There he was, running towards the the gate. He would save us as he always does. He just needed me to buy them time. He’ll come back. He always comes back.

…

…

…

Why wasn’t he coming back? He freed the prisoners. They won the day. Why wasn’t he coming back.

Any second now.

The bridge started to lift. Why is he not coming back?

You’re running in the wrong direction. I wanted to scream after you. I got their attention. We’re ready to go.

You’ll come back, right?

You wouldn’t leave me here to die…

You promised me that. The night you said you loved me. You promised you’ll always come back for me.

They’re closing in.

You won’t come back, will you? You always knew you’d have to make a sacrifice to save the ones needed. I just thought… I believed you when you said we don’t trade lives.

I thought for sure that when you stood there so full of fire, staring into the eyes of a goddess, that you meant it. That you would find another way. You would save everyone.

I could only see your back as you led them all to safety…You never looked back.

The blade went easy through my back. Their swords were sharp. Their claws were worse. Their teeth worse than any pain you’d ever feel - that’s what you said when you first taught me about them. You lied.

Even feeling their jaws close around my shoulder didn’t hurt as much as it did watching your back while I screamed your name.

I was begging.

Please don’t leave me. Please.

They didn’t kill me immediately you know.

As I lay there, with the world going dark, She was there with me.

She never left me. She took my head and placed it in her lap. My blood stained her obsidian dress, her dragon scaled skin that glittered like the darkness between the stars.

Unlike your love, her darkness was merciful.

Shhh, she said. You’ve hurt enough. Your heart can lay down its burden. Let him go.

I didn’t know know I’d still be able to feel the tear running down of what remained of my face. She wiped it away as gently as you once kissed me.

Let him go.

I did.

You meant nothing to me since then.

You meant everything.

She fixed the cracks you left in my heart with the very void She was borne of.

Die sweetly darling, she whispered.

I did.

Be reborn as greatly as stars die my brave hero, she offered.

I did.

And with my first breath my soul was filled with all the wonders hidden in the dark. If only you knew how much you offered me with my death sentence. If only you saw how much the darkness knows.

If only all those who named you hero saw how much of your heart I could see now. How delightful the depth of its darkness is.

I looked into her eyes, unafraid of the infinity she held within them, and we smiled.

I saw now what a hero’s heart truly hides. How thin the disguise you wear is.

I worshipped you once. Well here is my last prayer for you hero.

It will be sweetest of defeats when your heart follows. We need not win this war. I know She is ready to return to our eternity. Every one of her children is.

But if I can make you show the world how crooked your heart truly is before the sun sets upon our armies, then I will return to our darkness happier than you ever made me.