Neera could taste her tears in the kiss, a farewell to what once was. It took everything in her to pull away, and she inhaled deeply afterward. Her forehead and Zavian's joined together, both their eyes closed, both of them still in each other's arms.
"Neera...", he whispered. Her name hung in the air between them, and its weight held the tons of words he wanted to say, but didn't.
Neera pulled away and looked up at him. The tears were freefalling now. Zavian wiped them with his thumbs and stepped away from her.
"Goodbye." He said.
"Goodbye, Zavian."
He walked back into the shadows he appeared from. Even though Neera had always been alone most of her life, she had never felt as lonely as she had once he was out of sight.
...
It was the Night of Selection.
Zavian looked up at the gossamer curtains above his bed. Sleep had long left him, and he knew it wasn't coming anytime soon.
