Sleepy Fox Hollow the universe offers a paradox too great for the finite mind to grasp

all siku saw were differences in that moment.

how much of a warrior this man looked like. how he was large and chiseled from the mountains themselves — where siku grew only like a weed, yet retained such little weight.

"siku."

if he could have willed away his own ability to hear, he would have. pained and prepared to show his bleeding heart to the world. just as much as he had wished wylla would be here for protection, he now deeply wished to be alone. to retreat back into his own safe corner of paleo, to pretend that he was not seemingly hurt again and again.

to think about how the blame seemed to constantly shift in his mind — from the imperator, to his father, to himself.

do you know mom's gone too? that she was matrona but left to find you? nanuq also took off. probably because mereo was awful and we both wanted a better place. he wished he had more of a backbone, to put venom behind his words. instead he wanted to crumple and weep. flee altogether until he was ready to face a long chain of events.

he ignored how the cold stung at the tears forming in his eyes.