IR

dead when they have

ed up before

e dragging me from

n the dark. The nex

ng up to my ankles like the ear

lling asleep. I didn

HERE was,

be real. My toes curled. The blood clung, thick and fresh,

di

on a chunk of something I swore was a chunk of somet

hat would hold in the shaking. Like it would keep the pieces of m

ody alre

wasn'

lungs. My heart thrashed like it knew what was coming, like

ng here

in. Half-burnt tapestries fell to ash without ever touching flam

ams didn

ed the walls like ghos

n I hea

y a breath. Fe

ust... he

ard it like

's when

rn to ribbons. Her throat a red smile of ruin.

ld've be

r lips

fingers twitching weakly against the man

..." Her mouth tre

ke her words struck

raw like the inside of a

that looked almost peacefu

ed into the air. "...he is you

h

th

twitch. Just

Smile int

n didn

r a he

r a hu

th

how

y. Not a

cu

grief so old it ta

silence. Shook th

y chest as if it too refused t

Then, with trembling hands, he peeled her arms from his waist, kissed her one last

t her side. Black. Heavy. Covered in

wear to

like death givi

ill rip their lungs from their chests. I will eat

n instinct. One

rve scre

. 'And if he sees you, he'll bury that bla

urn

fast I could sprint barefoot o

's when

e behi

d as the steel h

the

ing in my throat...

ying to swallow him whole. Like it bowed to hi

gold armor. Blood smeared down one side

ent, heavy, like grief had weigh

w tha

hrough ruined cathedral windows, from the edg

ko

wasn'

r was longer, tangled in ash and b

on

assed me, he

ink. Didn

h the space I stood in, l

was smo

back, my palm smacking against stone. My

heavy. The w

t real. Co

of me. My heart hurt in my chest. My

d of dre

through the smoke ag

ade. You've

s what he was, even I could feel it in my bones,

ey

they could've been ca

one had cracked his soul o

t drop t

lau

he broken make when even

s voice hit like splinters down my spine.

r a body witho

oaked the battlefield like he'd b

ething inside me knew h

hter. Blood dripped from his fist

lost EVE

l. Breathing heavy. His mouth was a

our people are gone. Our lands, bur

voice cracked

red. A tremor rip

your hands and talk of loss? You

didn't

hing in his silence said

and she followed me still. I told her I would end it, and she said, then I'll follow you

em, sending shadows da

in you," Nikol

apped his gaz

you." He stepped forward, slow

ted me...

r stif

ak like she tethered us together. She was the only thing that held me

ou to live,"

. "You know what her last words were? Not 'I love you.' Not ev

nt s

r behind me, and I di

spered to no one. "

e hell

wanted this?" He raised his blade. "You think I

ssion cracked,

ke her from

pered. "But you took

ng the

fast.

rike with a roar of steel. They fought like they'd danced this dance before. Like

to k

ive eac

n form. Heartache m

it, each strike vibr

died thinking there was something true between us, somethi

as brutal enough

." The prince snarl

ocked, har

's damn

so hard it sent both

th, just one,

h

g I didn't expect. H

ped. Not

ropp

one like a fi

e I damned you

. Bloody. His hand still gripped t

"Strike. But if you raise that b

reath where no one moved, not even the fir

prince...

st

fa

ade ro

eath

ord ca

cre