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FIFTEEN, Memories are punishment
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THE FIRST TIME Himari opens her eyes, they barely flutter open. It's a struggle— but not with sleep. It's with the poison coursing through her veins making each breath she drew in feel like shards of glass in her lungs. Her lips were cracked and dry, desperately in need of moisture, and when she tried to swallow the saliva pooling in her mouth, a sharp hiss of pain escaped her.
She shifted uncomfortably, only to realize that she was tied down to a wooden chair, chains wrapped securely around her arms and feet to keep them in place— to keep her in place as if she could muster up enough strength to move on her own. Her bones felt stiff, like rusted metal, and her entire body was so sore, almost like a seasonal fever that wouldn't go away.
Panic began to set in and Himari's eyes darted around the dark cell, the realization sinking in that she was being held like some prisoner. She struggled against the chains, but it was futile and she knew it. She had no strength left and if she ever had any, it was long drained.
It was cold. She was freezing in this cellar. She had been so used to being warm all the time— she didn't need to think about it— but now all she could focus on was the way her body shivered and her teeth chattered. She tried to reach for her necklace, searching for some sort of reassurance that her powers hadn't been drained completely, but her attempt was ceased by the chains.
She let out an exasperated sigh, her breath shaky and uneven.
For a moment, it was hard to remember how she ended up here. Her memory was a blur of images, impossible to piece together without a headache forming. And maybe, it was for the better that she didn't.
But then her head fell back, now resting on the top rail of the chair, forcing her gaze to shift to the body lying on the ground next to her.
It was Elijah's body.
He had a dagger in his heart, his clothes were ruined, and his skin had fully turned grey. Completely desiccated. Something hurt in her seeing him in such a state. She didn't wish for him to be in that position ever.
