Ava took her first breath.

Pure oxygen filled her lungs and it was exhilarating. She craved it, a new way of taking in the environment. Her sense of smell heightened, colluding with the scent of blood. But there were more humans than Prim.

She opened her eyes for the first time.

The Bō sat in her gloved hand. It was different—charged and alive. A surge of power flexed through her fingertips all the way to her soul, vibrated in harmonization with her steady heartbeat. The colors changed. Although the Bō was still black, its darkness was menacing, flowing with this new sensation that was a terrifying storm.

A laser whisked by Ava and exploded the dirt nearby. She neither flinched nor moved. She kept her focus on this intense feeling pushing its way through her veins. Shocks erupted at the core of her stomach, feeding her a new surplus of energy. There was so much compared to before. There was so much it felt like it’d never run out. An unlimited supply, more than what should be humanly possible. Powerful.

Someone called Ava’s name, but it sounded so far away compared to everything else. Everything magnified. The battle cry of the weapons resounded through the air. The intense motors from a spaceship as it loaded its canons for another attack. And the screams of Earth, they filled her with such sorrow it broke her heart.

The crust shook beneath her boots. Dirt exploded into the sky. Ripples struck across the plains. The shimmer of a barrier wall reflected itself off the sun’s rays and displayed a rainbow effect of colors she never noticed before. Her senses were on overdrive. She could only focus on one thing at a time.

“Ava! Snap out of it!”

Her focus closed in. Darious held a pure white staff. It etched symbols across the dirt, creating this barrier that held them captive together—no, this one protected them.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep them off,” he said with surprising calmness. “I’d use my sword, but then I can’t use the barrier. Seeing as everyone else is preoccupied at the moment, this leaves you and me to deal with this situation.”

Like a telescope, her eyes readjusted once more. High in the sky a white Primordial Warship hovered in midair. Heat radiated off the metal laser guns, red hot rims circled the barrels from the last attack, and they were ready to strike again.

It wasn’t as big as Zephyrus’ ship, but what made this ship threatening were the weapons and mass cargo stored inside. There were enough supplies to take down the Capitol, and maybe another city after theirs.

Ava briefly took in her surroundings. There was no Marc, no Mom and Gio. Just Josh standing by, deeply engrossed in conversation with his wristwatch. Sam crouched by Mika’s side. He laid on the grass, eyes closed, hands twined over his chest as if he were dead.

She stepped towards him, Darious cut her off. “Ava, he’ll be fine. But I don’t know for how much longer if we don’t act quick.”

He’s right. I need to get a hold of myself. Focus.

She gripped the Bō and focused all her energy on one thing. It didn’t take long for the shakes and trembles to surface. She was pissed. She was so angry. Nothing could stop her. Nothing could calm her. There was only one thing on her mind. I will kill Marc.

As if the Bō read her mind, it morphed into an archer’s bow. The black metal bent in waves like an alto clef. She drew out an arrow filled with energy from her body, a mere drop from the sea. I’m in control.

Ava anchored her foot on the boulder lodged into the crust and aimed for the sky. A scope appeared before her right eye, displaying her intended target at a distance where they assumed Ava couldn’t reach. They were wrong. She’d show the gods they couldn’t hide from her any longer. With this bow as her instrument and this arrow as her song, she’d send them a message they’d never forget.

The arrow released from her fingertips.

Its song soared brilliantly through the sky. Its energy flew past the guns, hit straight through one of the ship’s engines, and pushed its way out like a lightning bolt. The arrow soared higher, pierced through a pillow of clouds, broke the sound barrier. It reached Earth’s atmosphere and hit the red ship cloaked in stars.

“You missed,” Josh stated. “How the hell do you miss a ship right in front of you!”

“That’s not who I was aiming at,” Ava said, lowering the bow. “Where’s Marc?”

Josh’s wristwatch blared out the warning alarm system. He furrowed his eyebrows. “Mars ship? Is this the ship you were talking about?”

“Yes, and I’m certain Zephyrus is on that ship.”

It made little sense for him to risk his life by coming down here on a Primordial Warship. He’d want to be at a safe distance where he could observe.

“Now, where is Marc?” The anger still boiled inside.

