Soulstrings

"Okay, hear me out," Moon said, licking ketchup off her finger. "What if soulmates aren't people-but snacks? Like, what if my soulmate is literally fries with extra cheese?"

Ainni snorted, sipping her cold brew. "That would explain a lot, actually."

Shine giggled. "Honestly? I'd believe that. You talk more sweetly to food than anyone I've dated."

Moon gasped. "Exactly! Food never breaks your heart. It just gives you cholesterol."

Ainni shook her head, pretending to be annoyed. "And this, right here, is why I have trust issues."

Shine leaned back, smiling at them. "I don't care. I love you both. This-this is peace."

A moment of silence settled. The world felt far away.

Ainni glanced at Moon's messy bun and Shine's soft eyes. She didn't say it, but she thought it-if peace had faces, it'd be theirs.

Few months later ________

Ainni didn't flinch. Didn't yell. She simply looked at Shine, her voice steady, almost too steady. "All men are the same." The way she said it-it didn't feel like opinion. It felt like a wound turned to stone.

Shine's lips parted, unsure whether to ask or stay quiet.

Moon, ever the soft one, tried to lighten the air. "But... maybe we should at least listen to him once?" Her voice was small, hopeful.

Ainni's head snapped toward her. "Of course you'd say that," she snapped, sharp as glass. "That's why you get hurt."

Moon's face fell. Just like that, the warmth drained. She quietly stood, eyes glossy, and walked away without a word.

Shine watched her leave, jaw clenched. "You didn't have to be cruel."

Ainni shrugged, bitterness simmering. "Someone needs to say it. They're all the same. Liars in different skins."

But this time, Shine had enough.

"Enough!" she shouted, voice cracking. "Stop dragging me into your bitterness. If you want to hate the world, do it alone."

And just like that, silence swallowed them. Not peaceful-shattering.