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I’d assumed Jack’s death was the worst that I could endure Matthewme for both of their murders

Dear God Both

I shrieked with fury and pain As I screamed and screa until they’d blanketed the gravestone and the surrounding mountains

If Aric lived, I had to find hirief?

I pictured a tourniquet arounde Yes, I would twist the tourniquet, tightening it to constrictit

A bloodless heart couldn’t feel

Twist, tighten, constrict

Numbness settled over me My emotions shut down Like this, I reasoned that Aric ht have simply missed each other over all this distance The flood waters had parted often; he could have been carried in a different direction I seized on that thinking

Yes This hat I needed Numbness Just until I’d completed my two missions:

Find Aric

Annihilate Richter

After that, I would release the tourniquet and let myself bleed out

Jack and I had marveled at the snow

11

The Fool

Whereabouts unknown

My eyes flashed open

The Empress’s screams had awakened the dark in

Her smile was broken It was time I always know best

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