𝐂 𝐇 𝐄 𝐌 𝐈 𝐒 𝐓 𝐑 𝐘

━━ 𝐄 𝐗 𝐎 𝐑 𝐃 𝐈 𝐔 𝐌 ━━

Everyone has two identities: the ones they show and the ones they hide.

He showed them that he was the icy fury.

She showed them that she was the fiery sarcasm.

He hid from them that he was the dark and lonely cold.

She hid from them that she was the dim, broken embers.

They both fought demons from of all seven rings of Hell.

Both showed they were the opposite, yet hid just how alike they were; it was no mere coincidence.

Naomi's flaws and pain wore the mask of wit, sass and snark, but it was cracking by the minute.

Bennett hid his flaws and pain behind the mask of insouciance, deceivingly unimpressed, but his eyes told all.

Neither expected their shields to give way to something new; they had had the utmost faith in their veneer.

But fate, that twisted genius.

Fate brought them together in that hall, the first step onto the path of love. Their masks brittled over time, falling way at last to reveal..

Everything.

The flaws, the wounds, the pain, the feelings.

All were left naked for the other to see.

They saw each other's demons, their tears, their denial. Their anger, sadness and hurt. Their fondness for each other.

From there on, they began to heal each other, like an old wound constantly being reopened finally, at long last, beginning to mend after being taken care of properly.

Together they grew.

Together, they lived.

Together... they loved.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝐞𝐱·𝐨𝐫·𝐝𝐢·𝐮𝐦

/eɡˈzôrdēəm/

noun

FORMAL

𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧: exordium; 𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧: exordia; 𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧: exordiums

                 • the beginning or introductory part, especially of a discourse or treatise.

- 𝐇𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