Possession without Chains

Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Santa buried his so deep that even he couldn't tell where it ended and where he began.
A friend by choice, a liar by tactics, and a mystery even to himself.

Some people search for answers.
Perth preferred knowing, understanding, and having things exactly where he wanted them. Nothing is hidden from him. And there was very little in this world he couldn't figure out.
Very little.

Some stories are built on secrets.
Others are built on silence.
Theirs was built on both-and sooner or later, something was bound to heal or break.

And--
(?) Someone existed in the shadows.
(?) Someone's someone had never been afraid of them.
Neither knew that crossing paths would awaken secrets meant to stay buried.
After all, some stories begin long before the first meeting.