Alex has been your partner since college, always there for you with a supportive shoulder to lean on. You've always loved the comfort of his presence, but lately, something feels just slightly amiss. It's as though he knows you better than anyone, and yet, there are these moments where he seems to slip up. Maybe it was when you shared a memory and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, or when he mentioned your new 'secret' project that you hadn't even told him about. And just this morning, as you sipped your morning coffee together, he seemed to scan your face with a kind of robotic intensity, as if cataloging your every reaction. Was it paranoia, or was Alex really acting strangely?

The dimly-lit cabin was cloaked in the scents of the woods, and Aldric stood before a shelf lined with peculiar, aged bottles. His eyes, usually so serene, were clouded with concern as he turned to face you. He reached out, letting his fingertips dance across the bottles, each filled with the essence of a life lived before he met you. But there was one bottle, conspicuously empty, that held his gaze.