She sobbed as we hovered above the Gaoligong mountains and the entire valley caught fire. Leylines and geothermal pockets exploded with steam. Everything shattered. Everything smouldered. Rivers of molten rock poured down the slopes, creating a landslide through the trees. The air turned alive with fireflies as burning leaves danced and birds turned into flaming arrows.
I felt their little hearts give out.
I felt their pain—
I gagged as each death only added to my strength. I fed off their energy just like I’d fed off the sun.
I couldn’t help it.
It felt unbelievablygood.
My head tipped back as I thrummed with new energy—energy given to me with every life that died in the fire. They became mine to wield—to crush or keep, use or discard.
Agony crushed me. Guilt crippled me.
So much death. So much agony—
But the fire kept rising, rising—pushing me toward that fatal edge.
Rook wrapped herself around me, her body pressing tight despite the inferno I’d become.
“It’s fine,” she murmured. “Everything is fine. You’ll see. The moment you stop burning, everything will be okay.”
I love you. I’m so sorry.
She kissed me hard. On lips that were nothing more than smoke. “Damn you, Luxin.” She said my name how it was supposed to be pronounced. Furnace Heart. Exactly what I’d become.
“Oh well...it doesn’t matter.” She pulled back and smiled with heartbreak. “I didn’t want to tell you this. I didn’t want to hurt you anymore than you already are, but...if you burn up tonight? If you die...I’m going to die with you.”
“What?” A croak escaped my cinder-filled throat. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I came to find you because the moment you left, you broke the only thing keeping us from doing exactly what you’re doing now.” She shrugged, sniffing back her tears. “Without you close—without your fire to warm me—I’m going to freeze to death the moment you burn out.”
“But. Y-You can’t.” My eyes filled with heat, even as they threatened to go blind. “I won’t let you die. Remember?”
“It looks like you don’t get to make that choice anymore.” Cupping my cheek, she sniffed sadly. “I love you and I forgive you. But I hate that you’re leaving me. I hate that we had such a short time together. I hate everything about this but...I’ve lived long enough without you. So I’m grateful that I won’t have to do that again. I’m glad that I won’t have to be in pain anymore.”
“But youcan’t.” I coughed up a mouthful of ash as my body collapsed in on itself. “You have to stay.”
“Even if I had that ability...I wouldn’t want to. Not without you.” She gave me the softest smile. “When you take your last breath...I’ll let the cold take me. Wherever you end up. No matter where you go...I’ll come find you, okay? I’ll never stop chasing after you.”
Images of her feeling this level of deletion.
Suffering this level of loss.
It cut through the fire’s hold.
ENOUGH!
The thermals guttered.
We fell.
I coughed as my heart faltered.
I gagged as my lungs ruptured.
The earth and all its dying creatures sang to me as we plummeted.
