Sitting alone in his room, Mason’s thoughts churned like a storm inside him. The silence, once a comfort, now pressed in on him from all sides. He used to think the bullying didn’t affect him, that it was just a way to survive high school. But now, as he looked back on the choices he’d made—the people he hurt—it was impossible to ignore the guilt that weighed heavy on his chest.

What kind of person had I become?

There was a time when bullying made him feel powerful, like he finally had control over something in his life. But it hadn’t taken long for that satisfaction to curdle into something darker, something that kept him awake at night. Damien had always been the center of their group, but even before Ethan came along, Mason had started to question everything. The insults, the shoving, the laughter that never quite reached his eyes—it had all been a mask to cover up his own insecurities.

He hated admitting it, even to himself, but the person he’d become was nothing more than a hollow shell.

"I’ve hurt people", Mason thought, bitterness rising in his throat. "All because I was too scared to be anything else."

The memories flooded back—countless moments where he’d stood by while someone was humiliated or hurt. He could still see their faces, the fear in their eyes. And worst of all, the realization that he hadn’t stopped it. Not once. Not when Damien had started his reign of terror, and not when Ethan had taken things to a whole new level.

Mason’s fists clenched at his sides. He couldn’t keep going like this. He didn’t want to be part of that world anymore. Not after everything he’d seen.

“Hey, man, you alright?” Jake’s voice broke through Mason’s thoughts.

Mason turned to see his friend leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed casually, as if the weight of their actions hadn’t been gnawing at him too. But Mason could see it—beneath Jake’s carefree grin was the same uncertainty. It had just taken Mason longer to acknowledge it.

“Yeah,” Mason muttered, though he knew Jake wouldn’t buy it. “Just thinking.”

Jake raised an eyebrow and walked further into the room. “Thinking about what? You’ve been weird lately. Not like yourself.”

Mason hesitated. They had been through so much together, and he hated the thought of driving a wedge between them. But he couldn’t pretend anymore. “I don’t want to do this anymore, Jake.”

Jake frowned. “Do what?”

“The bullying. The messing with people. It’s not right. I—” Mason’s voice caught in his throat, but he pushed through. “I feel like crap for what we’ve done. I’m tired of it.”

For a moment, Jake said nothing, his expression unreadable. Then, with a bitter laugh, he shook his head. “You’re kidding, right? We’ve had each other’s backs for years, and now you’re gonna turn soft?”

Mason winced at the accusation, but he met Jake’s gaze. “I’m not turning soft. I’m just—done. Don’t you get it, Jake? We hurt people. Real people. And for what? To feel good about ourselves? To impress Ethan?”

Jake’s jaw tightened. “Ethan’s different. He knows how to survive. You want to walk away from that, be my guest, but don’t come crying to me when the world chews you up.”

Mason sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t expect Jake to understand. They had lived in the same toxic environment for so long that it was hard to see a way out. But Mason knew deep down that he couldn’t keep walking down the same path. Not anymore.

“I’m not asking you to agree with me,” Mason said quietly. “I’m just telling you how I feel.”

Jake stared at him for a long time, his expression hardening. “You wanna bail? Fine. But don’t expect me to follow. We’ve been through too much to go soft now.”

Mason wanted to argue, to convince Jake that this wasn’t about being soft, but about being human. About doing the right thing. But he could see the wall between them growing higher with every word.

Before he could respond, a knock echoed from the front door.

Mason walked to the door, the sound of his footsteps unnaturally loud in the quiet house. When he pulled it open, his breath caught in his throat.

There, standing on his doorstep, was Damien.

Mason blinked, unable to fully process what he was seeing. Damien looked… different. His once proud and arrogant posture had given way to something more subdued, his eyes dark with an emotion Mason couldn’t quite place. Guilt? Shame?

“Mason,” Damien said, his voice low but steady. “I need to talk to you.”

Mason glanced over his shoulder, where Jake still stood in the hallway, watching with narrowed eyes. "What is Damien doing here?" After everything, after the bridge incident, after all the bullying, Damien was the last person Mason expected to show up at his house.

“Talk about what?” Mason finally asked, though he had a sinking feeling he already knew.

“About… everything,” Damien said, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had been broken and was now trying to piece himself back together. “I need to make things right.”

For a moment, Mason stood frozen, torn between the anger that still simmered in his chest and the part of him that had been waiting for this, waiting for someone else to admit they were wrong, too.

Behind him, Jake scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

But Mason didn’t turn around. Instead, he locked eyes with Damien and, for the first time, saw not the bully who had dragged him down but someone who was just as lost as he was.

“Come in,” Mason said quietly, stepping aside to let Damien in.