The rain was pounding again, as if it wanted to wash away their sins. Rosy opened her eyes. The manor was nothing but a field of ruins. Feeling heavy, Rosy dragged herself to Ranbir. His face was pale, but he was still breathing.
"Ranbir... come on... wake up..." He opened his eyes slowly.
"You survived," he murmured with a faint smile.
A crunching sound came from behind them.
Victor!
Wounded, leaning against the wall, he looked at Rosy without hatred.
"You won, Rozy." She stood up, pistol in hand.
"It wasn't a joke, Victor," she muwa.
"It was, from the beginning. Between you, it was just a trap. Me and Ranbir... All of that was... You've become perfect, Rosy."
Rosy approached! "Perfect, you say? Is that what you call perfect? You've made me lose everything I was."
Victor straightened up and took a step towards her. Ranbir, who was fully conscious, was watching her. She raised her hand. Between them, her finger trembled.
"Do you know, kiss me or then you'll kiss me, muwa Victor."
"If you want me to disappear... kiss me. If you want me to stay... kiss me."
A tear rolled down Rosy's cheek. She approached slowly and cupped a hand on his cold cheek.
Their eyes met.
She kissed him. A bitter, torn kiss, like a promise impassively unfulfilled.
Then, without breaking contact, Rosy whispered to Victor:
"Goodbye, Victor."
A gunshot rang out.
Victor collapsed, a smile, almost peaceful, flickering across his lips.
"I knew... you would choose freedom," Victor murmured.
Rosy dropped her pistol.
Her hands trembled. She ran to Ranbir and took him in her arms.
"What will you do now?" he murmured.
"Start again. But not like them. No more bloodshed, no more lies," she said.
Ranbir smiled weakly and said, "Then Nas-y... and live for both of us." With those words, her eyes closed.
Rosy left the mansion, Ranbir's pendant clutched in her hand. Behind her, everything crumbled. Ahead, a gray sky opened like a blank page waiting to be filled.
And in the morning silence, she whispered:
"Kiss me or kill me... but this time, I'm the one who chooses."
THE END.