The frozen heart

Chapter 37: In the Midnight's Grasp

The night was quiet, the moon casting a soft silver glow over the castle's stone walls. Anne lay beside Kaiden, her breathing deep and even, finally able to relax in the silence. For the first time in days, she allowed herself a sliver of peace, trusting that he was resting beside her. The two of them shared the makeshift blanket bed on the cold floor, Kaiden's steady breathing a small comfort against the otherwise lonely night.

But when she woke hours later, her hand instinctively reaching out for him, her fingers brushed only empty fabric. She opened her eyes, heart pounding as she looked around the dim room. Kaiden was nowhere in sight. Panic surged through her. Where could he have gone?

She scrambled to her feet, throwing aside the blanket and rushing to the open doorway. The empty, darkened hall stared back at her, only deepening her worry. She was about to step into the hall when she heard a shuffling sound from down the corridor. She held her breath, heart pounding in her chest, waiting—and then she saw him.

Kaiden stumbled into view, his face pale under the moonlight streaming in through a high, broken window. In his arms was a sack, small but heavy-looking, which he carried with a strained grip. As he made it into the room, his knees buckled, and the sack fell from his hands, landing on the floor with a heavy thud as he collapsed beside it.

"Kaiden!" Anne's voice broke with fear as she rushed to him, her hands going to his shoulders, trying to steady him. "What were you thinking?" Her heart twisted as she saw the dark stain blooming across his bandages, the reopened wound now bleeding heavily.

Kaiden looked at her, his eyes glassy and unfocused, as he fought to stay upright. She guided him back to his feet, supporting him with as much strength as she could muster. Slowly, she led him down the hall to an old bedroom they hadn't yet used. He leaned heavily on her, and by the time they reached the bed, his breathing was shallow and labored. She helped him lie down, his head barely hitting the pillow before his body sagged in utter exhaustion.

Anne wasted no time. She tore the bandages away from his wound, her heart sinking as she took in the damage. The wound was wide open, and blood was pouring from it faster than she could stop it. Desperation filled her eyes as she looked down at him. "Kaiden, you have to use your ice," she said, her voice shaking. "Please, close the wound—use your ice magic!"

Kaiden's unfocused gaze moved to her, and he nodded faintly. With visible effort, he raised a trembling hand over the wound, and a faint shimmer of frost began to gather on his fingers. But the magic was weak, barely there at all. The ice that formed over the wound was thin, almost translucent, and seemed to melt as soon as it appeared.

Anne felt her heart sink. His ice magic had always been powerful—this should have been easy for him. She didn't understand what was happening, why his strength was failing him now, when he needed it most.

"Kaiden..." Her voice was a whisper as she steadied his hand, watching him struggle, his brows furrowing in determination even as his strength faded. Slowly, painstakingly, he managed to reinforce the ice enough to seal the wound, and the bleeding slowed, the frosty barrier stabilizing over the torn flesh. Anne quickly wrapped fresh bandages around his abdomen, securing them tightly, her hands shaking as she finished.

Just as she secured the final knot, Kaiden's head fell back against the pillow, his eyes slipping closed. His breathing grew shallow, his face ashen with fatigue.

Anne gripped his hand tightly, her own breathing shaky as she whispered, "Stay with me, Kaiden." But he had already lost consciousness again, leaving her sitting beside him, her heart pounding with fear.

Anne watched Kaiden's face closely, hoping to catch any sign of consciousness. It had been days again now, endless hours filled with changing his bandages, checking his fever, trying anything that might ease his pain. Each time she checked, his expression stayed the same—still, pale, his face carved in unyielding stone. Yet tonight, something was different. A flicker beneath his closed lids, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Her breath caught.