ELVEN | K.TH

40

He jerks.

Then he turns to look at me, his violet eyes blank. His eyes are full of madness, a fury I can't even imagine.

It sends chills clawing up my back as his gaze focuses on me.

He lunges, his hands outstretched. He comes so fast— that I can do nothing but stand there like an idiot, my own hands slack by my sides. I can only watch him as he gets closer.

I breathe.

Then someone pulls him back, away from me. And Taehyung makes a low noise deep from his throat as he opens a palm, covered in the shadow of his magic.

"I have you now."

He's going to wipe his mind.

Make him into an empty shell, with absolutely nothing left inside.

No.

Tae—

But only silence comes out of my mouth when I try to speak, and the magic burns as it spreads through the Crown Prince's body. It overtakes  him like the darkest fire.

Only a second.

That's all it takes, for the Crown Prince to turn into a remnant of what he was before.

I gasp.

Taehyung stumbles off of the motionless body of his brother. Blood stains half of his face, and the dark wisps of his magic ripple across his arms and shoulders. His dark locks fall disheveled over his eyes.

A reaper, come to life.

Tae—

But my signs instantly fade when he looks up at me.

The world crashes to my feet.

I've lost him.

Taehyung.

But his name only echoes silently in my own mind as he comes closer. His hands are still stained with the blood and the magic.

His eyes are gone.

Taehyung, I sign. Desperate tears fill my eyes as I start stumbling backwards, nearly tripping over my own feet. But it's almost as if he doesn't see me, at all.

He only wants to kill me.

He comes closer, closing the distance between the two of us in frightening speed.

The tears spill over my eyes, down my cheeks.

Speak.

Speak, Rinei.

Call his name. Please.

I gasp when my back slams into the trunk of a tree. Before I can stumble away fast enough Taehyung is onto me, his hands trapping and pressing me against the wood.

I have nowhere to go.

No, no, no.

I shrink into myself as he raises his hand. It glows with the magic that had broken the Crown Prince. It's glowing with the magic that was going to break me now.

The edge of the cliff glitters— a cold, cruel horizon.

How can I save you?

Tears stream down my face as I feel his fingertips against the side of my head. I feel the magic— feel the coldness, before anything else.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I ran away.

I'm sorry I acted so ruthlessly. I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for breaking you.

I should've listened.

I should've listened when you told me to stay. I should've known there would be consequences. And you knew that, didn't you? You knew that already, that things wouldn't ever be the same once I left.

You always knew, knew things much better than I did.

But I didn't listen.

I thought I was right. I thought I wouldn't be able to live with the vengeance, without taking revenge on your father. A part of me was confused— angry, because you were trying to stop me so badly.

I thought I was doing the right thing.

My cries turn harder when I look up into his eyes. They're so empty— his warmth completely stripped away, his love. His tender, pleading voice, the soft kisses he'd given me the nights I'd had trouble sleeping.

I cry, as I face the person I'd destroyed with my own hands.

I thought I was right.

But I was wrong, and I ended up driving you to insanity.

I ended up ruining everything.

"I'm sorry, Taehyung."

"I'm sorry."

_