She felt her whole body becoming light and being lifted into the air—experiencing the same jittery feeling that she feels in the pit of her stomach whenever she is being hugged and lifted. A tight hug from Vihan. Reyna savored the familiar warmth and strength of Vihan's embrace, her body instinctively melting into his as it had countless times before.

She breathed in the comforting, familiar scent of his skin, trying to etch every detail into her memory. This feeling of being enveloped in his strong embrace—it was her sanctuary, her safe harbor in the storms of life. Reyna would have never thought that would be the last hug she would get from him. 

"Vihan," she murmured against the column of his neck, hating how small and fragile she sounded. He squeezed her tighter for a moment before gently putting some distance between their bodies. His expression was anguished when their eyes met, knowing the impending sorrow ahead of them. Then he kissed her slowly and purposefully, as if committing every curve and every taste to memory.

When their lips finally parted, Reyna was breathless and dizzy. She watched through a shimmering haze as Vihan rested his forehead against hers.

"Let's end this, Vihan," were her words. Those dreadful words, which Vihan never wanted to hear in his life,. A thousand questions burned on his tongue, but his vocal cords felt paralyzed. Leave? She couldn't mean...not permanently, surely? After everything they'd been through together over the past five years,?

Vihan's dark eyes were a storm of emotions—longing, begging, but most of all, resignation. It made Reyna's heart clench painfully in her chest. Reyna wanted to be strong in front of him, and she truly did. But the thought of her world being upended and of her life continuing without Vihan's steadfast presence by her side felt like a gaping void opening under her feet.

She must have looked as stricken as she felt, because Vihan cradled her face in his calloused palms, smoothing his thumbs over her cheekbones. Looking into her eyes, begging in his eyes, "Why?".

Maybe he knew deep down in his heart that this would come, but he believed in their love; he believed that their bond would overcome all the obstacles that were in front of their love and marriage. He believed that she would develop the courage to face the injustice and to rage at the cruel hands of fate. But she didn't, not when they started their relationship, not when they faced all the ups and downs together, not even when their whole life together was at stake. 

But looking into her eyes, which are begging him to let go and not even allow him to put up a fight, he cannot bring himself to nod his head. Vihan seemed to understand. He simply gathered her close once more, lips seeking hers in a searing, desperate kiss that tasted of longing and sorrow.

When he finally pulled away, Reyna felt unmoored and was set adrift without her anchor. She could only watch numbly as Vihan turned and walked out of her life, the hollow space in her chest threatening to consume her whole.

It wasn't until his broad form had disappeared that she allowed the tears to fall unchecked down her cheeks. Whatever storm lay ahead, she would be strong—for him. She would fight for them, but he doesn't need to know that until she succeeds. She might succeed and hug him again, or this might be their last hug.

What lies in the future is in the hands of fate.