deadly sun, edward cullen.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀iv. slow healing.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

♥︎ 𐀔ʾʾ

Gwendolyn, after another weekly dinner with the inner circle, found herself standing off of the crowd, watching as they huddled together in the living room. Shenny was nursing a cup of whiskey that Eryn had broken out, Tomi sat on the floor with Lehada and Rêve, who had begun to make themselves bracelets out of some thread Lehada had brought over to dinner. Edward sat back with Rosalie, who had made her very first appearance since the death of Emmett. Everyone had been overjoyed to welcome her back, and though Gwendolyn had been warmed inside at the sight of her friends so happy, it had only confirmed her theory even more deeply. It was like she had never existed. Like once someone else showed up, Gwendolyn disappeared and faded into the wall.

Eryn stayed back with her, leaning onto the wall that separated the dining room and living room, sipping softly on his own cup of Whiskey.

"A penny for your thought?" Eryn asked suddenly, breaking the quiet mercy that had fallen upon the two of them.

"I am thinking.." she drifted off. What had she been thinking about? It felt as if she had not been thinking at all, these days. She turned towards him, her right shoulder squished underneath her weight slightly. He did the same, and his dark eyes transformed into a beast of care and softness.

"I am thinking that I could have destroyed this world, with the force I am using to hang onto life— onto myself." She paused. Stared out at the crowding around the hearth overhead. "I am thinking that I am nothing but a half-wild thing, a museum of moments I despise."

His hand cupped her cheek, but she recoiled from him in an instant. "You are so quiet." He announced, as if scolding her for it. "You cannot blame me for forgetting that you are suffering."

She frowned for a moment— but let her face loosen again. It hurt to move, her head was pounding, and furrowing her brows made it feel ten times worse.

She burned, she froze— she had never been warm a day in her life. She was rigid ; had forgotten softness because in a world like this one.. Softness did not serve her. Gentleness was never going to win.

To be lucid, to know that he was twisting a knife deep into her, and to not let go.. was it killing herself? Was it dooming her existence?

He was her doom, she knew that. She was his. Together... it would be to affront the gods to get together again after they had been punished again and again for it.

"Have you not healed?" He asked, monitoring her hateful eyes.

She pondered on the question. Healed. As if it were a mere wound. As if she had not died and come back to life.

But— she did feel strange, if not healed. She thought she might never get used to being alive still, of having been turned into this.. winged thing. It was a mystery to her and everyone else. Sometimes, when she awoke in the middle of the night sweating bullets, even she was startled to feel her own heart beating.

So, perhaps she had not healed. Perhaps she never would. But maybe one day she'd grow used to this body. It was hope enough, wasn't it? To get used to it?

She was unusual. Tragic.. but living. A breathing, living thing.

"No." She muttered. "I don't think I ever will."

His eyes dimmed. "Let me help you, starlight."

The nickname stirred an ancient, dark beast inside of her. Something that was not hers, even though, deep in her soul, she felt it open an eye.

She shook her head, leaning back into her back as she thought to herself.

Gwendolyn thought about how she was beyond saving, and then closed her eyes as her wings rustled behind her, closing against the wall.