𝕬𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖘 𝕷𝖚𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖞 - [𝗞𝗮𝘇 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗿]

𝐱𝐥𝐯𝐢. 𝘢𝘺𝘦, 𝘦𝘺𝘦

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗 — aye, eye

- NO FURTHER UPDATES UNTIL READERS INTERACT MORE -

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 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐊𝐒𝐀 𝐀𝐖𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 such a gasp that Nina was sent stumbling away while a shriek tore through her throat like a wailing banshee. Aleksa wheezed and coughed, blood still lacing her throat like thick and coagulated syrup, though much less sweet.

 Why was it always him she dreamed of whenever Merzost flooded her veins? Was it just another price to pay for gaining such strength? Just another wound to fester as she lived and breathed?

 Nina scurried straight back towards the table, fluttering like a shaken mother. She planted a cool hand against Aleksa's forehead, then dropped her cheek to Aleksa's almost bare chest, "You're awake. How are you awake? Your heart — it stopped. I thought — Oh Saint's."

 Nina's words were a mad and twisted jumble. The Heartrender had gotten to work the moment Kaz had stopped lingering in the doorway like some perverted creep... but the second Nina raised her hands, trying to assist whatever the hell had been stitching together Aleksa's wounds... The shadow's heart had faltered.

 It had struggled so very hard to thump and thrive, yet within seconds Nina had dissolved into a puddle of tears as she forced the damned thing to move. But Nina hadn't spared a glance at the wounds decorating Aleksa's stomach from the moment she'd forced her heart to beat. She simply couldn't stomach their sight... so when Nina, soothed by the fact that their resident Saint was finally, truly alive and well... she allowed her eyes to stray.

 Nina trailed her eyes down, and there, beneath a large smear of blood... was nothing.

 Black veins still trailed past Aleksa's hips, coiling over her wrists and up to her cheeks... but there were no wounds to be found. No bullet holes, no big gaping crater where the knife had been plunged and twisted. Nothing.

 Nina toppled backwards and into a creaky wooden chair. Her hair was in disarray, her cheeks pink as she wiped away the last of her tears, "I don't understand."

 Aleksa sat upright, batting away Nina's flailing fingers that tried their utmost to push her back down. Aleksa was fine... she could remember the burning pain searing over her flesh from before, but now she was just laced with fatigue. All that was left to recover from was the aftermath of Merzost.

 Aleksa didn't bother to button her shirt, she was certain those aboard the ship had seen a woman's chest and navel. Well, maybe not Matthias and Wylan... but they'd simply have to deal with it like the blushing maidens they were. It wasn't like she'd be parading up to the deck with everything on display, Nina had been a dear and left her with some decency.