The mind replays what the heart can't delete. 

That's why, that's why I should have looked away as Rivel walked up to Kishan, not a glimmer of mercy or pity in his amber eyes. 

"Shikimo!"

Arms wrapped around me, yet I still squirmed, trying to get out of the iron-locked grip. "L-Let me go, Scoris!" 

At my words, Kishan looked over, his blue-grey eyes widening fractionally upon seeing me.

"Valvara...! What are you doing here? Go!" 

"I'm not leaving until I see that you're going to come out of here alive!" 

Scoris' grip tightened around me, making it hard to breathe. But it wasn't like I needed to breathe anyway- everyone in this clearing besides that human girl in the very corner was dead.

I was dead. Rivel was dead. Kishan was dead. Scoris was dead. 

We were just shells that held onto life, granted the ability to work under the five that governed and ruled over the reality of Life and Death.

Heaven, Hell, Fate, Death, and Oblivion. 

"Valvara Shikimo Alexandro!" Kishan said. My head jerked up as he said my name.

As my gaze connected with him, he smiled that soft-hearted grin that he had. "I'm going to be fine. Come on, let Scoris take you back to Heaven." 

On his command, my legs were swept out from under me. Scoris cradled me against his chest, and I, in response, slammed my fist against his collarbone. 

"You do know the punishment for your actions, correct?"

I could hear Rivel's calm voice cut through the air- softly spoken, yes, but scathing enough to hear the danger threatening to crash down on us.

Turning away from the scene, Scoris jogged down the alleyway, paying no attention to my attempts to fight against him.

"Let me down!" 

With that, I jerked wildly, my head colliding with his chin as I bit into the skin on the back of his hand. 

A hiss escaped Scoris' lips as he dropped me. The instant my feet hit the ground, I took off running, dashing down the alleyway we came from.

She witnessed his destruction,

then was left to wonder why,

he saw nothing but darkness,

while she saw the stars that shone in his eyes.

But maybe she had forgotten, when she failed to see the cracks,

that a star's light shines the brightest when it's about to collapse.

"KISHAN!" 

Flames.

Flames, dancing across Kishan's body as he closed his eyes, wisps of dark hair going to a faded white. 

"You promised! You promised you wouldn't..."

He didn't hear.

He couldn't hear.

After all, his existence was gone.

I was left alone. 

She was a silent fighter, 

with a demon in her lungs.

It stole her breath right from her.

Before they'd hardly passed her tongue.

He was a silent fighter,

who was always taught to share,

and held his breath when he was with her,

Just so she could have his air. 

eh, crappy thing.