vic

They continued staring, waiting till they could feel a presence behind them, warm and welcoming, yet distant enough to have them longing for more. They knew he was here.

“I need it all to go away,” they said, barely loud enough for him to hear. They were met with no response, making them turn around to look at him. Standing there was a taller figure wearing a thick fur cloak, his eyes mirroring the night sky.

“Please, dad.” They continued, voice breaking. Their vision was blurry and their breathing shallow, if this didn't work they would have wasted a lot of venlophine for nothing. They were already running low. The figure looked back at them, near expressionless except for the hint of sadness that painted his face.

“You're still young,” he said, voice low.

“I can't do it anymore,” they pleaded, tears welling up in their eyes, the warmth a stark contrast to the cold weather. “I'm tired.”

He stepped closer to Almyr, parting his cloak to show his hands.

“Come here, child.”

They took a few steps towards him, their gait unsteady. They looked up at him as he raised his hand to wipe their tears, before gently caressing their cheek.

“Are you sure?” He asked quietly.

More tears welled up as Almyr nodded.

“Please,” they begged.

He raised his other hand, now both hands caressing their face. The northern lights continued to dance around as they stood there, waiting, giving Almyr the chance to change their mind. That change never came.

“Close your eyes,” He whispered, his tone comforting, warm.

Almyr obliged, closing their eyes tightly shut. The figure slowly moved his thumbs back and forth, a soothing motion to calm them down. Almyr relaxed, the caressing motions almost making them fall asleep, the anxiety leaving their body. They could feel a warmth flowing through their skin, penetrating deeper into their body, like standing by the fireplace after a cold winter's day. It was soothing, comforting, like a hug. It didn't last long, the warmth slowly getting hotter and hotter, before it became a searing white hot pain. It was unbearable, like their body was on fire. They opened their eyes, but found they couldn't see anything but bright light. They didn't know if they were screaming or not, having lost touch with their senses. The only thing left that they could feel was what felt like their body being ripped apart, atom by atom.

Waiting...

Waiting...