{revised entry for the 2020 European literary contest; ranking: in the top 27 of 144} [Note: This one shot was originally published in German on my main account @InnocentShipSmoothie] "I should have known," I whispered to myself, ruffling my tousled blonde hair and finally letting my head sink into my supporting hands. "It was predictable, wasn't it? It was so damn predictable...Why did I even take this risk when I knew how much it would destroy me?" I, Arthur Kirkland, was at a loss, had locked myself into this golden cage of fear, just waiting for a helping hand to open the door for me, to give me back my carefree freedom. A freedom that didn't make my heart any heavier than it already was. A freedom that would make my foolish blindness disappear...