SHADOWS OF THE FALLEN

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Jennie Ruby Jane stood at the edge of the grand staircase, her fingers lightly gripping the polished railing as she peered down at the boy who had been brought into their home. She had seen many people come and go in her life, but none like him. His silence, his brooding demeanor, and those eyes that seemed to carry a weight no one should bear-it all intrigued her.

He was a mystery. The way he walked into their mansion as if the world had forgotten him, his face a mask of indifference, completely detached from everything around him. It was as if he had already buried all his emotions deep within, not wanting to let anyone close enough to find out what hurt him. That's what Jennie thought the first time she laid eyes on him.

But that didn't scare her. In fact, it only made her more determined to break through his shell.

"He's not going to talk to you, you know?" Her father's voice broke through her thoughts as he appeared behind her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. "He's not the type to open up to anyone."

Jennie turned her head, giving him a mischievous smile. "You know me, Father. I never give up that easily."

Her father chuckled softly, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. "Be careful, Jennie. He's not like the others you've befriended. This one is..." His words trailed off, as though he didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"Trouble?" she teased. "I've handled trouble before. Trust me."

Her father sighed, squeezing her shoulder lightly before he left her side to tend to other matters. Jennie, however, wasn't about to back down. She wasn't going to let Taehyung be another forgotten soul in this house. He had no family, no one to care for him except her, even if he didn't want it.

---

The next few days passed by in a blur. Taehyung rarely left his room, his presence more like a shadow that could be felt but never seen. Jennie made it her mission to get him to talk, or at the very least, to stop looking at her like she was some annoying little sister.

She tried everything. Chocolate, cookies, little surprises-anything to catch his attention. But each time she entered his room with a smile on her face, he'd simply glance at her for a moment before turning away, his cold gaze returning to the window or the walls. He hardly spoke more than a few words, and most of the time, he didn't even acknowledge her presence.

But that didn't faze Jennie.

She had her ways. She knew how to make people talk, even if they didn't want to.

---

It was late one evening when Jennie decided to try something new. She had made her usual round of the house, checking on her father's business matters and making sure the household was in order, but her thoughts were consumed with one person-Taehyung.

She was sitting at the grand piano in the living room, her fingers playing the same few chords absentmindedly as she stared at the floor.

Why was he so cold? What happened to him?

Her mind was racing with questions, and yet, all she could do was sit there, the soft notes of the piano filling the room with a sense of melancholy. Jennie had always been the one who brought light to every dark corner of the world. But with Taehyung, it was as if the shadows were his constant companions.

She stood up suddenly, the sound of the piano keys reverberating in the empty room. There was no use waiting for things to change. She would have to make it happen herself.

Jennie made her way down the hall toward Taehyung's room, her steps echoing in the silence of the mansion. She knocked once, twice.

No response.

She sighed and pushed the door open anyway, poking her head in.

"Winter Bear, you in there?" she called with a playful tone, hoping to lighten the mood.

There was no answer. But as she stepped inside, she saw him, sitting by the window with his back to her, his eyes staring out into the vastness of the night.

Taehyung didn't even turn around.

Jennie's lips curled into a smile. "I brought you something."

He didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge her presence.

Jennie wasn't deterred. She walked over to his desk, placing the tray of food she had brought in front of him. "It's chocolate chip cookies. Your favorite, right?" she asked.

He still didn't move.

Jennie huffed in frustration, but there was a playful glint in her eyes. "Come on, I'm not going to leave until you say something to me."

She stood there for a moment, waiting. The room was eerily quiet, save for the sound of the rain pattering against the window.

Then, to her surprise, Taehyung spoke, his voice low and quiet.

"Why do you keep bothering me?"

Jennie's eyes lit up. He had spoken! That was progress. She could work with this.

"I'm not bothering you, Winter Bear," she said, sitting down beside him on the bed. "I'm just trying to be your friend."

"Why?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jennie paused, thinking carefully about her answer. She wasn't used to explaining herself, but something about Taehyung made her want to be honest.

"Because," she started slowly, "I think you need one. A friend, I mean. You're always so alone."

He shifted slightly, but his eyes never left the window. "I'm not alone. I'm fine."

Jennie smiled softly, her gaze never leaving him. "No, you're not. You just think you are."

For a long time, the only sound was the soft rhythm of the rain outside. Jennie could feel the tension in the air, as though he was on the edge of saying something more, something important.

Finally, he spoke again, his voice tinged with bitterness.

"My family is dead. I don't have anyone."

Jennie's heart clenched.

"I know," she whispered. "But that doesn't mean you have to shut everyone out. You don't have to carry the weight of the world by yourself."

Taehyung turned slightly, his gaze meeting hers for the first time since she entered the room. His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something-something Jennie couldn't quite place.

"I'm not like you," he said. "I don't need anyone."

Jennie shook her head, her expression softening. "That's where you're wrong, Winter Bear. Everyone needs someone. Even the coldest hearts. Even the strongest ones."

She reached out, gently placing a hand on his. "You just have to let them in."

For a moment, Taehyung didn't move, didn't pull away. Jennie held her breath, wondering if she had said too much, if she had pushed too far. But just as she thought he might pull away, his fingers twitched, ever so slightly, before they curled around hers.

Jennie's heart skipped a beat.

---

Over the next few days, something subtle but noticeable began to change. Taehyung wasn't speaking much more, but his posture wasn't as closed off. He no longer seemed to actively avoid her presence, and sometimes, he would meet her gaze with a faint flicker of acknowledgment. Jennie noticed it, of course, though she said nothing about it.

She wasn't ready to push him too hard.

But every time he looked at her, Jennie felt a rush of hope. He might not admit it, but she could see that she was starting to make a small difference. And that, she thought, was enough for now.

---

That night, as Jennie sat in her room staring out at the night sky, she couldn't help but smile to herself. The connection between her and Taehyung was fragile, but it was real. She didn't know where this would lead, but she was certain of one thing: She wasn't giving up on him.

She wasn't about to let the Winter Bear stay cold forever.

---