As Malachi's hand opened, the world seemed to tilt into a horrifying, silent vacuum. Zaliyah didn't scream. He didn't have the breath left in his battered lungs to make a sound. Instead, as gravity took hold, he simply closed his eyes.
In the rushing wind, his mind retreated to the only sanctuary he had left: his memories. He saw Riosuka's gentle smile as she poured tea in the garden, he heard Riru's high-pitched laughter echoing through the halls of their home, he felt the rough, calloused warmth of Karas's hand against his cheek.
He knew this was the end. He was a broken thing, a celestial spark being snuffed out by the very darkness he had tried to survive.
