Heart of Ashes

Prologue

I don't understand. Why? Why do this to me? What did I ever do to you?

My anger simmers beneath the surface, silent but fierce, burning with a fury that threatens to consume me. I want to scream, but I'm trapped within the four walls of what was once my sanctuary- a prison of my own making, cold and empty like the stagnant energy inside me, festering, waiting. waiting for you. You knew you were going to take from me the moment you met me, didn't you? From the start, you played the innocent - charming, relatable, sweet-talking. You wove your lies with honeyed words, all while your true intentions lurked between the lines. You invaded, corrupted, searching for any weaknesses to exploit, anything that made me the perfect pawn in your twisted game. And when you had me exactly where you wanted, that is when you struck. In the dead of night.

We were young, reckless, lost in our own world of laughter, rebellion, and indulgence. Parties fueled by rich liquor and hazy drugs, flirtations that meant nothing but passed for fun. All for the thrill of being betrothed by one another. But that night never ended for me. I've been trapped in that memory, on autopilot, reliving scenes that should've faded but never did. I see now, almost four years later, the end credits rolling on a chapter that was never supposed to be. You had no place in my story. We were never meant to cross deeper paths like this. You were supposed to guide me, teach me, but even then, you tainted every lesson with ashes and lust.

Love. I've always been a person of love. You told me you loved me, and I believed you. I let you in. I gave you all of me, and I let myself love you back. But what you gave in return was something else entirely. You spoke of love and prosperity. But love shouldn't tear me down like this. It shouldn't leave me you feeling hollow and unworthy. You took what wasn't yours to take- my trust, my peace, my power--and you spun it into your own narrative. You took him from me, my true lover, in the name of love. How dare you?!

You fed off my light, you took every once of genuine love I gave and twisted it, just to serve your own ends. But at what cost? You pretended it was for us, for love, but you and I both know the truth. You are no mere thief. You are a Destroyer of love. In my world, where I am the Empress of Hearts, Queen of The Lust Ring. That is no small title. You played in my face, in my kingdom. I still remember the night I called you to say it was over, the way you cried and begged me to stay, tears full of lies and manipulation. But do you remember when you did the same to me? When I was left broken and burning while you stared, indifferent. What goes around comes back around. It is your turn now. The lease of your stay in my mind is up, and it's time for you to pack your things and leave. This love needs to die, to may way for another - one worthy of me, one true and untainted.