I used to think love was something sacred. A connection so deep that two souls became one.

  Then I grew up.

  And the more I saw, the more I questioned—Is love even real anymore?

  People cheat on the ones who trusted them the most. They lie, they manipulate, they use. A guy promises a girl the world, then leaves her crying at 2 AM over some text. A girl tells a guy she loves him, but she’s already texting someone else behind his back.

  I've seen it happen. Too many times.

  But nothing made it hit harder than my own friend.

  He barely even spoke to this girl. Out of nowhere, he asked, "Wanna date?" And she just said yes.

  No deep conversations. No late-night talks. No bond. Just like that, they were a couple.

  I felt something twist inside me.

  "Am I the one thinking wrong?" I asked myself. "Are they fools? Or does the kind of love I believe in not exist anymore?"

  The voice inside me stayed quiet for a moment. Then, with a calm yet brutal tone, it spoke.

  "Nowadays, people blindly get into relationships… just like your so-called friend."

  I frowned. "So-called friend? What do you mean? He's my friend."

  The voice didn't answer.

  A strange silence filled my head.

  And then, as if brushing the topic aside, it continued.

  "Love isn’t dead, Souta. It’s just not what people think it is anymore.

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  People don't seek connection. They seek validation. They don’t date to love. They date to prove they can get someone.

  They think a relationship is a trophy. Something to show off, not something to build. That’s why they cheat so easily. That’s why they replace each other so fast.

  They don’t want love.

  They want to own someone. To control someone. To have someone at their side, just so they don’t feel alone.

  But love… love was never meant to be a bandage for loneliness.

  It was meant to be a bond strong enough to hold two people together even when they’re falling apart inside.

  Tell me, Souta… If love was just about "having someone," then why do so many people feel lonely inside their own relationships?"

  I clenched my fists. I didn't want to admit it, but… the voice was right.

  People get into relationships without even knowing what a relationship is. They chase after a feeling they don’t understand.

  That’s why they get bored.

  That’s why they cheat.

  That’s why they leave.

  And the worst part?

  When it all goes wrong, they blame love itself. "Love isn’t real. All men cheat. All women are gold diggers."

  No.

  Love is real. It’s just rare.

  Because not everyone is ready for it. Not everyone deserves it.

  And the ones who do? They're the ones left heartbroken, asking themselves—

  "Is love even worth it?"

  I sighed. "Then tell me, Voice. If love is so rare, how do we find it?"

  "You don’t find love, Souta. Love finds you.

  When you’re ready.

  When you understand it.

  When you deserve it."

  I exhaled slowly. Maybe I was scared of love, not because it was fake, but because… I didn’t trust people to be loyal anymore.

  The voice chuckled darkly.

  "You fear love not because it’s weak, but because you think loyalty is dead.

  But tell me, Souta…

  If every castle has a few traitors, does that mean every knight is a liar?"

  I froze.

  For once, I had no words.