"Fuccckkkk!"
The word tore from his throat like steel scraping stone, raw and jagged, splitting the quiet of the night. It echoed against the hollow trees, their branches swaying as though shivering from the weight of his curse.
The forest seemed to lean in to listen, shadows folding closer around the mud-slick ground where he knelt, face pressed against earth that stank of rot and rain.
Beside him, the rabbit leapt—innocent, ignorant—nuzzling his side, biting at his sleeve, its whiskers tickling his arm as though mocking his despair. Its warmth was absurdly alive against the cold bite of the night.
He shooed it with a grunt, one gauntleted hand flashing, sending the creature scampering. For a breath, its tiny heartbeat had seemed louder than his own.
He sighed. The weight in his chest pressed heavier than the plates of his armor. With effort, he rose, mud dripping from the angles of his face, thick rivulets running down his neck, seeping beneath his collar.
