Eva stormed out of Alina's tent and immediately set out to find Genya and Aleksander. She found Genya first, recounting her futile conversation with Alina and how they had truly lost their friend. Alina would never understand why Eva and Genya did the things they did. Thankfully, they still had each other. Eva bid farewell to her friend, urging her to be cautious once she was left alone.
"Please be careful, Eva. I have no interest in losing another friend," Genya pleaded.
"Careful is my middle name," Eva replied with a wink and a smile. The pair embraced one last time before Eva set off to find Aleksander.
As Eva made her way through the camp, her heart raced with anticipation and nervousness. She couldn't shake off the conversation she had just had with Alina. The accusation lingered in her mind like a persistent echo, questioning her worth and her place in Aleksander's life. But she pushed those doubts aside, focusing instead on the one thing she knew to be true: her love for Aleksander.
As she approached his tent, her steps faltered for a moment before she summoned the courage to knock softly on the canvas flap. The sound of her heartbeat drowned out any other noise as she waited for a response.
"Come in," Aleksander's voice called from inside, and she pushed the flap aside, stepping into the dimly lit interior of the tent.
Aleksander was sitting at a small table, his attention focused on a map spread out before him. His dark eyes lifted to meet hers, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he rose from his seat.
"Eva," he breathed her name like a prayer, crossing the distance between them in a few quick strides. He enveloped her in his arms, pulling her close to him as if he never wanted to let her go.
"I've missed you," he murmured against her hair, his voice tinged with both longing and relief.
Eva melted into his embrace, feeling the weight of the world lift off her shoulders with each beat of his heart against hers. In this moment, there was only them, surrounded by the comforting embrace of darkness and each other.
"I missed you too," she whispered, her words barely audible above the gentle rustle of fabric.
They stood like that for what felt like an eternity, lost in each other's arms, until finally, Aleksander pulled away slightly, his hands framing her face as he gazed into her eyes with a mixture of tenderness and intensity.
"You know I would do anything for you, don't you?" he said, his voice barely a whisper, but filled with a depth of emotion that sent shivers down Eva's spine.
She nodded, unable to speak as her heart swelled with love for this man who meant everything to her.
"I love you," she managed to say, her voice trembling with emotion.
"I love you too," he replied, his words a vow that echoed in the stillness of the night.
They shared a lingering kiss, pouring all their hopes and fears into the fleeting moment, knowing that tomorrow was uncertain and fraught with danger. But for now, they had each other, and that was enough.With a heavy heart, they broke apart, knowing that duty called and they had to face the challenges that lay ahead. But they faced them together, bound by a love that transcended time and space. Hand in hand, they left the tent, ready to face whatever the future held, knowing that as long as they had each other, they could overcome anything. Together, they would find Alina and face whatever fate awaited them, knowing that their love would endure, even in the darkest of times. As Alina, Tsar Kirigan, and Eva emerged from the tent, the entire camp erupted in whispers and glances. But their determination remained unshaken as the trio forged a path through the camp toward the Skiff. Aleksander felt that Alina needed a little extra motivation to behave herself, so he spoke softly,
"The tracker's being kept in camp, under guard. Do what's expected of you and he'll be released." Silence enveloped them for the rest of the short journey. Alina led the way, with Aleksander and Eva hand in hand following closely behind.
Once aboard the Skiff, Alina was promptly chained to the deck, and she wasted no time in playing her part, remarking,
"This isn't a good look for you. Everyone will see that I'm your prisoner." Kirigan chuckled in response, his voice low and amused,
"I doubt very much they'll notice your feet."
Before long, the moment they had been awaiting arrived—the Skiff was launched into the Fold by Zoya, who guided the wind into its sails. The Black Heretic and his beloved stood at the helm, anticipation hanging thick in the air.
"Can you feel them?" Kirigan asked Ivan, referring to the lurking Volcra. Their menacing presence loomed around them, hidden within the shadows. It was Ivan's task to detect the Volcra by their heartbeats. Fortunately, their greatest hope was confirmed,
"No heartbeats yet, sir."
The atmosphere aboard the Skiff was ominous, everyone on edge, unsure of what to expect. The cries of the Volcra caused the vessel to tremble.
"They're coming," Alina said anxiously.
"Yes," Aleksander confirmed, but Alina persisted as always,
"I should just shut this down now." It was then that Eva spoke up, still standing beside Aleksander, her hand in his,
"And what can you really do on your own?" Alina had no answer to that.
Before long, they reached the point where they would expand the Fold, the stretch of land that Eva had personally ensured was completely evacuated, though the politicians and diplomats aboard were unaware of this.
"You've seen what the Sun Summoner can do. Now bear witness to what I can do with her power," Kirigan declared, releasing Eva's hand and striding to the front of the Skiff. He extended the Fold just to the edge of the harbor, enough to make an impact.
"Today we redraw all the maps. With the power of the Sun Summoner at my command, we, Grisha, control the Fold and its monsters. It can be moved to any border I like. Engulf any harbor. Consume any city. Take what you have seen back to your home countries. Tell the Fjerdans. Tell the Shu Han. There will be no more war with Ravka."
