𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕷𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙

Twisted Reunion

Ten Years Later

Harwin Strong had rarely known true fear in his life, but as the flames grew around him, and the air thickened with smoke, he found himself praying. To all the Gods he could think of. The New, the Old, even the Red God. Not for himself, but for his father. He had awoken not long before to find Harrenhal on fire, the flames licking at his heels as he raced from his bed toward his father's chambers. He banged his fists desperately on the door, finding it had been locked tight. Someone wished for his father to die. Them both, he realised.

"Harwin!" His father's cries could be heard from the other side of the door.

Harwin twisted around to find the flames had grown even higher, now cornering him against the door. There truly was no escape. He and his father would perish there.

"Father, I am sorry. I have failed you" Harwin sighed, banging his fist against the door once last time.

"Son..." Lyonel trailed off, a hacking cough escaping his lips.

Harwin leaned forward to rest his head against the door, scrunching his eyes shut, and hoping his death would be swift. He heard a thumping sound from his father's chambers, realising Lyonel had likely been overcome by the smoke filling his small room. Harwin could not stop the cry that left his lips as he felt flames ascending up his legs, scorching his skin in their path. The pain was like nothing he had ever known. And then...it stopped.

His eyes slowly fluttered open to find the flames had been extinguished, the smoke still thick in the air, making it impossible to see. Harwin's knees buckled underneath him, gasping for air, but choking on the smoke instead. From the corner of his eye, he could see a figure approaching him, reaching out to touch his shoulder as he lost consciousness.

The next time Harwin woke, the sun was rising above him, the warmth feeling overwhelming. He pushed himself onto his side, hacking loudly as he did so, still trying to catch his breath. How had he found himself outside? A horrified gasp left his lips as he found he was surrounded by bodies, burnt and blackened, little more than skeletons. Was it possible that he too was dead? A hand on his shoulder had him flinching, as he looked up to find a dead woman's eyes staring back at him.

Kiana.

"Calm yourself, Harwin. You are safe" She told him, squeezing his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Harwin's mouth went slack, blinking rapidly as he realised it was not a ghost he saw before him. Kiana was alive. His eyes were drawn to the white scar that was carved into her skin diagonally across her face, luckily appearing to have missed both her eyes. She had changed little otherwise, appearing to have barely aged a day. Apart from her scar, the main difference in her appearance was the lack of red robes. Instead, she wore a laced black dress that hung tightly to her body, giving her a somewhat intimidating appearance. Harwin reached up timidly to touch her hand, finding it warm beneath his palm.

"You are of flesh and blood" He murmured, as she nodded.

"I would hope so. Are you injured?" Kiana asked, as Harwin mulled it over for a moment, before shaking his head.

"Why...how are you here?" Harwin frowned, as Kiana crouched down in front of him.

"I saw you in the flames, Harwin. Or, rather your death" Kiana confessed.

"I was meant to die in this place?" Harwin gaped.

"I travelled as quickly as I could...but I was not quick enough to save your father" Kiana told him, as Harwin's eyes went wide.

He then spotted a familiar face not far away, his lips and nose blackened, his face a deathly white colour. A sob left Harwin's lips as he crawled over to his father, placing his head on his chest, and clutched at his shirt. Lyonel was already cold, his kind eyes closed. To never open again, Harwin realised.