Page 150 of The Darkest Hour

I trembled against him. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

The Dark Moment

Havoc

Minutes had passed.

Eventually, we continued our search of the place and descended the grand staircase.

The oppressive weight of our twisted discoveries clung to me like a second skin.

And as we hit the first floor, the inescapable scent of death grew thicker, telling me that there were more bodies yet to find.

I should go check on them myself. She can’t deal with anymore.

The stench wasn’t just a physical presence; it was a shadow that grew darker with every breath I took, wrapping itself around my thoughts and tightening with the knowledge of our fate.

Silent, Onyx walked beside me. A few times, her steps faltered as if the ground beneath her feet was crumbling away.

I grabbed her hand to steady her.

She whispered, “Thank you. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

She was so used to being strong and independent. I could see that she was having difficulty with this new mode she was in.

Her eyes—once alive with the bright hope of escaping this island— now seemed distant.

I watched her, feeling the shift in her spirit like a knife slowly twisting in my gut.

The island and this opulent chateau would give us food, shelter, and the means to easily survive.

But it was also a gilded cage, and she was beginning to understand, as I already had, that this island might be our grave too—the last place we would ever live.

Last night, I had tried to prepare her, tried to lay bare the truth in the hope that she could find some solace in it.

But now, as I walked beside her, I could smell the sadness that radiated from her chest.

It was a bitter fragrance saturating her orange spice scent.

And it stung more than any wound I had ever received as an assassin.

What do I do?

I had spent my life in solitude, killing others and only caring for myself.

But now, with Onyx by my side, I was lost in the unfamiliar terrain of love and responsibility.

And, I had no map, no compass to guide me through this dark moment, no clear understanding of how to mend a soul breaking beneath the burden of truth.

What were her true wants?

Her needs?

How could I satisfy her as we remain stuck here?

I had no answer to any of those questions. All I knew was that I was falling in love with her, and that she had turned out to be a precious gift in this shitty life.

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