In a matter of minutes, Cilian’s lashes began to flutter in sleep. Even his stubborn nature was no match for the heavy dose of sedative, and he finally dozed off, his head lolling to the side.

Ren watched him for a while, making sure he wasn’t faking. He even raised a hand, tempted to strike that obnoxiously handsome face just to confirm the unconsciousness—and perhaps for a bit of long-overdue catharsis. But before he could swing his fist, he paused. He lowered his hand and sighed, the tension leaving his shoulders.

’You’re lucky this time,’ he thought. He got down from the bed and stretched his aching limbs. He really wanted to hit Cilian for all the times he’d been forced to hold back, but the fire of a few hours ago was no longer burning. Without that rage, hitting a sleeping man felt hollow and meaningless.

He sighed.

Ren walked toward the door and pulled it open. Three guards were waiting in the hall, one of them holding a tablet, ready to let Ren make the promised call.

"Let’s go," Ren said, taking the tablet from the man’s hand. "I want to make the call in the living room."

Two guards stayed behind to protect their boss while he was under, while the third followed Ren downstairs. The constant surveillance didn’t exactly bother Ren anymore, even though he knew they were just waiting for him to slip up so they could snitch to Cilian later. He was starting to get used to the weight of their gaze. As long as they didn’t interfere or try to control his words, it was a price he was willing to pay.

Ren sat on the edge of the sofa in the vast, quiet living room. He tapped the screen, his heart hammering against his ribs as the connection began to go through.

Ring. Ring.

There was nothing at first, just Ren’s reflection staring back at him, but then after the third ring, the screen flickered, shifting Ren down to the right corner while the bright image of a sunlit room took up the rest of the space. Then, a small face appeared, filling the frame.

"Hello?"

The voice was small, slightly muffled, as if the boy were speaking into the receiver with a secret, his large eyes peering curiously into the camera.

"Toby?" Ren whispered, his eyes stinging. He tried to force a smile, though the smile was stiff. "Toby, it’s me. It’s Uncle Ren."

There was a sudden, sharp intake of breath on the other end. Toby’s eyes widened, and he let out a frantic, joyous whisper, his face practically pressed against the screen now.

"Uncle! Is it really you? It’s been a while since you called!" Toby’s grin was radiant, the only pure thing left in Ren’s life. "Are you finally coming to get me? The lady says I have to stay for the summer again, but I finished my drawing of the big tree, and I want to show you!"

Ren leaned his head back against the sofa, the ache in his chest nearly making him gasp. Seeing Toby—seeing the familiar shape of his nephew’s nose and the messy hair that reminded him so much of his brother—felt like a hot brand against his soul.

"I... I can’t come just yet, Toby," Ren said, his voice thick with the effort of not breaking down. He adjusted the tablet so the guard standing behind him couldn’t see the tears pooling in his eyes. "I’m still quite busy. We’re all very busy. But I wanted to see you. You look so much taller than a few days ago. Are you eating all your vegetables like a big boy?"

"I am! Even the green ones that taste like grass," Toby chirped, his tone lifting with excitement. He scrambled away for a second and returned, holding up a piece of crinkled paper to the camera. It was a charcoal drawing of a massive oak tree, the lines shaky but surprisingly detailed. "See? I remembered what you told me about putting shadows in everything I draw. But..." he slowly lowered the drawing. "Why are you still wearing that on your neck?"

Ren instinctively reached up, his fingers brushing the cold leather of the collar. He quickly shifted the camera angle, masking the mark of his servitude with a forced, hollow chuckle.

"I told you I need it for ’work’, Toby. It’s cold where I am," Ren lied, the words tasting like he had stuffed ash into his mouth. "Anyway, forget about me. Just listen to me, okay? I need you to keep practicing your drawings. And I need you to keep being brave. I’m going to make sure we’re together again. I promise."

"I am! I didn’t even cry when I scraped my knee last week," Toby said proudly, puffing out his chest.

But then, his expression softened, crumbling into something far more vulnerable.

"Uncle... I miss Daddy. Is he ever going to come back from his trip? Just how busy is he that he hasn’t called even once?" Toby sniffed, his small bottom lip trembling as he looked into the camera with wide, glossy eyes. "Did I do something wrong, Uncle? Are they mad at Toby? Does he not love Toby anymore?"

Ren felt as if a cold blade had been driven through his heart. The boy was sitting there, heartbroken and drowning in guilt, thinking his father had abandoned him—never knowing that the man he was waiting for was already six feet under, buried in the very soil of the home that had been stolen from them.

"Oh, Toby," Ren murmured, his voice thick with a grief he had to keep suppressed. "Your father loves you. You did nothing wrong. He’s just... in a bind. He’s in a place where it’s very hard to reach the phone, but he thinks about you every single second. I promise."

"Really?" Toby wiped his nose with the back of his hand, looking hopeful but still fragile. "You promise he isn’t mad?"

"I promise on the Pierce name," Ren said, the weight of the fallen house sitting heavy on his tongue. "He loves you more than anything in the world. And so do I. You just have to be my brave little soldier for a while longer, okay?"

Toby nodded slowly, clinging to Ren’s words like a life raft. "Okay, Uncle. I’ll be brave. I’ll draw an even bigger tree for when you come."

Ren squeezed his eyes shut for a fleeting second, the pain of the lie he had to maintain feeling like a physical weight. "I’ll come soon, Toby. We’ll talk about it soon."

"Time’s up," the guard muttered, stepping forward with an outstretched hand.

"I have to go now, Toby. Remember—stay strong for me."

"Love you, uncle! Come back soon!"

The screen went black, leaving Ren’s reflection to stare back at him.

At least, Toby was fine even now.