Ezra fell to his knees, blood staining the marble floor beneath him.
Caroline stood frozen, her hands trembling around the hilt of her blade, her breath shallow, uneven.
This was supposed to feel like victory.
Like justice.
But all she felt was hollow.
Ezra’s golden eyes flickered, his breath coming in slow, ragged gasps. His lips curled into a faint, bitter smirk.
"You did it," he murmured. "You finally killed me."
Caroline’s grip tightened on her sword.
The war was over.
Ezra’s kingdom had fallen.
And yet—she couldn’t move.
Couldn’t tear her gaze away from the man she had once followed without question.
The man she had loved.
A sharp inhale tore from her throat.
"Ezra—"
His hand shot up, gripping her wrist, his touch feverish, weak.
"You were always going to kill me," he
