Page 41 of At The End There Was You

With every step he took towards her, more screamed and more vanished, perishing from the land of humans and forever denied the one beyond death.

Massive black feathered wings extended from Azriel’s back and he leaped in the air, standing above them all, his eyes only seeking hers in the crowd of thousands. More black smoke made of small insects spread from him, enveloping the earth around and the skies above. It killed everything it touched, trees, soil, and air.

“No!” Winter screamed, climbing down the pyre, and running towards him despite the burns in her body. “Please, they only want to live. Please, you do not know how it is to want to live and cannot. I know it, Az, please. I know it. Don’t do it like this. Not like this. Not when they are so afraid.”

“Do not ask that of me, my sun,” his voice came, echoing around the land the sound of a thousand other voices. “Not when you have seen what they are capable of. Not when you were their sacrifice.”

“It was my greatest honour,” she said, smiling up at him, her dark God. “One thousand times over, I’ll do it again, only so I could be with you even if it is only for seven days.” There was something else she wanted to tell him, too, but time didn’t want her to fall in love with anyone else. It had made sure of it, as they now had no more of it. Time hated her. Time had always hated her. How could anyone explain this, how time had only given her seven days with him.

His gaze softened and then filled with those haunted shadows again. She knew something was wrong, she could feel it and see it on him.

The earth and air cleared of the black mist, revealing pale skies and an even paler dry earth.

He lowered himself down to the ground and walked towards her, the crowd of people separating for him to go through.

“You stopped,” she murmured when he halted before her.

He cupped her face. “You’d resent me.”

“Never. I can never resent you.”

“You would. I can bear my anger, but not your resentment.” He rested his brow on hers and took a deep inhale. “This world shall have another chance at living, but something worse than me will follow up next after I leave. Whoever will be angry next at what humanity has become will be merciless. After I leave, there will be no questioning it, and there will be pain.”

“Leave?” Her voice trembled. “No, no, you can’t leave.”

He kissed her brow, his lips lingering over her skin. “Do not seek me before I come for you.”

Her knees weakened and she fell into his arms. “What?”

“My deal to remain in this realm expired today. My brother could only grant me this one moment to come to you.”

She shook her head, not wanting to believe his words, her own ears, her mind had to be wanting her to go insane. “No.” Her hands trembled as she cupped his tear streaked face. “No, no. I just found you. Ask for another deal. Seven more days. Please, just seven more days.” She looked up at the skies and cried, broken sobs tearing out of her throat as she begged for his brother, “Please, let him stay, please.”

“If I stay even a minute more, I will not want to go back.”

“Then stay.”

“It will ruin this realm. My presence will slowly kill this realm only you still see good in. My magic will plant deep roots in the soil and spread until everything is dead.”

“No, I don’t see any good in it anymore, please.”

He gave her a lachrymose smile. “That is the one lie I desperately want to believe.” Azriel kissed her and she kissed him back as if she was desperate for just one of his breaths. “Live, Winter. Live wanting. Live deciding. Live for you. And live…for me, too. Make it good, my little sun. Make it really good, I want to hear all about it. I will wait this time. I will wait for you. Do not come to me. Do not seek me. Not unless you wish to break my heart.”

She couldn't stop shaking her head, trying really hard to come up with words and solutions to have him stay. “Take me with you.”

“I’m not sure this world can survive not having you in it. For their sake, stay.”

He disappeared into thin air, only remnants of his scent clinging behind, clinging onto her skin. “No! No! No!” she screamed until her throat scratched and blood filled her mouth.

She felt arms wrap around her. Clara and Alyssa hugged her tightly as she tried to grasp the air where he once stood.

Her cries never stopped.

Not once in the next few months she remained at the Sanctum.

Even years later, people could swear they heard their haunting sound echo with the wind. The ground where they’d once stood was filled with daisies that never wilted, never disappeared in any season or the harsh cold. The path over the dried Lethe river poured with more of the white flowers, and each spirit grossing to Asphodel saw a piece of the gift Winter had given to the world.

There were tales that followed after that day. Tales of Death and her.