Suddenly, Mal and the Crows appeared out of nowhere, chaos erupting as they began to shoot in all directions. Hell broke lose aboard of the Skiff, the Grisha were fighting the Crows, Alina, Mal and even some random diplomats and politicians who apparently brought a gun. Eva shot a quick glance in her lover's direction to see if he was alright, when she saw this was indeed the case, she immediately jumped into action.
As chaos engulfed the Skiff, the clash between men and Grisha intensified into a fierce battle. Eva, her determination burning bright in her eyes, found herself facing off against soldiers, the Crows and politcians. The Skiff rocked violently as the battle raged on, the clash of steel and the crackle of Grisha powers filling the air with a cacophony of chaos. Eva stood at the forefront, her sword gleaming in the dim light as she faced off some soldiers, her Grisha powers crackling at her fingertips.
Amidst the chaos, Alina approached her, her eyes filled with uncertainty and fear.
"Eva," she began, her voice barely audible over the din of battle, "we need to put aside our differences. We have a chance to make a difference here, to show everyone we're better than this."
Eva's hear swelled with hope at Alina's words. For so long, they had been torn apart by their differences, their friendship strained by the weight of their resposibilities. But now, in the midst of battle, there was a chance for reconciliation, a chance to bridhe the divide that had torn them apart.
"I agree, Alina", Eva replied, her voice firm with determination.
"We need to stand together, to fight as one against our common enemy. We can't let our differnces divide us any longer"
For a moment, it seemed as though the tension between them had dissipated, replaced by a shared sense of purpose. But then, Eva sensed someone sneaking up on her, as she turned around, she faced Mal. Her world was shattered in an instant. With a sickening thud, she felt the blade pierce her flesh, a searing pain ripping through her body as she stumbled backwards, her hands instinctively clutching at the wound. Blood gushed from it, staining her clothes and pooling on the deck as she fought to stay upright. Alina's eyes widened for a second in horror as she watched the girl fall,
"I'm sorry Eva", and with that her supposed friend walked away, leaving her to die.
As consciousness slipped away from her, Eva felt herself toppling over the railing, her body plummeting towards the unforgiving ground below. And as she fell, she knew that she had failed, the cycle of voilence would continue unabated and the Grisha would never be fully safe. As Eva lay on the cold ground, her life slipping away with each labored breath, she felt a sense of betrayal wash over her. The blade protruding from her chest was not just a physical wound, but a symbol of the shattered trust between her and Alina, her once dear friend. She had reached out in a final attempt to make amends, to mend the rift that had torn them apart, but instead, she had met her end at her hands. As her vision blurred and darkness encroached upon her consciousness, Eva's thoughts turned to Aleksander. He had always been painted as the villain, the dark force lurking in the shadows, but she knew the truth. He had been her anchor, her guiding light in a world consumed by darkness. And now, with her impending death, she realized the true extent of his love for her.
In her final moments, Eva's heart ached for Aleksander, knowing that her death would shatter him in ways she could never imagine. She had been his moral compass, his everything, and now she was leaving him behind, alone in a world that had turned its back on him.
As Eva lay cradled in Aleksander's arms, her breaths coming in shallow gasps, she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Aleksander," she whispered, her voice barely a whisper against the roar of the battle around them.
His heart clenched at the sound of her voice, his hands trembling as he brushed the hair from her face.
"Eva," he choked out, his voice thick with emotion.
"I'm here. I won't leave you."
She reached out to him, her fingers brushing against his cheek with a tenderness that brought tears to his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Aleksander," she murmured, her voice wavering with regret.
"I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you."
He shook his head, his own tears mingling with hers as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Shh, my love," he whispered, his voice breaking with sorrow.
"None of this is your fault. You were the light in my darkness, the one thing that kept me from losing myself completely."
Eva's breaths grew shallower with each passing moment, her strength waning as the darkness closed in around her.
"Promise me, Aleksander," she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper.
"Promise me that you'll find peace. That you won't let my death consume you."
He held her tighter, his heart breaking at the thought of life without her.
"I promise, Eva," he vowed, his voice choked with emotion.
"I'll find peace, for both of us. And I'll never forget the love we shared, no matter what darkness lies ahead."
As her eyes fluttered closed for the final time, Aleksander held her close, his tears falling freely as he whispered words of love and regret into her ear. And in that moment, as the world faded away around them, he knew that he would carry her memory with him always, a beacon of light in the darkness that threatened to consume him.
As the tears streamed down his face, Aleksander's grief turned to rage. In that moment, something inside him snapped, and the darkness that had always threatened to consume him finally took hold. With a primal roar of anguish, he vowed to make the world pay for taking her from him. He no longer cared about right or wrong, about who suffered or died. All he wanted was to watch the world burn.
And as Eva's life slipped away, Aleksander Morozova, once a man driven by love and compassion, descended into madness. For in the loss of his one true love, he had lost everything, and now there was nothing left but the flames of vengeance to light his way.
And that's why he's become the villain that we know today.
The End