Josh cursed under his breath and went back to directing orders and talking to the wristwatch. Darious looked back for the first time. Ava didn’t miss the way he gazed at her face with awe before speaking. “Marc escaped. Josh notified Gregori and now everyone is searching for Marc. They are also collecting the transporting devices so it will be difficult for him to leave Earth.”

Difficult but not impossible.

After hearing this, Ava used her sixth sense to find him. The range covered more than before. She felt everyone present in the city and those nearby. It took more energy to cover the entire Capitol, but it was well worth it. She’d find him and she’d kill him.

“And my mom?” she asked, spotting her seconds later.

“Gio took her to a healer. But when we informed Gregori about you, he told us to keep you both here.” He glanced over at the still preoccupied Josh. “You’ve been unconscious for twenty minutes. What exactly happened while you were asleep?”

The Warship’s gun lowered, retreating into itself like other ships were doing. The Prim were all leaving, Josh kept saying. Ava shook Zephyrus to the core and forced him to flee. It didn’t matter. Ava would still find him. Run like the coward you are.

Like a ping, this familiar sensation drew her in. “I found Marc.”

Again, the Bō shifted in her hand without her guidance and a sword sat in her palm. Seventh Sin—a weapon that made any immortal being mortal with a single stab through the heart. It required an enormous amount of energy use. It was the sole reason Ava lost control of herself. It was the weapon she used to kill her best friend, Junipea.

But now, I am in control.

She had no fear. It’d been two years since she last saw it, and just like back then, it was still breathtaking. With its exposed ball of energy centered at the hilt, it was held in place by black branches weaving across a blade full of stars. And like other swords, it was simple in its own way, with a straight cut and a slight curve towards the tip.

A tip that will soon be plunged straight into Marc’s chest.

With that thought in mind, Ava took off, leaving Darious’ barrier behind. She glided above the Earth’s crust, and went towards the city and fleeing vehicle pods. Their actions and movements were like flashing specks. She easily dodged every single one as she zipped through the empty field and entered what remained of the battleground.

While most ran, some Prim continued fighting over the fallen soldiers. Each opponent stepped over the bodies of mixed white and black uniforms. The streets were painted in marigold and red blood. The same color showed on everyone’s face as hate screwed through each strike of their blade.

Three Prim attacked Ava when she passed by. She dodged their swords, cutting them down, until she came across large chunks of buildings in the street. She hopped onto one, pushed herself up into the sky and onto the flat rooftops. Under her quick footing, Ava jumped from building to building. Some Prim were still persistent, casting their abilities at her until they were taken down by a fellow human’s sword.

Smoke billowed from across the cityscape, but the Capitol building had hit the most damage with the east wing missing under collapsed rubble. Ava hopped off the last building and landed in a tree. She swung from branch to branch until she landed safely on the Earth.

By the time she entered the forest and reached their old rooms, the fighting had seized in the distance. Cicadas sang as the sun set. She focused all her energy on Marc, making sure he hadn’t run away yet, and followed the path through the garden.

Ava stopped outside her bedroom window and watched him rummage under her old bed. Marc looked just the same, perfect hair with tidy clothing as if the fight never happened. As if he never betrayed her and they had gone back in time.

He pulled out a transporter device and cursed under his breath. It must be dead. It shouldn’t even be there. Out of all the things she hid in her room, that was not one of them. He could’ve easily taken Ava in her sleep. That alone terrified her.

With the handle gripped in her hands, she sliced the window down in two swift movements. The thick glass broke apart at the middle of the X, and shook the Earth when it crashed before her boots. Ava stepped through the hole. Marc stood there, watching, waiting, with a hand on his sword.

Marc shook his head slightly. “You could have saved the energy and slipped inside through the door, instead of destroying part of your room.”

Her grip tightened on the handle of her sword as she stepped closer. Fresh blood flooded the air, it seeped under the door, running across the marbled tile. So he set up a trap.

Marc chuckled under his breath. “You really surprised me, you know? I never would’ve guessed you’d fall for Mika, my own cousin—No,” he shook his head, “the god of death. How ironic he was there the entire time.”

He threw the transporter on the ground. It broke into pieces, making it useless now even with a charge. She kept calm and tried not to flinch. Ava wouldn’t let the fear consume this anger. She prepared herself to fight, and Marc took notice.

“Do you really think you have what it takes to kill me?” He gripped the sword on his back, both hands were ready now.

