Chapter 21

The diarist drifts in and out of consciousness as Bharon carries them through frigid air. Bharon’s grip grows cold and his wingbeats falter, signaling failing strength. Their altitude drops, and dread mounts when the diarist realizes Bharon will not reach The Burn and may barely make The Fade.

Bharon wobbles and shoves the diarist free, sparing them from being crushed as he slams into the snow. The diarist vomits, then sees Bharon prone and exposed—unnatural for a Sabersythe—his chest flame sputtered out. The diarist staggers toward him, recognizing his care and contrasting it with Tyroth’s betrayal.

After a blackout, the diarist wakes to Bharon struggling upright, sharing a silent understanding: he may not have the strength to reach the moons. Wind rises and fills his frayed wings as if offering aid. Bharon gathers himself and climbs in labored, drooping beats into the night.

Breaking gravity’s hold, Bharon drifts into the aura of a nearby Moonplume moon. With a final thump, he tucks into himself, sweeps a wing over his face, and goes still. Creaks and crackles echo as his body petrifies into stone among the moons.

Silence follows. The diarist remains below in the snow, grieving Bharon’s final act of mercy and the end of a once-cherished bond, left to face the cold and the consequences of past actions.