(Mintaka)

Once the partition closes and Amaia disappears from his sight, the unfathomable rage in Rigel’s eyes dies down.

This breaks something inside my heart. The way he just sinks down in Saiph and Alnitak’s arms like a heap of sand, having no strength to keep itself together. Grain by grain, he shatters into a million particles right before our eyes.

Unable to speak with Amaia is taking a toll on him and the three of us can see.

"Hey!" I kneel in front of my brother and grab his shoulders. "We are going to figure this out. You are going to have her back like old times." I am the only one who hasn’t spoken to him since finding out he is our brother.

He lifts his tormented eyes and focuses them on me. "I can’t survive long without her. I have already spent most of my life alone and in pain. Only she has held me from taking my life and ending this misery."

Alnitak snatches in a pained breath at our brother’s anguished words while they grate at my heart.

"You are not alone. We are with you. Your brothers are with you." My arms go around him and I hold him to myself, embracing him.

His mother is the reason I am alive today. I am going to protect him even if it costs me my life.

Rigel hugs me in return and I sense his body shaking. I don’t even know what he has been subjected to but the bond we all share now has nothing but darkness from his side.

What goes on in his mind?

How is he still sane?

"Yes, we will find out who is behind this mess and set you free. We will not abandon you," Alnitak’s arms come around us, holding us together.

"I agree with them. I might not be blood-related to you guys but I am with you," Saiph’s determined voice comes.

"You don’t have to leave. You can live in my home until we figure out everything," Saiph offers further.

We remove our arms from around our brother and help him to his feet. Rigel stands and faces Saiph.

"I can’t. I will come looking for her and end up hurting her. And if I hurt her again, I won’t let myself live anymore."

Tears prick the back of my eyes. I have lost so many people in my life, I am not going to lose Rigel again. My hand squeezes his shoulder as he continues to speak.

"Until you guys figure out and break all these curses on me, I won’t return. But for now, I need to go as far away from her as is possible for me."

Saiph gives him a stiff but understanding nod.

Rigel turns towards us. His hands grab our shoulders. Alnitak’s with his right hand and mine with his left. His crimson eyes hold deep grief and wounds. My soul trembles even thinking of asking him about them.

"Promise me you will take care of her and won’t let her come after me. She will try, she is stubborn in that way."

"We will. You just take care of yourself," Alnitak says while my words won’t come out. The emotions have strangled my throat.

His eyes find me and Rigel actually smiles. "You know I used to carry you around when you were a baby. You were such a fussy baby compared to Alnitak. He would let everyone carry him but you, you hated people."

His words bring a broken smile to my lips. "You only let me carry you. We would play for hours and you would be happy with me." The memories he holds of us he brings forth and I try not to cry in front of my brother.

"I wish... I could remember."

"You were just a baby. How could you? A chunky baby though." His words make us sadly snort. I know he is trying to make this moment lighter even though he is so broken himself.

"I will take a sweep outside for any sentinels. They are on high alert. Once clear I will take you out of the academy and then you can leave from there." Saiph steps out through the door.

The shield has been raised up all around the academy to prevent Rigel from escaping. Hence, Saiph will sneak him out.

We embrace him again.

"Be careful. If there is anything, return and we will hide you," I insist and he ruefully smiles at me.

"Give her love from my side too, that’s all I want." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The door is opened by Saiph and he enters. "It’s clear, we have to go."

Rigel uses his camouflage power, which makes him invisible. His shadows conceal him, merging him with the surroundings. Saiph takes him away, leaving us absolutely devastated.

My body slumps on the chair and I hold my head.

"How is this happening? We just found him and now he is gone." It feels like not only my heart but my soul aches.

We seem to have been connected by a single thread—when stretched the pain is felt by all. It seems like I have known Rigel forever and the pain I am experiencing with his departure is intensifying by the second.

Alnitak places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. "We need to be strong for Amaia. It’s going to hurt her the most and she is going to feel betrayed. Prepare yourself."

Running frustrated hands on my face, I nod. "I know, she is going to be devastated but at least her transformation will be complete. I can’t wait to see her fully developed wings."

Longingly, I stare at the closed partition. The bond hums with pain in my chest at the same time her euphoria hits me. Rigel is gone but Amaia is finally mating with Alnilam.

This day is strange, I don’t know if to be happy or cry until my chest feels lighter.

All I know is that the next day is going to be even more difficult. We have to leave for Istrale and Amaia is going to be in a fragile state.