(Amaia)

Alnilam is heaped on the ground with his silvery strands extended so long that they have shrouded Jamina’s body only leaving her face.

His eyes are fixed on her face with a soul-rending grief. The agony is so palpable that not only does it stab my heart, but I sense him in my bones, and it tears at my soul. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

No jealousy I sense, just pure grief, his and mine combined.

Streaks of blood cover his face and clothes.

The thread that holds us together is so heavy with his emotions that I feel like I will drown.

Alnilam’s mother, the queen, is kneeling in front of her son, trying to carefully lift his hand. His grieved and teary eyes shift towards her and the pain his voice carries makes my knees shake. It pierces my skin like nails.

"No, no. I am not going to let her go...,"

Queen Esmeralda, rubs his arm gently. "No one is taking her away but her parents need to see her." Her voice betrays her misery.

I wipe my tears. I need to be his strength at this moment. Stepping closer, I slowly kneel in front of Alnilam and face him.

His gaze shifts from his mother towards me. While his haunted eyes soften seeing me, his facial features harden even more like they have been set in stone.

"You must be happy inside that she is gone. That’s what you wanted, right?"

A sharp pain like a splinter being stuck in my throat erupts at his words. He is hurting so deeply that he believes I would wish harm upon Jamina.

He is not in the right state of mind due to the shock he is experiencing. It’s no use explaining myself to him.

"No, I am just here for you. I am sorry, truly sorry." But Alnilam doesn’t listen, his gaze has returned to Jamina.

One of his silvery locks crawls and wraps around my other wrist, telling me to stay.

"I don’t know what to do?" His mother turns her head.

Pain has shackled her face and body. A mother’s grief is so visible and apparent. She is hurting for her son.

"Give him time. He is in shock," I quietly tell her and she slowly and painfully nods.

The shadows of the evening are elongating and soon the night will fall. They would need to take her body away, but only if Alnilam would let her go.

"My son, why don’t all of us go to the palace? What do you say?" His mother tries again but it’s like talking to a brick wall.

Alnilam is emotional, but he tries to hide it, but when they come spiralling out, he can’t control them. That’s what has happened here.

Not only emotions but his guilt and sense of loss have rendered him like that. I want to reach out and hug him. My hands itch to touch his. To calm him down to soothe him, to let him know that this dark time will pass is what I crave to do.

But his grief is so deep, and his emotions so heightened, that I don’t know how to reach him.

Gently I stroke his hair, a few of which are clinging to me, hoping he can sense me, sense my true feelings through his mourning.

His mother tiredly rises to her feet and stays close.

"Thanks for coming, Amaia."

Other people are just watching in despair, standing behind. Another hunter comes forward who has shurikens lined up around his belt.

"Alnilam! It’s time," he quietly but painfully says.

He is met with silence. Alnilam sits like a statue, a marble statue which had been sculpted by an artist who only knew pain and misery.

My hands continue to stroke his hair, until they begin to lift off Jamina’s body. With careful strokes, I continue because I know they trust me completely, more than Alnilam do.

Then I hear my other mates. Mintaka and Alnitak rush forward with Saiph in their tow. Their mother meets them half way and all three of them embrace amidst cries.

His hair lifts off Jamina’s body and slowly retreats while the one remaining around my wrist pulls me closer to him.

With a pained breath, I kneel right before him.

"Alnilam!" His name leaves my lips in a strangled breath.

My hand reaches out to touch his, with the expectation that he will push me away, but he doesn’t.

He just sits still, lost, wounded, vulnerable.

Mintaka and Alnitak come and sit by his sides. Their arms go around their brother as their agonised eyes take in Jamina.

Mintaka swallows a sob, his eyes watery. Alnitak places his head on his brother’s shoulder and sniffles.

They don’t speak, they just stay with him. He lets them hug him, comfort and soothe him at the same letting my hand stay on his.

We don’t need to speak, we just need to be there for him.

His hair slowly slips under and lifts Jamina’s body, placing it into Mintaka’s arms.

Alnilam finally speaks, "Take her. Her parents need to see her."

Mintaka has always been closer to Jamina because of Kayla, that’s why Alnilam has entrusted her to his brother.

Mintaka nods with a gulp and slowly stands up with Jamina in his arms. He walks away where a special carriage stands just for the purpose of transporting her body. Alnitak follows him.

Their mother accompanies Mintaka, leaving with her sentinels. Another female hunter who has been crying her eyes out goes with them, while we stay behind.

Saiph, who stands at the back of Alnitak and Alnilam. Rigel, who is just behind me and the male hunter standing at the side, dolefully watches Alnilam. The male hunter’s eyes do waver to me at times with little confusion but he doesn’t speak apart from when he called Alnilam earlier.

Alnilam levels his gaze with me and slowly but painfully rises, like a tired man who has lost everything.

The physical connection between us breaks.

"I want to be alone." With those words, Alnilam walks away, leaving all of us behind.