he can hear her again , and his heart is racing inside his chest , beats strong enough that they could break through his ribs . . . he wants to be with her , god the last thing he wants is to lose her , wishes to be with her. he loves her goddammit , heart broken as he witnessed her death . . . he can’t shake the image. though it’s her voice , and it’s ringing in his ears , telling him that they could be together again , that she knew where he was taking her - his digits only gripping anastasia’s frame even stronger , pulling her closer to himself as heart continued to jump inside his chest. the nickname however , it’s something only she would call him - no one else ever addressed him like that , the affectionate name , making him fall to his knees. “ whoever you are , whatever you do just - please don’t hurt her. she’s suffered enough. ” he cried , his voice cracking as he finally broke - he’s not talked to anyone since it happened , avoided any kind of interaction. his people had noticed , that something was awfully wrong with the human , that he was losing his fucking mind - that he couldn’t function without her , knowing that she was d e a d , that she would never return . . . all mason can do is hurt , hope that she’s in a better place. he holds onto her , arms wrapped around anastasia’s frame as he held her close , swallowing the lump in his throat as he hoped for this go be the right thing to do , for anastasia to not get hurt once again , so finally he places her down - back resting on a bed of flowers , but his hand is gripping her own , the other one resting upon her shoulders. she would’ve survived if they had left their town , if they had escaped and made the decision of hiding away before the war. if they had been selfish for once in their lives . . . it would’ve saved her. they could’ve found their safe heaven. his thumb brushes over the ring he’d given her , still hugging her finger. it’ll serve as a symbol of his unconditional love , as a symbol that he’ll always fight to avenge her death , that he’ll get rid of the monster who’d done this to her , the monster who’d hurt his dear anastasia. maybe it was really her that tried to talk to him , that was trying to communicate through the tormenting of the banshees , but he just hopes it’s the case , that he can talk to her again , apologise for allowing her to get hurt. he should’ve fought harder. a single glance away . . . it had been enough for her to die. “ if it’s you , anastasia . . . ” he breathed , voice shaking as eyes squeezed shut. “ i wish it had been me who got hurt , i wish to be in your place. ” and he’s speaking his heart out , isn’t sure if he’ll get to talk to her again , doesn’t understand why he’s been asked to place her down , but he does it regardless , hopes it’s really her.
she remembers it all, from the moment she’d gone out there with the intent of getting rid of those who had come with the intent of harming them, knew she wouldn’t let them get past the walls and destroy their home ... she knew she had to do all she could that day, but she’d lost control, watched those around her who she’d grown to know getting wiped out by this scourge and she once her eyes locked on the man responsible for it all she knew it was him she had to get to. she pushed through the forces, something which came easy to her from all the training she’d endured but it wasn’t enough once she came face to face with him. he had been quick to make it clear how powerful he was, how he was going to take this place for his own, tormented her about it and it had resulted in him ending it all for her. she’d pleaded for a clean death, one she felt she deserved but he severed her soul from her body and she was left to be a mindless soul to aid him, now in control of her. she watched everything go down, the advances they made and all she could do was watch without being able to do anything, she no longer was her own person and it had been that way for a long time. it wasn’t until things started to get rocky that she got her free will back, was able to gain followers who she knew would help and that’s when things started to change. she got what she wished, overrun him and got what she believed he deserved after everything he’d put her and others through and from there on out her only quest had been to find her body. she’d gathered others like her who she knew had the power to put her back into her body but now all she needed was for Mason to listen. it was weird seeing him, sure, at one point she felt she was never going to see him again but now she can only hope he doesn’t push her away, that he accepts her for what she now will be. she felt she still needed him by her side, even after everything that had happened to her, no matter how much she hated the world she’d always have a soft spot for him. his words, however, they hurt her more than she expected ... she’d never want him to be in her place, not after everything she’d been through. ❛ I don’t. I’m glad you were safe, that you got out. I did what needed to be done, I pushed them back as much as I could to give the rest of you time. ❜ but now, her attention is focused upon the sisters around her and she gives a nod in regards to them starting this transition. they had harnessed the dark magic, far better than anyone before and she had been brought in on it all, knew exactly what needed to be done. it starts, fails to warn him about how loud the banshee’s might get but she’s far more concentrated on her part ... it takes a couple of minutes for her to connect to her own body and when it does there’s a considerable change in her look, her skin changing colour and becoming a little bit more transparent. eyes do, however, fly open to show a redness within them and everything feels different for her, to finally have a body again. ❛ Mason? ❜ her voice sounds different, deeper, what she believed had a lot more power behind it. she knew this was a new start, knew she’d build a life for her and her people again.