Everybody Hurts ━ shadow & bone [1] ✔

𝐸𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑢𝑒

EPILOGUE
Dark Cuts

Marissa hadn't expected the journey to go like this. The return was quiet and chaotic at the same time. She knew Arken would be bound to betray them, and how her brother had killed him when he found out the plan. Marissa was far from a Saint, and she knew that. Inej tried to convince her otherwise, but Marissa knew the cold truth. Marissa was a Sinner, like her brother.

Hell and havoc had wreaked upon their world, and the war was far from over. There were new-formed alliances and new-formed enemies.

The Shadow Heretic had returned home, and she had returned back to Ketterdam. She was thankful no one that she knew of in Ketterdam would recognise or be able to piece the puzzle together of who she truly was.

She roamed the even lower streets of Ketterdam with her hood covering her eyes.

A boy, maybe a little younger, accidentally ran into her. He had messy brown hair and looked around, scattered. He wore a long jacket that was torn.

"I'm sorry, miss... I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright. Don't worry about it..." Marissa told him. Then she noticed the small vial of chemicals in his pocket. She waited for him to say his name.

"Oh! Wylan. I'm Wylan." He said nervously.

"Marissa." She introduced. "It was nice to meet you, Wylan."

"Really? Strange." He mumbled, saying a quiet goodbye and he ran off.

She smiled, running off back up to the cavern. She might have found their explosion expert. Marissa started lighting up the candles to bring light into the darkness.

Marissa looked at a piece of the glass acting as a mirror. She removed the hood from her face and brought her hand to her face. She lightly touched the black scars across.

"Marissa." A quiet whisper.

Marissa whipped her head around at the voice. Nothing. But she knew that damned voice. She looked back at the mirror and let out a cough. She made a small, contained fire, warming herself up as she sat with her jacket wrapped around her shoulders.

A crust of dry blood surrounded her lips and near her hairline.

She had lived for centuries and she had never been sick, not like this. That meant one thing. And that one thing would haunt her until she faced it. For the first time in a very long time, Marissa's eyes started brimming with tears.

She wiped the underneath of her eyes the best she could. It was a sign of weakness: crying. She tried to stop it, but she could not control water.

Marissa knew exactly what all of this meant, and she hated it. She knew him all too well, she knew how he was, how he acted, how he thought, and how he could escape death. She had done it as well, many times, too many to count. Her insides were burning for her to say it, and her brain couldn't keep up with her mouth. It was all an impulse.

"Aleksander's alive." She whispered.

I know it's a short epilogue, but... now we're onto season 2! It's getting it's own book, being published as we speak!

Also! Her and Wylan meeting before the events of s2 >>> and her knowing Aleksander is alive!

Okay, bye!