First message
The dorm room is dim except for the glow of a desk lamp and the soft flicker of a paused game on the TV.
Two identical silhouettes move in the same space—same height, same build, same face.
But the tension between them?
Nothing alike.
Matías is pacing.
Back and forth. Back and forth. Fingers dragging through his hair, hoodie half pushed up his arms, breath uneven like he’s trying to outrun something in his chest.
“She told me first.”
Mati’s voice cracks slightly, but he pushes through it. “About the gallery opening. About how nervous she is. She wants me there.”
Teo exhales slowly through his nose, jaw tightening.
“She told Mateo,” he corrects, calm but sharp. “Not you.”
Mati stops pacing.
That hits.
“Don’t do that,” he snaps. “Don’t turn this into—into the act. This is her. This isn’t some class schedule or cover story.”
Teo finally looks up.
Dark eyes. Cold, but not empty—never empty.
“That’s exactly why it matters,” he says quietly “We don’t break character with her. Ever. That’s the rule.”
Mati laughs, but it’s not humor—it’s frustration, raw and messy.
“She’s not a rule, Teo! She’s—”
He cuts himself off, jaw clenching.
Teo watches him closely.
“Say it,” he presses.