in the arms of scarlet silence by Nezalia Wahid

And she Died

The washroom offered solace from the harsh world outside, a haven of quiet amidst the biting cold. Rosie stood alone, her breath forming delicate clouds in the frosty air as she gently traced the fractured lines of the mirror before her.

Outside, Zephyr's frantic attempts to breach the locked door reverberated through the empty hallway, his fists beating a desperate rhythm against the unforgiving wood. "Rosie, please!" he implored, his voice thick with emotion. "Let me in!"

But Rosie remained silent, her focus fixed on the fragmented reflection before her, a shard of mirror clutched delicately in her trembling hand. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, mingling with the wisps of mist that escaped her parted lips.

Zephyr's heart clenched with dread and despair as he continued his futile assault on the door, his knuckles bruised and bloodied from the effort. "Rosie, please reconsider!" he pleaded, his voice filled with anguish.

But Rosie's response was a gentle smile, a melancholy echo of the pain etched on her face. "I'm sorry, Zephyr," she murmured softly. "There's no other path for me."

Zephyr felt his heart shatter at her words, a tidal wave of desperation crashing over him as he realized the depth of her despair. "No, Rosie, please don't give up."

But Rosie's smile only grew, a poignant reflection of the anguish etched in her eyes. With trembling hands, she pressed the sharp edge of the mirror against her skin, a single tear glistening on her cheek as she drew it across her flesh. Pain and relief mingled as the ruby droplets fell to the floor, intermingling with the fractured shards of glass.

And then, in a haze of fading consciousness, Rosie crumpled to the cold tiles beneath her, the world fading to black as the door finally splintered open behind her.

As Zephyr rushed toward her and knelt beside Rosie, his heart shattered into a million pieces at the sight before him. She lay there, her body battered and broken, covered in a shroud of crimson that stained the once pristine tiles of the washroom floor. Her eyes, still open but vacant, held a haunting emptiness that chilled him to the core.

With trembling hands, Zephyr reached out to touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips. But as he cradled her fragile form in his hands, all he found was coldness, a stark reminder of the life that had slipped away from her grasp.

Her body was limp, covered in blood, her skin pale against the crimson stains that marred her clothes. Desperately, he pressed his hand against her vein, trying to stem the flow of blood, but it was futile. She was slipping away, and he couldn't stop it.

As she lay there, her tears mingling with the blood that stained her cheeks, she reached out a trembling hand and cupped Zephyr's face in her palm. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely a whisper amidst the chaos of their shattered world. "I wish things could have been different."

Her touch was gentle, a fleeting caress against his skin, but it carried the weight of a thousand unspoken regrets. In that moment, amidst the pain and the grief, there was a silent understanding between them—a shared longing for a reality that would never be.

Her eyes filled with sadness and regret. "I'm sorry," she again murmured softly, her voice barely a whisper. And then, with a final exhale, her eyes closed, and a peaceful stillness settled over her.

And as he watched helplessly, the world around them faded into darkness, leaving only the echo of their shared sorrow in the cold, empty air.

"No, no, no," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Please, don't leave me. Please, stay with me." His cries echoed through the silent room as he gently shook her, hoping against hope that she would wake up. But she remained still, her body growing cold in his arms.

"Why?" he sobbed, his voice breaking with grief. "Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't I save you?"

In the end, they were two souls bound by fate, torn apart by the cruel hand of destiny. And as her eyelids fluttered closed for the final time, a single tear slipped down Zephyr's cheek, a silent tribute to the love that had been lost.