TW: Death, Gore & Body Horror

TW: Death, Gore & Body Horror

The strike rings true, screams erupting around the battlefield as her blood pours from her chest and down the sword in her heart, staining her coat red. Pearl's lifeless corpse falls limp off the blade, roars of victory erupting from her enemies as they flee to celebrate.

Cleo turns to BigB and begins to plan, on the back foot now without their warrior. Only Scott pauses to feel, his cold withered oak heart creaking in his chest, orange glowing bright through this shirt. Orange ichor falls from his glowing eyes and he collapses next to her corpse, tears splashing against her bones. Her chest torn open, cold and lifeless heart bare and bisected for all to see. Bile rises in his throat, or it would if his body were anything but cold grey flesh and white bark; The infection denying him the basic grief response. His mind races, wishing he'd done something, wishing he'd taken that blade instead of her.

An idea forms, and he draws his blade, cutting his chest open, the lifeless bark makes no resistance. Cleo and BigB's frantic chatter of battle plans has long since turned to static in his ears, the only sound he hears the rhythmic creaking of his heart in his hand. He cuts into her, pulling her heart from behind her ribs, her blood soaking his hands once more, and suddenly he's back on the hill in double life, standing atop a pile of TNT, staring into her eyes so full of hate and love, lighting the match. He drops the match, it's orange glow illuminating her empty chest cavity as it soaks up her blood, skin turning, no growing grey.

Bark forms and hardens, veins filled with radiant orange. The steady creaking of his heart reverberating through her chest, her eyes flicker open, golden glow shining on Scott's tear stained face. She reaches a cold, lifeless hand to his cheek and wipes his tears as he sobs, wrapping his arms around her with no care for her blood soaking his clothes once again. The steady beating of his, no, their heart fills each other's existence, that cursed string tying together once more, the lifeline forming between them. Slowly, her flesh knits back together, dried out bark growing across the gaping wound.

The words tumble from his bloodstained lips before he can stop them, the words she'd been begging to hear for so long. "I'm so sorry Pearl". She hugs him back, their bones creaking and bark grinding, they couldn't care less. Silently, they vowed to win this or die trying, together.