Steven Balance, throughout his life, believed himself capable of anything. Whatever he desired, he never failed to obtain; whatever he wished to retain, he never lost.
Yet at this moment, as he watched Aldana Candi's figure disappear into the sea, the intense pain erupting from his heart overshadowed the agony of his severed tendons and his bleeding legs, and made him unaware of the fire spreading over his body and burning him.
Such was the agony seeping from the depths of his soul that he didn't even notice the tears falling from his eyes, seemingly on the verge of rupture.
He fixed his gaze on the spot where Aldana Candi fell into the water, as a huge wave crashed over, foam swirling, her silhouette vanishing beneath the surface.
Kneeling beside the window ledge, he was dazed for a moment. It took a while before he slowly withdrew his hand, sitting on the floor, staring at the small piece of cloth clenched in his palm.
