Chapter 35: Broken heart
The night was dark, too dark for comfort, and the only sound that filled the air was the whisper of the wind as it passed through the trees. Cain stood at the edge of the camp, his eyes scanning the empty space where Selene had vanished into the forest. His hands were shaking, and his heart felt like it was cracking into pieces. He had made a mistake—a huge mistake—and now he had no idea how to fix it.
Eira, standing just behind him, felt the weight of the silence settle between them like a thick fog. The air was suffocating, and she could hardly breathe. Her thoughts were swirling, a chaotic mess of regret and confusion. What had she done? What had they both done? She had never wanted to hurt Selene. Hell, she hadn't even wanted to be in this mess in the first place. But in her desperation, in her own brokenness, she had made a terrible decision—one that had driven the woman Cain loved away.
Cain felt a heavy emptiness inside him as he stared into the night. His mind replayed the moment over and over again—the kiss, Selene's hurt face, her words that still echoed in his ears: I can't do this anymore.
He thought he could handle it. He thought he could be there for both Eira and Selene—maybe he even believed that the bond with Eira still held something in it. But standing here, in the cold, with his love gone and his past crashing down, he realized how far he had fallen. He'd never wanted to hurt Selene. He'd never wanted to make her feel like she was just a placeholder for Eira.
And now it was too late. He had lost her.
"Selene..." His voice was a whisper, fragile and full of pain. He didn't know if she could hear him, but it didn't matter. The words hung in the air, pointless, like an apology he couldn't give.
Eira stepped forward, her movements slow, unsure of how to approach him. She had thought that Cain's anger and rejection would be her punishment, but she hadn't expected the guilt to settle so heavily in her chest.
"I'm sorry, Cain," Eira said quietly, her voice raw. "I never meant for any of this to happen."
Cain didn't turn to face her. He couldn't. He had nothing to say to her. His heart ached, and every time he looked at her, it reminded him of the betrayal he had just witnessed. She had kissed him. She had pushed him into something that was never meant to be.