C09
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t know… we…” Damien’s voice cracked, the words shaky as if the weight of his guilt was too
much for him to bear. “It was me… I destroyed you with my own hands…”
In a burst of self–loathing, he slammed his fist into the snow–covered ground. The snow scattered around him,
tainted by the fresh blood staining his knuckles. The sight seared into my mind, impossible to forget.
I stood there, watching him, my expression cold, my heart unmoved. His pain didn’t reach me anymore. Finally, I spoke, “You lied to me for Naomi. You made me fall in love with you. And for you… I killed my child.”
The silence that followed felt heavier than the snow around us, as the truth settled between us.
My voice trembled, each word forcing its way out through clenched teeth. “Damien, do you think a simple ‘I’m sorry‘ is enough to fix all of this?”
Damien raised his head slowly, his bloodshot eyes filled with tears. His face was streaked with snow and sorrow,
his lips parted as if he had something to say, but the words wouldn’t come.
The cold air wrapped around us, suffocating, while only the wind howled in the distance, echoing like a mournful
cry for everything we had destroyed.
I took a deep breath, struggling to steady my voice. But inside, my heart felt like it was being pierced by a
thousand arrows.
I forced the words out. “When you were lying in that hospital bed, I was terrified. But I believed that no matter
how bad things got, we could face them together.”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I pulled my coat tighter around me. “But it was all a lie, wasn’t it? The fake marriage, the fake cancer… You watched me fall deeper and deeper for you, watched me suffer for you. Did it make you feel powerful? Did it give you some twisted sense of accomplishment?”
I locked eyes with him, my words sinking into him, watching the light in his eyes fade into despair.
Damien lifted his hand, trembling, as though he was reaching for something, or maybe for me. His fingers
hovered in the air for a second before dropping, defeated, to his side.
“Camille…” His voice cracked, barely a whisper. “I know I’m beyond redemption. I didn’t know you were
pregnant… If I had known, I swear-”
I cut him off with a bitter laugh, the words slipping out cold and sharp. “You swear what? That you’d have told me the truth? That you’d have let Naomi die instead?”
The silence that followed was all the answers I needed.
A mocking smile tugged at my lips. Damien took a shaky step back, his whole body swaying like he was ab to crumble. The once–confident man I had loved now looked nothing more than lost and desperate.
“Then tell me, Camille,” he pleaded, his voice raw, “what do I do? How can I make this right?”
I stared at him, feeling the fury inside me slowly melt into something heavier, something more tired. “Damien, your love is too cheap. I can’t afford it,” I said quietly, shaking my head.
I met his eyes one last time, and for a moment, it felt like I could see everything–the lies, the pain, the shattered
pieces of what we once were. Without saying another word, I turned on my heel, walking away.
“If you really feel guilty,” I added over my shoulder, my voice steady, “do me a favor–never come near me again.”
I didn’t wait for a response
10:31 AM
Left at the Altar, Chased by Lies
I didn’t wait for a response.
This time, he didn’t follow.
The day we were set to leave for the cave, I made a quiet detour to my mother’s memorial.
I ran my fingers over her photograph, my touch lingering as I spoke, my voice barely a whisper. “Mom, I spent so much of my life tangled in illusions of love. But now… I just want to be like you. To dedicate myself to something real, like scientific exploration. I think… you’d be proud of me, wouldn’t you?”
A gust of wind brushed my cheek as if in response, and for a moment, I felt an unspoken connection. That was
all I needed.
Suiting up for the journey, I followed Dr. Adams to the cave site.
When we arrived, I couldn’t help but marvel at the cruel irony of it all. This was the exact spot where we’d been buried in an avalanche three years ago.
I stood at the edge, looking down into the darkness of the cave. A shiver ran down my spine.
Faint carvings adorned the cave walls.
Dr. Adams set up the ropes and motioned for me to descend.
I rappelled down for what felt like an eternity until my feet finally hit solid ground.
Ahead of me, another opening beckoned. I unhooked my harness, switched on my flashlight, and stepped carefully inside.
A damp, decaying smell hit me as I entered.
I quickly pulled my mask on, the sharp scent filling my nostrils. The dim light from my flashlight flickered across
the walls, revealing strange, intricate carvings–an ancient language, a forgotten script.
I moved cautiously forward.
As I ventured deeper, the images on the walls became clearer.
Grotesque figures, half–human and half–beast, twisted in bizarre, nightmarish shapes.
They bared fangs and claws, their eyes wild with an intensity that sent a chill straight through me.
Rage.
Hatred.
