Bleeding Through the Veil of Scars

𝙴𝙿𝙸𝙻𝙾𝙶𝚄𝙴

The waves rolled in, crashing softly against the shore, their rhythm a steady contrast to the turmoil within me. 

I sat there, the sand cool beneath my fingertips, staring out at the endless horizon. 

This beach... it used to be a place of peace, a sanctuary where I could escape the chaos of our world, if only for a little while. 

Now, it was a reminder of everything I'd lost—everything I'd given up in the name of love.

Love. The word tasted bitter now, as if it were something foreign to me, something I could no longer grasp. 

I had never lost a battle before—not one that mattered, not one that defined who I was. 

But this... this was different. I had lost the battle of love, and in doing so, I had lost myself. 

How could I have been so blind? 

How could I have let something so powerful, so consuming, lead me to my downfall?

If it hadn't been for Lucien...

My chest tightened at the thought of him, at the memory of the way he looked at me, the way his eyes hardened with disbelief and anger. 

How could someone I cared for so deeply, someone I had fought for, turn against me so easily? 

For years, I had been a warrior, a strategist, someone who could see through any deception, any lie. 

But for him—for his happiness—I had let my guard down. 

I had let a serpent into our home, disguised as a friend, all because I thought it would make him happy.

Eleanor. The name alone sent a chill down my spine. 

I had brought her into our lives, convinced myself that she was harmless, that she could be trusted. 

But trust is a dangerous thing, especially when it's misplaced. 

And I had misplaced it so terribly. Lucien's happiness had been my only goal, my only desire. 

I wanted to protect him, to keep him safe, to make sure that nothing could ever hurt him. 

But in doing so, I had brought the enemy into our midst. I had set the stage for our destruction.

And now, here I was, sitting alone on this beach, the one place that once held so many memories, now tainted by the sting of betrayal. 

The waves whispered to me, their gentle murmurings mixing with the haunting echoes of the past. 

This place had once been ours, a haven where we could forget, if only for a moment, who we were and the lives we led. 

But now, it was just a reminder of everything I could never have.

I had lost him. The realization hit me with the force of a tidal wave, crashing over me, pulling me under.