*Alec*

The words were still rattling through me, breaking my heart into a million pieces. It felt like each piece was stabbing me, shredding my insides. The agony echoed through my entire being.

I opened another pain potion and drank it, closing my eyes and hoping that it would fade one day and also hoping that it never would. I had rejected Ember for her own safety. That didn’t make it easier to bear. That didn’t make me feel better.

If anything, it ...