[Verse 1] I learned... I learned to listen deeper To hear the growl beneath the fear, To follow footprints through the night, To find the beast beneath the trees That watched me from the edge of sight. I hunted through the hollow dark. I chased its shadow through the rain. Each time I thought I had it cornered, It vanished, then appeared again. It knew the shape of all my fears. It knew the places I would hide. It called me family. It called me brother. And somehow in that moment... We recognized each other. [Pre-Chorus] It knew I was he... And I knew he was me. Neither one denied What the other could be. [Chorus] Then I could see... There never was a beast apart from me. Just two broken mirrors Staring through the same cracked dream. No monster underneath. No enemy to defeat. Just a part of myself I was too afraid to meet. I learned to listen deeper... And the beast listened to me. [Verse 2] Maybe darkness isn't evil Just because it wears a face. Maybe all the things I battled Were the wounds I couldn't name. I spent so long pursuing The shadow at my feet... Until it turned around And chased me through the streets. I raised my blade against it. It raised its hand against me. Then it whispered... "Don't hate me just because I'm part of thee." [Bridge] Brother... I hear you. Brother... I see. No more hunting one another Through the dark we're scared to be. If I can face your darkness, And you can face mine too... Maybe peace was never winning. Maybe peace was seeing through. [Final Chorus] Now I can see... Neither of us the beast. Just two sides acknowledging The selves beneath. No hunter. No hunted. No victory. Just understanding what was always underneath. I learned to listen deeper. I learned what love could be. And when I finally faced the beast... There was no beast left to see. Just you. Just me. At peace. The beast showed his teeth. I bared mine back, daring him to see. But his grin widened in the dark, as if he had been waiting for me. His eyes were mine. His breath was mine. And when he whispered, "Brother," the voice came from behind my teeth. I reached for him... And felt my own hand close around my throat. At peace... At last... With something breathing inside me.
