The War That Never Was: Death Made Flesh

"Every empire is built on blood. The Empire of Steel just hides it better." - Cardinal Orion. The Empire of Steel. A truly remarkable place. Under the rule of Commander Gerald, it had boomed into the most advanced empire in the world. Buildings scraped the clouds, vehicles thundered through the streets, and telephones carried voices farther than anyone once thought possible. Yet for all its progress, the sky was choked in smoke, factories exhaling a poison haze that clung to every surface. Still, most would give anything to live here. The marvels outweighed the fumes—though for most, they remained little more than marvels. Only the wealthy touched the Empire's wonders. "Sevrin!" A woman's voice called through the crowd. Sevrin glanced up, straightening the collar of his neat blue button-up. His black hair barely stirred as he pushed through the bustle toward her. "Coming!" he called back. Maeve stood waiting, her white dress patterned with pink blossoms, blonde hair cascading halfway down her back. Her smile stretched ear to ear, as bright as the lamps burning overhead. "Don't get distracted, silly!" she teased, grabbing his hand and tugging him along the sidewalk. The street was alive with speed—cars darting by too fast, their engines shrieking as they whipped past. "Sorry, Maeve. Won't happen again." Sevrin chuckled, letting her drag him toward a dress shop. Inside, racks of fabric swayed as customers moved between them. Sevrin watched Maeve's eyes light up, her laughter warming the little shop. Five years together, and he still couldn't believe she was his fiancée. Watching her smile felt like watching the world's last light. "Hey!" Maeve's voice pulled him back. "Yes?" Sevrin blinked, caught staring. "What do you think of this one?" She lifted a short black dress from the rack and held it to her frame. "I think it's a little dark, don't you?" he said, honest as always. Maeve tilted her head. "Hmm. I agree... but maybe I could do dark every now and again?" "Of course you can," Sevrin said gently, "but do you want to? You're so bright and colorful." "I know, I know." She sighed, disappointment tugging at her lips. "Baby," Sevrin reassured, catching her gaze, "if you want it, please get it." Her eyes flickered with hope. "Really?" "Of course." Her smile returned as she carried the dress to the counter. Sevrin paid, despite her protests, and together they stepped back into the rushing street. Maeve kissed him quickly on the sidewalk, then pulled back with that same radiant grin. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you more." The words had barely left his lips when her foot slipped off the curb. Maeve's body lurched into the street—straight into the path of a car screaming toward them. Sevrin's heart stopped. Tires shrieked, brakes slammed, and he threw himself forward, seizing her arm. The rush of air from the car whipped her hair as he yanked her back, collapsing onto the sidewalk with her clutched tight in his arms. "Maeve!" His voice cracked as he held her. She blinked at him, pale, trembling. "I'm... I'm fine. Thank you." Shock hollowed her features as Sevrin clung to her, chest heaving. As they walked along the sidewalk, the mood had shifted. Sevrin now kept to the roadside, holding her between him and the shops. His grip never loosened. "I'm hungry," Maeve said softly, the shock still clinging to her voice. "Let's get something to eat." Sevrin's tone was gentle, steadying, as he guided her into a bright restaurant. "Just the two?" a hostess asked cheerfully. "Yes, ma'am," Sevrin replied. She led them to a table, menus in hand. Even seated, his hand lingered on Maeve's. Silence settled over them, thick and heavy. "I was so scared," she admitted. "I know, baby." "I wasn't scared until the car passed us, and I realized how close I was to dying. If you weren't there—" "Hey, hey." Sevrin caught her trembling hands, his voice low. "Let's not think like that. I was there. The car passed us. We're okay. You're safe." Her hands shook a little less. She forced a smile for him. "I love you." This time, her voice steadied. "I love you more." Sevrin smiled wide enough for both of them. "I am so lucky." "You?! Ha! I'm the lucky one." Sevrin laughed, lifting the menu and pretending to study it. Maeve watched him, still shaken but comforted. "Are we weird?" "Huh?" "The fact we just had such a close call with death, yet here we are..." She gestured at the restaurant around them. "About to eat. Where most people would lose their appetites." "I don't think it's weird at all," Sevrin said, glancing over his menu with a small grin. "Everyone processes shock differently. Stress eating's common. I'd say it makes perfect sense." Maeve's lips curved, soft but genuine. For a moment, she let herself forget the fear. Having Sevrin there made even the strangest feelings easier to bear. They had ordered their food, though neither had much appetite. Silence hung between them, Sevrin's hands still wrapped around Maeve's as they stared into each other's eyes. Then, in a blink, everything shattered. A deafening crash tore through the side of the restaurant. Glass and wood splintered, bodies screamed, and chaos rippled like fire through the dining hall. Sevrin's head snapped toward the sound— Two men stood amid the wreckage, framed by smoke and ruin, corpses strewn at their feet. The first loomed broad-shouldered, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. A crimson aura pulsed around his fists and biceps, heat rippling in waves. Blood slicked his arms, spattering down his clothes—too much to tell what belonged to him and what had been ripped from his victims. His eyes burned feral, the veins in his neck bulging like cords about to snap. Beside him, the second was colder, calmer, his body veined with an eerie cerulean glow. Blue light bled from under his skin, crawling across his arms like living frost. Each step he took left cracks spidering across the tiles, the air around him chilling with unnatural weight. They looked wrong. Not like men, but like predators wearing human skin. The one in blue moved at lightning speed, faster than Sevrin's eyes could even register. He met the other man with a fist directly to the chin, sending him flying into the middle of the restaurant, right next to Sevrin and Maeve. Sevrin acted quickly, getting up and dragging Maeve, rushing the opposite way of the men. "Sevrin!" Maeve yelled, panicking. Sevrin noticed, and in a split second decided to pick her up and carry her. She buried her face into his chest, tears streaming out. The sound of the men fighting can be heard from behind them. Screams still echoed through the restaurant. Sevrin stopped at a line of people trying to push their way into the kitchen, though nobody is getting through because multiple people are stuck in the doorway. "MOVE!" Sevrin yelled, trying to push his way through the chaos. Nobody was budging. "FINE!" a voice roared behind them. Sevrin glanced back in time to see the crimson man rise, his chest heaving harder than before. "They'll die thanks to you." His voice was guttural, more beast than human. He stomped the ground, and the world lurched. The floor quaked. Pressure slammed through the air, rattling Sevrin's bones. Then — silence. A silence so absolute it rang in his skull. Sevrin's eyes darted. People stood frozen mid-motion, mouths open, eyes wide, as if time itself had betrayed them. His chest strained, but only his head would move. Panic clawed his throat. He looked down. Maeve's lips parted, trembling with blood. "Sevrin—" she whispered. Her words broke into a wet cough, crimson spilling down her chin. "I love you." Her body convulsed. The sound that followed was unnatural — a tearing, rending shriek that wasn't meant for human ears. Warmth sprayed across Sevrin's arms as she slipped from his grasp, collapsing in pieces he couldn't bear to recognize. "No—" His voice cracked, blood bubbling in his throat. His vision doubled, red flooding the edges. He tried to speak, to force the words out. "I... lo—v... y—..." The sentence drowned in gore. His body tore apart, sliding in two directions, the last thing he saw the ruin of Maeve's form on the tiles beside him. Darkness swallowed everything.