1 | cardiac arrest [darkling]

twentyfive

GLARING AT THE FOLD AS IF IT would make it disappear, Nyx scoffs. They'd moved all the way back up to Novokribirsk in anticipation of crossing the Fold. They still had no plans, but at least now they were close enough to execute one as soon as they figured it out.

Standing alone on the field of grass, Nyx takes this time to try and think of a way to get three thousand men, as well as provisions, across the Fold. No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't think of one and she knew that David was busy doing the same.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" A voice breaks her thought process, and her whole body stiffens as she recognises the too familiar voice. One she had hope she wouldn't hear ever again. "We could have made the world ours with it."

"Maybe if you went after your sun summoner instead, you could." Nyx says as she turns around to face Aleksander, who chuckles softly. "How are you here?"

"I must say, you've outdone even my expectations. Sending the head of General Zlatan to the Grande Palace." He muses as he moves closer to her, but she only takes a step back.

"I'm glad you got my gift. Does it satisfy moi tsar?" She asks, making him tilt his head slightly in response.

"Come back with me and you can find out for yourself." He says, causing her to scoff as she shakes her head in disbelief.

"Saints. You're unbelievable. I bet that you were unable to get Alina to come back so now you're here for me." She says and he shakes his head in response.

"No. I've been trying to get to you and only you. I don't care about Alina. Not the way I care about you. When will you understand that?" He asks as he takes another step forward, but this time she doesn't back away.

"And I'm supposed to believe you? After all the manipulation and lies?" She asks in disbelief and he sighs, looking down in guilt.

"So, what? You're going to start a war?" He asks, turning his gaze in the direction of where her army is camped. She looks away, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Over things fickle as emotions?"

"Of course, you'd say that." She scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Your anger for me is only momentarily. Don't go down this path of self destruction." He says softly, turning to look at her and a frown settles on her features.  "Come back home. We can go back to normal."

"You know nothing of my anger. Do you know what it feels to have been by someone's side for most of your life, only to be replaced by someone who appears out of nowhere? I spend over seventy years by your side! And you chose someone you've known for a few months over me!" She exclaims as she turns to look at him, her eyes burning with anger. He stumbles back, shocked by all the anger in her eyes.

"No. It's always been you." He says, but it is clear that she doesn't believe. "The day I met you, I knew you had the potential to destroy armies, I just never imagined you'd come for mine."

"You should have thought of that before." She says through clenched teeth and she can see that his patience for her was slowly dropping.

"If you continue this way, I won't hold back and you know it. It won't matter how much I care for you, because my duty is to protect Ravka, even from you." He points out and she smirks.

"You make it sound like I'm the villain of the story." Nyx hums, making him raise an eyebrow. as he doesn't even try to deny it, she scoffs. "Fine. Make me your villain. After all, that's exactly what I'll be. Because I'll take everything from you."

"I'll see you on the battlefield." He snarls, before turning away and walking away.

"I can't wait to walk over every thing you hold dear." She calls out after him, before shadows engulf him and he vanishes her. When she feels certain that he left, she lets out a breath of relief.

Falling to her knees, she buries her face in her hands as she lets her body shake with each sob. Every second with him, she had felt like she was going to break. Feeling all her emotion build up in her, she lets out a scream to let go of all her pain. She couldn't allow herself to be weak in times like this, or ever. Being weak would be her downfall. She drops her hands to the floor ad grips on to the floor, clenching her fists around the grass. A cry of desperation escapes her lips as she tries to fold in her tears.

The day he had told her about his true plans with the Fold, comes to mind, making her cry out more. At first she'd been so afraid of the power he would hold, but as he whispered reassuring words in her ear, she had felt herself calm down. He had the gifted to her necklace that she had held dear. She had been young and naive, believing in his promises, but now she knew better.

She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself, before pushing herself up and rising on her feet. She turns around to face the Fold, closing her eyes as she takes in another deep breath, letting the wind sooth her. She tugs her hand into her left pocket and lets her fingers take hold of the necklace. Snapping her eyes open, she glances down at the necklace as she takes it out. Clenching her jaw, without second thought and using all her strength she throw the necklace away.

Wiping any traces of her tears, she turns away and makes her way back to camp. He wanted a war, she'd give him one. She'll have the last laugh at the end.