“I think you need to be more worried about yourself.”

Ava moved first. Their blades clashed. His calm demeanor did little to threaten her. Instead, pushed her forward in this fight. They broke off. His long sword clashed with hers again, then he whipped out the short sword from his waist.

The tip sliced by her chest. Ava dodged at the last second, but like the perfect man he was, he followed her every move. Using the tip of his short sword, he continuously stabbed at her. She flawlessly dodged each attack until her back hit the bed. She tumbled when his sword cut the air. He nearly took her neck.

Through uneasy breaths, Ava balanced the mattress and dirtied the sheets with her muddy boots. She covered her front in defense. “I see you're ready to kill me now with your bare hands,” she sneered. “Or are you going to use koto to do your dirty work, again?”

“Distracting me won’t work.” Marc vanished, reappearing behind.

She crashed with his long sword, her other hand caught his short blade. It cut through her glove and into her skin. The pain was bearable. She knew she’d draw blood from this fight. This was only to be expected against a Crown Prince—from the one who trained her.

She kicked him back, his short sword still in her grip. Marc slammed into the wall with a groan. With his sword in her hand, she plunged it towards him. He dodged the blade, and it stabbed the wall instead. But in his efforts to run, he slipped on the puddle of blood and fell to the marble floor.

Ava was on top of him in a matter of seconds. The tip of her sword stabbed into his blade. “The perfect prince is not so perfect after all.”

A snide smile played on his lips. “You were supposed to forget about this.”

“I’ll never forget what you’ve done.” Her voice shook. “You choked me.”

“I showed you kindness!”

“You killed me!”

Nasty dark vines squished her back against the door. Marc ran out of the room and into the garden, summoning his short sword back into his hand. Pissed, she ripped the vines off and ran after him.

As he headed towards the hilltop, Ava slammed her palm on the cool grass. The crust shifted beneath her weight, zipped through the dirt. It moved the hilltop into higher waves, and crashed on top of Marc, shaking the Earth in its madness. But knowing him, he’s still alive and well.

Black vines broke through the rumble, an evil flower bloomed open. He flung pieces of rock across the way. One large chunk headed straight for her. She sliced it in half so fast the moment the rock split in two she was blinded by dust.

Marc appeared, both swords aimed at her neck. Their blades clashed, riveting shock waves from their hands to their feet. Ava gripped near the tip of her blade to steady herself against his super strength. Boots dug into the ground, dirt broke under her heels. The sweet taste of blood diluted her tongue.

Strands fell out of place. His face contorted the further he pushed his swords against hers. It only served to create this evil image of himself, scarring Ava’s mind further. I can’t believe I ever fell for this man.

Metal screeched when she slid the blade up his. They broke apart, distancing themselves to circle one another. Ava watched his every step as Marc trailed after hers. Sweat threatened to cover her eyes, her breathing shallowed. Energy was lower than expected. She used too much at once. At least Marc looked worse off. Out of breath, he hunched over.

The stars are on my side tonight.

After wiping the sweat away, she took a deep, easy breath, and let the winter air flush her burning throat. It left her mouth in a fog. With the sun setting completely in the background, it left them under the soft glow of the moonlight.

Winter flowers bloomed drops of sunlight into the air. They paved a path through the darkness to Marc. The gift they always enjoyed together. A gift so beautiful, Ava never thought would help her kill him one day.

A stray tear slipped off her cheek from the memory he had now tainted. It was warm and only reminded her of his heat. It hurt so much. Why did it have to be Marc?

“This is why you’ll always be weak,” he said. “You let your feelings get in the way.”

That brought Ava back to her senses. She gripped the handle of her sword tighter and attacked. When he thought she was going for his front, she spun to the side and wounded his arm. He flinched, stopping her sword with a blade.

Their speed picked up. Swords clashed. Each strike vibrated down her arms, and each time, they both stayed in sync, following the other’s steps. They were caught in a fiery dance.

The fire extinguished the instant he drew out the koto word for ice in the air. Forming an open circle with his hand, he blew out ice shards. His mouth became its own personal pressure gun. The sword shifted back into its Bō form.

Ice shards hit the Bō as Ava twirled it around. She blocked their pointy ends until a few slipped passed. One slit her cheek. Blood ran off her jaw. Its coolness took her by surprise and how there was no smell.

