Fate. Shadow Milk Cookie never believed in it. He believes in control. In keeping his distance. In never staying long enough for anything to matter. Till a certain blonde cookie came into his life. But something about this feels familiar. Like he's been here before. Like he's already made this mistake. And no matter how far he goes, he always finds his way back to him. Like he will fall in love with him over and over again. Characters are from Cookie Run Kingdom by Devsis Fated AU by xXCrystal_AngelXx Cover art and all other art featured in this book is drawn by xXCrystal_AngelXx AN: English is not my first language, thank you and enjoy the story my angels!

The cathedral was empty. It had been centuries since laughter filled it. Pure Vanilla stood before the shattered stained glass, light from the broken windows falling in fractured colors across his robes. He felt it before he heard it. "Still praying?" came a soft, amused voice. Shadow Milk stepped from the darkness like it belonged to him. Pure Vanilla did not turn around. "You shouldn't be here." "And yet," Shadow replied, voice silk over steel, "you always leave the doors unlocked." Silence stretched between them-thick, suffocating. "You betrayed us," Pure Vanilla said finally. His voice did not shake. That was the cruelest part. Shadow circled him slowly. "I did what I had to." "You hurt everyone." "I hurt you." That made Pure Vanilla close his eyes. For a moment, the ancient hero mask slipped-and what stood there wasn't a saint. It was someone tired. "You could have told me," Pure whispered. Shadow stopped moving. "I couldn't afford to be saved." The words fell heavier than any blade. Pure finally turned to face him. "You think I would have tried?" A crack in Shadow's smile. Small. Almost invisible. "You always try." A long pause. The light from the broken glass cut across Shadow's face-half illuminated, half swallowed by shadow. "You still look at me the same way," Shadow said quietly. "I don't," Pure replied. But he hadn't stepped back. Shadow's hand hovered near Pure's sleeve. Not touching. Never touching. "You should hate me." "I'm trying." Another silence. Closer now. "Then why do you keep letting me come back?" Pure's voice dropped to barely a breath. "...Because if I shut the doors, you'll disappear." And for the first time- Shadow Milk had nothing to say. CRK AFTER CH8 // REDEMPTION(?)AU