What are you fighting for?

15. The End

It's over. The month is over and the two separated to prepare for the show down in the circle.

While Adyn only has to await his sentence, Zana has to make a choice. But from the beginning she had a plan, and so did Adyn.

She returned to the city, which is just a ruin now. The headquarter no more than a ragged pile of rubble. For quite some time she searched for her gun, hoping with the passing time it would come clear to her what she should do.

Adyn decided to go for a walk in the forest although you could hardly call it that anymore. The trees that didn't crumble down are now only beams of wood, blackened and charred from where the flames had licked at them. 
Nothing had escaped the fire and he thought of it as a fitting metaphor for his time here.

After Zana had found her gun, she sat down on the floor, letting her fingers glide over the trigger. All those memories come flying back to her.

Memories of Elualie sitting at the long table all by her self, trying to figure out their next move and how to outsmart the others. But then she jumped out of that window and the soft, diplomatic and kind but stubborn woman was gone.

Memories of Kaiora and her fiery red hair walking from room to room, lighting up every place she goes with her caring character. But she was naive and walked right into the bomb.
Just when Merce betrayed them.

Memories of Keon, training and fighting next to her but at the end of the day the two would sit in that window, looking over the arena.
His dimples giving away the charm, wit and sentimentality within.

They are probably watching right now, sitting in front of a screen, looking at her. How she sits here just like the day she got elected. Zana was never scared about entering the arena but after her name was announced she sat on the stoop of her house for a while, just thinking.

What were they thinking right now?
Why is she so torn? Isn't it clear what she has to do? Why is she hesitating?
Maybe because her whole world got turned upside down.

These painful memories, they're just the same as nightmares. They vanish when she's awake, when she's really right there in the present moment. But once Zana closes her eyes she sees her team.

Determined, she pushes herself off the ground, tucks the gun into her belt, dusts the ashes off her clothes and starts walking. Her destination: the circle.

The air is sweet and the breeze cool, a perfect day. At the other end of this walk Adyn awaits her, ready to fulfill his promise. But what if it's a trap and he never planned on letting her choose the ending to this game.
A little bit of rage flames inside her.

Zanas hands glide over the door, resting on it as she takes a deep breath, then she pushes and steps into the circle. Her head rises and she sees Adyn standing in the middle, no weapons, no tricks, just him. His tall figure in those dark clothes.

Slowly, Zanas hand slides over her belt until she reaches the gun.

The day she had been dreading is here. Everything hinges on what she does now, and once done it can never be undone. Zana couldn't think straight this morning, putting her gun in the wrong pocket and then panicking when she couldn't find it. 

But now everything seems clear and with upmost confidence the dark haired girl pulls out the gun.

Click

And it's loaded.

Now she just has to get to the middle, right where keon died, right where Adyn is standing now. She hates how much of an impact he has on her, putting her in this position.

Step after step her confidence grows. The gun in her hand, aimed at his heart. This is what she is good at, this is what she's supposed to do.

The closer Zana gets, the better she sees his expression. No surprise, there is no trace of fear in his face. Adyn was not easily scared and if he was, he probably wouldn't let it show.

The footsteps stop. The gun pressed against his chest.
Something flashed beneath the surface of his hardened expression and Zana hurried to investigate the sudden shift. It was too late, the emotion disappeared before she could identify it, like reaching desperately for an escaped balloon; the string dangling so tantalizingly close but the wind pushed it away and it's lost forever.

What was it? A feeling of surprise, disappointment, fear, anger?

The blue eyed girl grits her teeth in an attempt to regain composure. This couldn't throw her off. Still, she was not shivering nor sweating, although her insides got stirred up more and more with every second passing.

Adyn doesn't move, not an inch, not even when Zana pressed her gun against his shirt, right at his sternum.
His legs shoulder width, his hands meeting behind his back.

Just now Zana dares to look up into his eyes. In your eyes is your humanity, the person you really are. There are times it gets lost, when you forget who you really are, when you fight, blinded by superficial goals.
But when she now looks into his brown eyes, his eyes are so different in moments like these, more soft than she knew eyes could be, especially his.

With a weak whimper, her arms fall down and the gun lands on the dirty ground. Zana, laying in Adyns arms, lips pressed against his, arms around his neck.
She feels his body loosen and arms touch her shoulders.

He kissed her and the world fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. His hand rested below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. She ran her fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them and she could feel the beating of his heart against her chest.

The perfect kiss, eyes closed, his hand behind her head, her hand on his chest.
Zanas eyes open suddenly as she draws a sharp breath. Adyns eyes open as well, looking down on the girl in his arms. For a moment neither moves.

Zana has stopped breathing, because the pain hinders breathing like an instinct. It feels like sharp needles, blossoming from her chest and expanding through her entire body.
Slowly she starts dissolving into light blue pixels.

Adyns hand still on the hilt of the dagger he just lodged in Zanas heart.