the truth in those words. You had been too scared, too weighed down by the rules, the fear of losing everything.

But now, now you understood.  Because if there was even just a shred of hope, you were going to hold onto it.  Hope was the fire that burned within you, even when the world around you was falling apart. It was the reason Yuzuru had kept fighting, even as they dragged him away.

All your life, you had accepted your fate, followed the rules, stayed quiet, stayed passive. You had let the Regime control your every move, believing there was no way out. But now, hope and love had changed you.  It was the only thing the Regime had been unsuccessful in extinguishing.

Your breath came faster, adrenaline buzzing through your veins. You had a choice—stay here, paralyzed by fear, waiting for them to take everything from you. Or you could fight. You could fight for Yuzuru, for your child, for the love they wanted to erase.

Yuzuru had been right. A person would risk everything for hope and love. And so would you. It was time to finish what Yuzuru had started.

You were on your feet before you even realized it, hands shaking as you grabbed a duffel bag from the corner of the room.  You began to hastily toss items inside—clothes, food, water.

Five minutes later, you were leaving the apartment you had lived in for years, Apartment 2014, and not looking back. With a focused gaze, you entered Yuzuru's door, Apartment 2018.

The key slid easily into the lock, and the door creaked open. The room was quiet, frozen, and the air felt heavy without him there. But you moved with purpose, eyes scanning the shelves. His Monitor sat abandoned, and for a moment you considered taking it, but thought otherwise. Instead, you crossed the room and lifted the photograph of his family. Carefully, you tucked it into your bag.

Then, you knelt by the loose floorboard under the window. You knew what was there—his most precious things, hidden from the world. The snow globe from his childhood caught your eye first, but beside it was what you came for.

"Winnie," you whispered, your voice barely a breath.

You picked up the bear gently, holding it in your hands for a moment before tucking it into the bag. Your chest tightened, but not from fear this time. From resolve. This was it. No more hiding. No more running.

You stood up, slinging the bag over your shoulder, and took one last look around the apartment. It was filled with memories, with the echoes of laughter, whispered promises, and stolen kisses. This place had been your sanctuary, but you knew—it wasn't the place that mattered. It was the love and the hope that had lived here. And that could never be taken from you.