They fled back to the mountains, the adrenaline fading into a bitter cold. They found a small cave to huddle in. Kaelen was shaking—not from the cold, but from the realization of what he had become.
"Does it ever get easier?" Lyra asked, hugging her knees.
Kaelen looked at his bloodstained hands. "I don't think it should. If it gets easy, we stop being human."
Lyra leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're different from the others, Kaelen. You talk like you've lived a hundred years. You make me feel... like there's more to the world than just the Nest."
Kaelen sighed. "There is, Lyra. There are oceans we haven't seen. Cities made of marble. Music that isn't just the sound of clashing steel. I promise you, one day, we'll see it."
In the freezing dark, he reached out and took her hand. It was the first spark of a love that was destined to be as sharp and dangerous as their blades.