Worlds of Waves and Shadows

Sixty Two

The silence that followed was deafening. Even more so than the gunshot itself. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, but at the very same time, it was breaking, shattered into a million pieces as she stared at Zaic, struggling to process what had just happened.

He had aimed at her, his finger tightening around the trigger. But she couldn't have, in a million years, imagined him actually pulling it. But he had. He'd fired a gun with the intention of hurting—no—killing her.

If it hadn't been for Zaira wrenching the gun upward...

Kaenisa's stomach churned, bile rising in her throat. Zaic had tried to kill her. The man who claimed to love her had been ready to end her life without hesitation.

The ground seemed to fall away beneath her feet as betrayal, sharp and bitter, slowly filled her veins, poisoning her heart, along with a crushing sense of disbelief. How could he do this? After everything they had shared, after all the tender moments and whispered promises...how could he turn on her so easily?

Part of her understood his reasonings, his intention; had trusted him unconditionally. She'd seen the good in him even when others questioned his intentions. She had allowed herself to feel, to care, to hope for a future together. But how could he....how could he throw it all away in an instant?

How could he give up without a fight? Was she not important enough for him to fight for her? For them? If it had been her in his position, she'd have done anything...everything in her power to make sure he'd be okay.

The wound in her shoulder burned, but it was nothing compared to the agony in her heart. She felt something fundamental fracture within her spirit. Her belief in him had been the foundation on which they'd built their relationship. And he had obliterated it with a single gunshot.

Stepping back, she wrapped her arms around herself. Was this who he truly was deep down? Had it all been an illusion, a carefully constructed mirage of love? Bile rose in her throat at the thought.

He was still speaking, rambling excuses about duty and impossible choices. But his voice sounded muffled and distant to her now. This was the end, she knew with cold certainty. Even if she survived the bite, there was no coming back from this betrayal.

Sarina stepped forward, "Stop it, please. The window for the infection to take hold has passed. She's clear. I told you she was going to be okay."

Zaic froze, the gun slipping from his grasp and clattering to the floor. His face drained of colour as the full weight of realisation crashed over him.

"No..." he whispered, raising a trembling hand to his mouth. His lilac eyes were wide with horror, flicking frantically over Kaenisa as if only now seeing her fully.

He took an unsteady step back, visibly trembling.

"What have I done?" His voice broke on the words, crumpling to his knees as he buried his head in his hands.

Seeing the man she had loved completely shattered was almost more than Kaenisa could bear. But the damage was already done. He had made his choice, and the scar it left would never fully heal. It was cold comfort, staring at his hunched and broken form. All she felt was a bone-deep sadness for what they had lost.

She had offered him her heart, and he had aimed a gun at it. The man she thought she knew was gone if he had ever really existed at all. From the ashes, bitterness and rage sparked within her, small flames kindling in the ruins. If Zaic wanted a monster, she would give him one.

Kaenisa felt something dark unfurl within her, like a snake uncoiling from its slumber. The power she had locked away now thrummed in her veins, hungry and dangerous. She welcomed it, letting it flow through her. This was what Zaic wanted. A reason to shun her, a reason to kill her.