DIMITRI'S POV

Did I count my chicks before they hatched? I wondered as I walked with purpose into the crypt.

The cold air wrapped around me with a death-like embrace. The dim light from the torches cast eerie shadows on the stone walls, revealing the morbid nature of the crypt. The scent of dampness and decay hung in the air and I felt my stomach twist and turn.

It wasn't the foul air. It was the extinguishment of my hope. I acted nonchalant when this happened. It had become a routine. We ...