Helios's POV
I knelt down beside the body, my heart racing with anticipation. But as I looked down at the face, my world came crashing down. It was Valerie, her eyes frozen in a permanent stare, her skin pale and cold.
I felt like I had been punched in the gut, all the air knocked out of me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Valerie, the vibrant and full-of-life woman I knew, was lying dead on the ground.
I reached out a trembling hand to touch her face, hoping that this was some kind of sick joke. But as my skin made contact with hers, I knew that it was real. She was gone.
I felt a wave of emotions wash over me - shock, grief, anger. How did she end up here? Who could have done this to her?
I looked around, trying to take in every detail of the scene. But my eyes kept coming back to Valerie's face, her beautiful smile now frozen in death.
