The Hollowing.

 **“The Hollowing” **

We built our truths in whispered tones,  

On midnight walks and broken phones.  

You held your heart like sacred glass—  

I never thought you'd let it pass.

But somewhere in the gilded chase,  

You bartered soul for fleeting grace.  

A smile too sharp, a word too slick,  

Integrity undone by tricks.

I watched you paint your name in gold,  

On stories bought, on secrets sold.  

The mirror cracked, the mask grew tight—  

You called it growth. I knew it might.

You once stood tall with quiet fire,  

Now bent beneath a thin desire.  

The compass spun, the needle lied,  

And all the good in you… just died.

Yet still, I mourn—not out of spite,  

But for the friend who chose the night.  

I keep the echo, not the face,  

And walk alone with quiet grace.