Page 108 of The Last Guardian

“Alyana,” Uncle Marlon whispered, “you are so loved and cherished. Don’t let anything destroy the light in you. Please.”

But didn’t he see it?

The light. It was already gone. Only darkness remained.

Uncle Marlon breathed, letting out a sob as I opened my eyes and stared at him again.

And let silence fill me.

I couldn’t say anything.

I couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t…

Uncle Marlon leaned toward me, kissing my temple, and lingered here just for a moment, his hot lips pressing on my skin. Then he whispered, “Don’t forget to love, Alyana. It’s the only thing that proves we’re alive.”

Then his eyes met mine again. The devastation—the same agony that lived in me, in all of us, lay there. And it struck me that love had done this.

Love had carved this ruin into every face I cared for.

It ate and destroyed.

Until nothing but the void was left.

THE VOID SLAMMED into me.

The door had pushed me back inside the Void, destroying everything inside. I heard a voice calling my name, begging me to come back, to return home.

Home.

But—

Another door called to me. It was pulling me in.

In my desperation, I let it.

“WHY DO YOU have to bring me here?” I asked with a frown.

Nevan rushed toward the gardens, bringing me closer to the King’s Wood. Near the dark wing no one ever went to.

“No one will see us here,” Nevan said with a grin.

The wing had been empty for a few days now. Haedeon had left to join his kin in Edoris for the last day of the year. Nevan had returned for the celebration to visit his family.

I hadn’t seen him in four months, just before Mother…

No! I swallowed the thought and tried to follow Nevan’s speed to the dark wing of the High Mage.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Nevan,” I warned him.

I didn’t want to be intimate with him in general—and even less so in this part of the palace.

“It’s not for that, gorgeous.” Nevan flashed his teeth and pulled me inside the dark wing.

I had never been there in my life. I didn’t like the place. It felt dark and old. And it smelled like rot.

“Why in the Seven Hells do you want to go there?” I asked Nevan.

“Haedeon invited me to come here,” Nevan said, “He said I needed to bring you.”