[FLASHBACK]
KAZIEL
"See? Nothing happened. We completed the bond, and we're both perfectly fine," Vanya tells me with a giggle, her naked body snuggling against mine. She traces lazy circles over my chest, her smile dreamy.
For the first time in a long while, I feel whole.
"Fine," I murmur, brushing a kiss to her forehead. "Maybe you were right."
"I'm always right," she teases sleepily.
Her breathing steadies. Mine does too.
We fall asleep tangled together, her heartbeat syncing with mine. A sharp pain in my chest drags me from my slumber. Dazed and confused, I reach for Vanya. But her side of the bed is empty. I listen closely for the sound of her heartbeat, but I hear nothing. I'm all alone in the house.
"Vanya?" I call out, wondering if my ears are playing tricks on me. But she
