Then, Scarlette sings into the wind again.
The same eagle swoops down, snatching another poor chicken from the forest, its beak locked onto a fish's mouth, as if they're locked in a final kiss.
As the eagle kills them and flies off, I can't help but laugh. To think this is Scarlette's doing. She really can turn the mundane into comedy.
"Hey, check it out," she giggles, pointing at the entangled prey. "A set meal."
I snort, the absurdity of it all hitting me. Their tragic romance—two lovers bound even in death, only to end up in the flames. Is she joking? Maybe, but her dark humor feels oddly familiar, like she speaks a language only I understand.
Still, Devran's words about Dark Fairies in the Light Fairy Kingdom hang in the air.
"We need to move soon," I caution, my voice sharper now. She doesn't even blink, tearing into her meal with the calm precision of someone who feels no urgency.
Then, without hesitation, she picks up the charred chicken with her bare hands, snapping its already broken neck.
"You know, that's not normal," I remark, a mix of irritation and disbelief in my voice.
"What? You don't eat?" she quips, tossing me the fish—perfectly cooked, its skin crisp and gleaming with oil.
"Food first, mission later, lover boy," she teases, a sly smirk tugging at her lips.
Lover boy?
Before I can process her words, a scream rips through the air—Devran's.
It's followed by the thunderous roar of an army. Then—silence.
I glance down. The throbbing black heart, once pulsing on the ground, crumbles into dust.
I sit upright, my gaze meeting Scarlette's. Devran is gone for good.
I look back at the fire, watching the embers crackle and pop. The most annoying person I know is dead. A victim of circumstance. A circumstance we orchestrated.
And yet, I can't help thinking of all the times he almost got under my skin, and now he's just… gone.
Then, as if reading my thoughts, Scarlette turns to me—her gaze softer than usual.
"He would've killed you if he had the chance. That blind loyalty to Queen Judorah wouldn't save him in the end," she says.
I nod, my lips thinning. She's right.
I am a Dark Fairy. I do not get sentimental. After all, this is Devran's own doing. Every action has a consequence—and he chose wrong.
That's right, Devran—no tears for fools who play games they can't finish.
Of all the ridiculous ways to go… this one fits him perfectly.