Chapter 160: The Stage That Swallows You Whole
Dominic’s body finally went still.
The anger bled out of him, like he had nothing left to throw at the guards, nothing left to scream.
All that was left was silence
His chest heaved. And then... nothing.
He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. He just sat there, staring at his palm.
That was the moment I realized.
This wasn’t denial anymore. Or anger.
This was the stage that doesn’t shout. Doesn’t bargain.
That swallows you whole when you can’t fight anymore.
Where every thought turns into dust, and every word into ash.
Depression.
It digs in quietly, roots itself so deep you forget what light looks like. Some people crawl out of it. Some never do.
And watching Dominic sink into silence, watching the way his shoulders hunched and his eyes stayed fixed on the floor... I couldn’t shake the fear that he might never come back out.
I wanted to reach for him. But he didn’t even move when I brushed his sleeve.
His face had gone pale, he looked hollow... like his body was still here, but the rest of him had slipped out
Then...
"Hey, man."
I turned. Ian and Ren had walked over, their faces were pale, quiet, and heavy.
Ian put a hand on Dom’s shoulder, squeezing them gently. His voice was low and soft. The softest I’ve ever heard from him. "I know, Dom. I know you two were closest since kids. But... Liam’s parents need you strong right now. For them. You hear me?"
Dominic didn’t answer. He didn’t nod. He just let Ian’s hand stay there, like he didn’t even feel it.
I glanced at Ian, almost desperate. "I’ve... I’ve never seen him like this before."
Ren’s eyes flickered toward me, solemn, almost poetic in the way he spoke. "Grief has a way of breaking down the strongest of us. You think you know someone, until you see them hollowed by loss."
Ian gave a sad huff. "I’ve been friends with Dom forever. Trust me, man.. this side of him? Only Liam could pull it out. Liam was his anchor."
"Oh," I whispered, because I didn’t know what else to say. It made sense. And it made it hurt even more.
More footsteps. Jasper.
His face was pale, his hands shoved deep in his pockets like he didn’t know what else to do with them.
He stopped a few feet away, shaking his head. "I can’t believe we were literally partying a few hours ago," his voice cracked. "Laughing, drinking. And then... his mom called that Liam..." His voice broke, he shook his head and covered his mouth. "It doesn’t feel real. It’s so fucking sad."
Casper trailed behind him. His eyes and nose were red, from wiping it too many times.
The moment he saw Dom, he broke all over again, covering his mouth with a trembling hand.
He reached for Dominic, and then, Dominic moved... just enough to fold into Casper’s shoulder, silent tears finally slipped down his face.
Casper sobbed against him, and the sound tore through the hallway.
Ren’s voice was soft, almost like he was speaking to the universe instead of us. "This is grief’s cruelest trick. It waits until you’re surrounded, until you realize you’re not alone, and yet you’ve never felt more alone in your life."
It was the first time I’ve been with all of them close like this.
The glass circle boys.
Dom, Ian, Ren, Jasper, Casper and Late Liam.
And now... they were just boys in a hallway, held together by tears and grief.
And for the first time, I was standing in the middle of them.
But not the way I ever imagined.
Jasper shifted, his swollen eyes dragged over me like he was seeing me for the first time. His brows pulled together.
"Sorry, man... we’ve never seen you before."
I froze. All eyes flicked toward me.
Dominic didn’t lift his head, but his fingers twitched at his side...like he wanted to reach for me and couldn’t.
Before I could even answer, Ian cut in. "He’s a friend of Dom’s. He’s been around school, you just probably didn’t notice." His voice was steady, smooth.
Ren tilted his head, squinting. "Yeah... I think I’ve seen him with June once or twice." His tone softened. "You’re Ash, right?"
I nodded, slow. "Yeah."
Ren just hummed like that settled it. Jasper looked away, wiping at his face. Nobody pressed further.
I was relieved.
Ian gave me the quickest glance...a silent you’re covered.
"Thank you," I whispered to him as he nodded.
The hallway went quiet when the doctor stepped out. His coat was wrinkled, his face drawn, like even delivering the words cost him something. He pulled off his gloves slowly, folding them into his palm.
"I’m very sorry for your loss," he began. "Liam Everhart passed at 1:06 a.m
. We did everything we could to resuscitate him, but there was no response."The words fell heavy, echoing in the silence.
Dominic’s shoulders stiffened beside me. He didn’t look up. His breathing slowed even more, like he was sinking, I didn’t know what to do.
I felt guilty all over again.
I should’ve told him about the messages sooner. I should’ve warned him about Liam. I should’ve stopped this somehow. Instead, I stood here useless, watching the world collapse around him.
The doctor went on gently, glancing at Liam’s parents. "You can stay with him as long as you need. When you’re ready, we’ll move him to the morgue. The hospital staff will help you with the funeral arrangements."
Mrs. Everhart broke, as she collapsed into her husband’s arms. He held her tight, like he couldn’t allow himself to fall apart.
"There’s no rush. Take all the time you need."
Dominic’s shoulders shook.
Liam wasn’t a boy in a bed anymore. He was... a body. A decision. A funeral.
Jasper pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes, shaking his head over and over like he could block the words out.
Casper covered his mouth, his chest kept heaving as tears streamed slowly.
Ren just closed his eyes, whispering something soft, almost like a prayer.
Ian sat forward, placing his elbow on his knees, staring at the floor with clenched fists.
And Dominic... God.
He didn’t cry. He didn’t speak. He still sat there, trembling, like he couldn’t contain what was inside him.
His hand hung between his knees, twitching, searching, until I slipped mine over it without thinking. His palm was extremely cold.
As cold as Ice.
Was it the air conditioning? Or the news freezing him from the inside out?
He didn’t squeeze back, but he didn’t pull away either.
My chest ached watching him.
His best friend was really gone. And now he had to hear it confirmed by a stranger in a white coat, in words that sounded almost too clean for the reality of it.
The doctor bowed his head slightly. "I’ll give you all some time." And then he walked away, leaving the silence behind.
This is what grief looks like when it hardens inside you. When your tongue forgets how to speak, and all you can do is sit there, empty, surrounded by everything you’ve lost