(Author’s POV)

"....."

Bloodcurdling screams of Amaia sinisterly echo in this room of horrors and nightmares. So painful that a heart would tremble hearing them.

She holds the severed head of her mate. The world is crumbling around her, crimsoned by his innocent blood. His body heaped to the side, the scythe lay soaked vermilion with hints of silver, still visible.

Blood drips from it.

~Trickle~

~Trickle~

He is gone. His lifeless but still bright eyes stare at her. Her tears rain down on his face.

Hiccups, cries, choked breaths.

"My life and blade are yours.."

"My life and blade are yours.."

That’s what he had said at the time he transformed from Zille to Saiph and told her that he was her mate too. He had kept that promise.

The words are playing on repeat in Amaia’s brain. She can’t shake them, she can’t think of anything else but his heavy voice.

Something is hovering in front of her.

An orb. An imperfect sphere of deep, velvety blackness. Unlike any ordinary shadow, it doesn’t drain the light from this wretched room; rather, it seems to breathe with a quiet, steady warmth. Its surface ripples like oil on calm water, soft and inviting, releasing faint trails of silver-tinged mist that smells of Saiph. Within its depths, tiny pinpricks of cool light—reminiscent of something trapped, drift slowly.

It’s the remains of Rigel’s shadows which have trapped Saiph’s soul into its depths and created this anomaly which can exist only between twins. Rising from years of abuse and neglect, merging them to become one and seek revenge on the ones who have wronged them.

It’s a Sundered Soul Orb.

It hovers closer to Amaia and like a gentle pressure against the skin, like a hand resting on her shoulder in reassurance, it touches her. It makes no sound, yet the effect it creates almost blinds the witch by the door who is watching gleefully and yet astonished.

Amaia’s locked powers unlock. Every trace of the potion and curse disappears. The chains break and clutter to the floor.

The blinding light emerges from her body, engulfing every trace of the rot this despicable woman has created in this room and around the whole castle to keep her mates away.

Not only that, the light power which has the tendency to evaporate the enemies hit the evil queen. Her shields try to block the energy wave but don’t completely succeed.

She is hurled backwards, her body and face burning from this intense burning light.

"Argh!"

She screams her throat and face burning, the skin peeling off her bones, her face scarring.

Quickly she opens the portal to Istrale using the gem on her bodice and vanishes through it. A gift from Natianu in case of emergencies. She is half-burnt when she escapes. Getting her daughter, both of them open a portal to Istrale and flee.

Amaia’s grieved eyes watch as the shadowy orb comes to rest on her shoulders, half hovering just above them.

It is no void of absence for her but a shadow that cradles, protects, and is now touched by her light.

She crawls forward, one hand holding the head of her mate, the other wrapping around his still-warm torso. She makes herself smaller, taking a fetal position, trying to hide in his chest like she loved doing.

And then she opens the mindlink and reaches for her mates...

***

Alnilam feels the air grow heavier, as though someone has stopped breathing. The bond in his chest tightens similar to someone pulling the strings attached to his heart. Something cold, wrong and kind of empty crawls into his heart. He halts in his steps as Amaia’s grief hits him in full force.

Rigel grows restless, a nameless fury building under his skin and into his shadows. Like a skipped beat his own heart still expects but can’t find. There is deafening silence in his heart and he knows something terrible has happened.

"Saiph? Amaia?" His voice comes out wounded as he turns towards a shocked Alnilam.

Alnitak stops mid-talk with Mintaka, confused. He reaches out to touch Mintaka’s hand.

"Something is terribly wrong."

The silence has crept up in places where Saiph’s presence used to hum. Like a fresh wound which will never heal.

To Mintaka, the world suddenly feels smaller and colder, and he can’t name why but the collective worry and grief feeding into the bond followed by Saiph’s silence tells him that a tragedy has taken place.

The four of them stare at each other in despair, none of them moving in that moment.

The bond is heavy with a grief that can’t be described, especially Amaia’s.

And then the mindlink opens like a harbinger of death and Amaia’s grieved and broken voice comes.

"Saiph is gone...the room in the tower..."

The world shatters for the four brothers. They had just learnt that he was their brother and now he is gone.

Rigel’s knees give way and Alnilam has to catch him before he hits the ground in grief. His screams echo in the infirmary.

"We need to get to Amaia."

Alnitak stumbles out of the bed while Mintaka takes the lead to be their anchor, glancing worriedly at Alnilam. Alnitak wraps his arms around a devastated Rigel.

"Rigel..." Alnilam’s tremulous voice rings out as he circles his ring and opens the portal to where Amaia is.

They cross over, dragging themselves forward, knees shaking, hearts bleeding. A part of their heart is literally dead with their brother gone.

The blood-drenched horror has all of them tongue-tied. For a few seconds, they could only blink at the harrowing sight that awaited them.

"Amaia!" Rigel’s fragmented call doesn’t reach her. She has cradled Saiph’s head and hidden in his arms which will never hold her again.

Alnitak whimpers. His trembling hands on his mouth, muffling his screams. The tears burst out of his eyes. Mintaka stands dumbfounded, unable to speak or move. His eyes wide like balls.

Alnilam takes the lead, like a robot, storing away his emotions. Like a surrendered being he plods forward.

He bends down, slowly touching Amaia’s arm. She turns her head, half-drenched in his blood, bruises covering her face and neck.

Clouds of mourning surround her eyes as they bleed into Alnilam’s grief-stricken ones.

"She took him from us....but I am going to bring him back. Even if it takes my life," she says with such sheer determination that makes Alnilam’s soul tremble.