ACOTAR one shots, imagines and short stories

Torn Between Love and Fate (Azriel x OC) - Part 5

Word count:  5457

Characters: Azriel and Elara (OC)

Warning: Angst, angst, angst...

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Azriel stood at the edge of the clearing, his heart an unrelenting storm of uncertainty and longing. The late afternoon sun bathed the space in a soft, golden light, its serenity an affront to the chaos churning inside him. The clearing, once a sanctuary of peace, now felt too exposed, too open, for the magnitude of what was about to unfold. Every step had felt like it carried the weight of a decade, each moment pulling him closer to a decision that could shatter one life, perhaps both.

He had rehearsed this moment countless times, but now that it was here, all the words seemed to fail him. The choice that lingered over him like a sword—it was still there, sharper than ever, and every second felt like it was cutting deeper. He couldn't breathe, couldn't find the strength to move, as though the air itself was laden with the consequences he would soon set in motion.

Then, from the corner of his vision, he saw her. Elara.  Walking toward him with a grace that had always felt too natural for this world. Her silhouette, bathed in the soft hues of the Dawn Court—blues and golds that reflected her new life—only made his chest tighten. She was different now, yet the same woman who had held his heart for over a decade.

His breath caught painfully in his throat as memories surged back with overwhelming force: stolen moments of laughter, shared dreams whispered in the dark, and promises of peace. Each recollection was now stained with the bitter weight of what could have been—and the devastating potential of what he might shatter today. His pulse pounded furiously in his chest, a relentless drumbeat of anxiety. He was lost in a sea of doubt, unsure if he would make it through this moment—if either of them would.

As Elara walked toward him, her heart pounded so violently it felt as though it would shatter her ribcage. She had imagined this moment for a year, pictured it in a thousand different ways—each outcome different, each one tearing her apart in its own right. But nothing could have prepared her for the reality of seeing him again, for the flood of emotions that surged through her.

She reached him, her steps faltering as though she too felt the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. Her eyes met his, and in that single glance, a thousand unspoken words passed between them. The silence was unbearable, stretching out like an eternity, thick with unshed tears and unsaid truths.

"Elara," Azriel whispered, his voice rough and thick with emotion. Her name felt like a touch of home, yet it was tainted by the uncertainty that now hung between them.

She hesitated, her gaze dropping briefly to the ground before lifting to meet his. "Azriel." Her voice was soft, trembling—almost as though she feared speaking too loudly would break the fragile balance between them.

He swallowed hard, his throat tight with the weight of it all. He wanted to tell her how much he had missed her, how every day of this past year had felt like an eternity without her, but the words felt too dangerous. 

His gaze swept over her, lingering on the way she nervously twisted the hem of her sleeve—an old habit of hers, one he hadn't seen in so long. He remembered how she used to do that whenever she was anxious, whenever something was weighing on her mind. She was anxious now. That much was clear.

"You look..." he began but faltered, his throat tightening. He wanted to tell her she looked beautiful, that he had missed her every day, but the words felt too small for what he felt. "You look well," he finished, though it felt inadequate.