At the crest of the hill, a gun barrel gleamed in the dim light, pressed cold and unforgiving against Amena’s temple. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, her breath jagged, each gasp slicing into Ashar’s chest like a blade.
He stood rooted, boots sinking into the mud, his hands trembling in the air, helpless and desperate.
Then the moment fractured. The kidnapper’s foot slipped on the slick slope. The hill tilted beneath them, the mud giving way.
Time slowed. Amena’s eyes—wide, glassed with terror—locked onto his. She lunged forward, her hand clawing through the rain, fingers stretched in a silent scream for him to be her anchor.
Ashar lunged too. His muscles tore with effort, his fingers burning as they reached. For a single heartbeat, their fingertips touched. A spark. A whisper of warmth. A promise of togetherness.
And in that heartbeat, Ashar smiled—believing he had her. Believing he could hold on.But Amena saw the truth. His grip was too weak, his footing too fragile. If she clung to him, he would fall with her. Ashar saw the shift in her gaze. Her eyes softened, filled with a sudden, devastating sorrow. He realized it then—she knew. She knew his grip was too weak, his footing too fragile. If she clung to him, she wouldn't be saved; she would only pull him down into the darkness with her.
She looked at him one last time, smiled, then—she closed her eyes. And she let go.
The rain swallowed her, the hill claimed her.
Ashar watched in a state of paralyzing shock as she vanished. He remained frozen, his arm outstretched, the air where she had been feeling suddenly, impossibly cold. His Zuny was no longer there. She had chosen to save him, even as the world tore her away. Ashar’s cry was lost in the storm. He fell to his knees, the phantom of her touch burning against his skin.-----------If you love childhood sweethearts and pure angst, you need to check out The Billionaire’s Childhood Love. Don't worry, it has a happy ending❤️