Marc disappeared from her line of sight. Ava picked him up—behind her. She blocked his swords, but was thrown back. She flew across the grass, knocking into rocks and plants. She skidded to a halt, her boots dug into a flower bed’s soil.

Everywhere stung and muscles ached. Her cheeks healed from the new wounds, but she didn’t have time to recover. The second she stood he was right in front of her. His blades sliced towards her neck. She dodged. He cut down a nearby tree. Its beautiful old trunk crashed between them. The Earth quaked and quaked past the point a tree should make as if the planet cried out in pain.

Ava drew the Bō back to her side and crouched. The seventh weapon appeared in her palm. Like an extension of herself, the blade followed Ava, watching Marc hopped down from the fallen trunk. He sheathed the short sword as his long sword hid in the shadows.

The planet stilled. Silence met the garden as snowflakes fell across the meadow. Not even the twigs held steady against this noiseless rustle. It was just them. Ava against Marc. In the place where they first met.

It’s time to end this.

She feigned a step. He fell for it and attacked first. His sword struck, stabbing forward—one, two. Ava blocked it, stepping back each time he came at her until her back hit a tree. His blade stabbed straight into its trunk by her neck.

With quick motions, Ava struck at his back. He dodged and yanked his sword out of the trunk. Marc consistently stepped towards her, stabbing and slicing his blade through the air near her neck. He was ready to end this as well. She blocked his blade each time, but she wasn’t sure how long she could keep this fast pace up.

Marc unsheathed his short sword, swung at her legs. Hopping over his blade, Ava landed crouched on the grass and sliced her blade towards his ankles. His feet were quick to move away, but he forgot the most important part.

I am in control.

She slammed her palm onto the dampened dead leaves. Tree roots sprouted from the Earth, tripping him in his effortless escape. The moment he fell, Ava ran towards him. He reached for his short sword. She summoned his sword to her side, and in swift movements, stabbed the tip into his shoulder blade.

A painful cry bellowed from the deepest part of his lung capacity. He sounded like a dying animal. And she realized, in this moment, this was the first time she’d stabbed him.

Amid his devastation, Marc summoned his long sword, but he was too slow. Ava snatched the sword from him when it appeared, and stabbed it into his thigh, digging and twisting it further in so the pain lasted longer.

Agonizing defeats left his lips. Maroon blood dribbled off his chin. He grabbed her boot. She pressed further into his stomach.

There was no way out. He was a pinned butterfly, struggling to get free, but it was a fruitless endeavor. He barely had any energy left. His Ama eyes couldn't hide from the world. The cosmos glimmered back at her as tears ran off his pale cheeks. The same eyes she once thought were beautiful. I'll turn them into a dying star.

Moonlight glistened off the point of her dark, starry blade. Its point hovered threateningly close to his chest. He stopped struggling and seized completely. Fear crossed his face. Her grip tightened. This was it. With this sword, she’d end him where it all began.

Ava plunged the blade into Marc’s chest. He gasped his last breath.

But he hadn't given up yet. He took the blade in his hand, trying to stop it from going further in. Using all her strength, she pressed deeper, bone and flesh moved against her sword, cut into his wet palms. Yet, he still held on even as his grip swayed.

His heartbeat slowed, his body trembled.

His lips moved silent in the calm snowflakes. If she wasn't so close to him she wouldn't hear his last words nor the pain in them. “Forgive me… Ash…”

Ava yanked the sword out, and their world shattered by her hand. Tears burned her eyes. Blood pooled on his chest and ran off his chin. Why? Why did it have to be you?

Why? Why? WHY!

Ava screamed. She cried her heart out.

This couldn't be happening. This had to be a dream. But she couldn't wake up. Tears drowned her sight, and no matter how long she screamed, she couldn’t wake up from this nightmare.

When life left his gaze, her heart went with him.

She shook her head, twisted the material over her chest. No, he didn’t deserve her tears. He killed her. He choked her. He betrayed her. She shouldn’t be hurting this much, and yet, she still loved him. After everything he did.

Ava suddenly collapsed next to Marc’s body, her energy drained. Dark blood bloomed like he was a beautiful red rose planting himself into the soil. She still felt his warmth, even then she wanted to reach out to him, cradle his hand in hers. But she didn’t. She just cried and cried until there was nothing left but regret.