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Twenty years.
It has been twenty years since I lost my Summoner. My equal. Alina.
I was blinded by power. Blinded by my own desires. I never thought about other people suffering as long as I got what I wanted.
Alina changed me.
She made me feel like I was a human. Despite being hungry for power, I always had a soft spot for her.
She died inside my creation. She died inside my power. She died because I was greedy, merciless, unhuman. Had I not craved to expand my power, I would've had my Alina with me today. _______________________________________
"I can't hear a heartbeat General", Ivan's voice caught my attention.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NO HEARTBEAT", my voice sent shivers down everyone's spine.
Panic rushed in. Eyes wide, I took quick steps towards Alina.
"Alina...", his voice broke. No... That can't be....
"ALINA", I shouted.
"She's dead", the tracker replied. Mal.
"She's the future of Ravka. I suggest you keep your assessments to yourself tracker", I snapped. Mal visibly paled. I was too distraught to think straight righ now.
It took me some time to comprehend something I didn't want to believe. I had waited centuries for a Sun Summoner and now that I was so close to his mission, he failed. My mission to save the Grisha, all gone.
What was worse was the fact that I had developed feeling for the girl. Feelings I had forgotten ever existed. Feelings that made someone human, which people believed I was not. Looking at her face reminded me of his previous lover who just like this was snatched away from him. Luda.
Busy in my thoughts, he heard neither Ivan's call to him neither the tracker's scream when he plunged a dagger into his heart.
"I'll meet my sunshine now" were his last words. Sunshine. My sun in the darkness of my life.
I lost everything that day. My power. My greed. My inhuman character. My intentions. My friends. My Grisha, but most importantly: My Sun Summoner.
I will never have an equal again. And I will never develop feelings for anyone ever again, he vowed.
The news of the Sun Summoner dying inside the Fold had spreadlike wildfire through the entire Ravka. The preparations of Alina Starkov's funeral were complete.
The grounds were full of the cried and chants of the Ravkan citizens.
"Sankta Alina".
That was the only day everyone had seen an emotion act out of the Darkling in the form of a tear.
Even after the change in my heart, I completely shut myself down. I swore to himself that I'm going to destroy the Fold which killed my beloved. _______________________________________
The Grishas in the Palace are preparing for the Winter Fete. I have stopped going in them since that day. No reason for me to go. Everyone knows what I can do.
I've searched the entire Ravka for another Sun Summoner. Someone like her. But no luck.
My regret and guiltiness kills me everyday. I'm reminded of my greed for power. My greed to rule Ravka which resulted in me losing my most precious property.
She's now known as Sankta Alina who was killed inside the Fold along with her childhood lover Malyen Oretsev. And I'm known as the Darkling who still doesn't care for others as long as he gets what he wants. Even after my oath to myself that I will never be hungry for power again.
How to make people believe? _______________________________________
"General something unimaginable has happened in the skiff that was going to cross the Fold", Ivan exclaimed in between deep breaths.
"We found a new Sun Summoner?", I asked with a ray of hope. I knew it wouldn't be possible but miracles do occur.
"Someone rarer", he said. A look of surprise was evident on his face.
"Who?" I asked.
"A Krovopiytsa", he replied.
I stood still, a reaction of shock on my face. Krovopiytsas were Grishas that were killed even before I made the Fold. Every one of them were hunted and killed by the King's orders.
"Ivan, prepare an expedition to the skiff. I need to meet this Krovopiytsa".
