Chapter 34 - Lost laughter

The green fire at the Cairn's heart still hissed and spat when the group fled south into the Dead Marches proper. Star rode slumped against Elandor's chest, teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached, every jolt of the horse sending fresh spikes through the raw hole Cassian had left behind. The memory of choosing death for love was gone, and in its place sat a cold, factual knowledge: he had once stepped in front of an arrow. Why? The emotion that had made the act feel inevitable, radiant, necessary, had been carved out. He could remember the event like reading a history scroll, but the fierce, shining certainty was missing. His love for Elandor remained, stubborn and real, yet strangely thin without that anchor.