Kauth weaved the last magic circle into the barren terrain and then checked them over one last time. It all had to be perfect. One weakness in the spell, and it will fail.

Ezra waved through the red sea, her armour glittered under the twinkling stars, freshly painted with the blood of her victims.

She laughed and danced right into Kauth.

She kissed him, he kissed her back. He wanted more, but pulled back. “I need to finish, my love. I can’t stop now.”

“I know,” Ezra kissed him again. “I just can’t wait any longer!”

“I told you to take your time-” Kauth gestured to what was left of the last woman Ezra killed. “-but you never listen to me.”

A dark grin spread across her face. “But you love me anyway~” she pecked him one last time. “You wouldn’t be setting all this up if you didn’t.”

Kauth stared into her amber orbs. They grew bigger, gazing back at him. “This world betrayed us, so we destroyed everything, slaughtered everyone…” He stroked her long black hair, “but we won’t let it go to waste.” Kauth motioned to the landscape layered with his magic circles. “The last of its power will help us find each other in the next life and every life after that.”

Ezra grasped his head. “Then Kauth will be mine forever and-”

A strong force shook Kaida’s arm and he shot up from his computer chair, smashing his elbow on his desk.

Tanya giggled, “Are you okay?” She asked on the verge of laughter, hiding a huge smile behind her hands.

Kaida rubbed his sore elbow and glanced around, the office. “I fell asleep here again? What time is it?”

Tanya switched her attention to the computer screen, removing her hand from her face. “Oh wow, I can’t read that right now. Kauth is just too beautiful!”

“Mhm, honey, you’re fan-girling again,” Kaida glanced at his writing, but quickly looked away, knowing he’d get absorbed into editing it.

“Are you jealous?” She asked.

“Sometimes I think your imagining Kauth in bed with you when we are-” nope, too far. “-never mind.” Kaida stood up.

Tanya grabbed Kaida’s hands and kissed him. “Happy Valentines Day.”

Her scent filled him with energy and he almost kissed her back when a princess walked in the room.

“Eeeeewww!” Princess Chloe stood in the doorway, hands covering her face. “Do that where no one can see you!” She pranced between Tanya and Kaida, pink dress and long hair fluttering behind her.

“Good morning Munchkin-” Kaida went to pick her up but paused when she glared at him.

“I’m Princess Chloe, not a “Munchkin”,” she said. “My personal guard will throttle you!”

“Ah, well, will your personal guard allow a hug?” Kaida invited.

Chloe giggled and jumped into his arms. “Are we going now, mum?”

Kaida let her go and she headed for the door.

“Yes,” Tanya followed her out but looked back. “Love you, don’t work too hard today.”

“I love you too,” Kaida Yawned. It’s going to be a long one… I need coffee…

After work, carrying a bouquet of flowers and a valentines day card, Kaida pushed open the door to his house and choked on the heavy metallic stench. His eyes stung, tears threatened to blur his vision. His head ached, his mind kicked him: You know what this is!

He knew, but he rejected it and stepped forward, leaving his shoes on.

“Honey?” Kaida called out but received no answer. “Munchkin?”

He placed the bouquet and the card on the kitchen counter. Nothing baking the oven, nothing in the living room, Kaida rounded to corner into the hallway.

He held back a sob.

A dark red trail lead from the bathroom to his bedroom. Someone was dragged across the floor.

“Tanya?” Kaida tried again. “Chloe?”

His throat hurt, eyes burned, mind screaming at him: She’s dead! They’re both dead!

He entered Chloe’s room and froze. The image burned into his skull before his eyes flooded and blurred.

Kaida breathed and recovered, realizing he was on his knees. Tanya!

He crawled out of the room and hugged the wall to pull himself back to his feet.

“Tan-ya!” Kaida croaked, forcing himself to move further down the hallway.

He crashed into master bedroom door and fell, not expecting it to have been unlatched.

“Ah, my love.”

Someone lifted Kaida to his knees and foreign lips pressed against his.

Foreign, but familiar.

“Kauth-” the woman said and kissed him again, deeper, harder. “-I missed you so much! Do you remember me this time? I found your book~” she pulled back a bit.

She’s real…this is her. She wasn’t wearing her red armour, but she stared back at him with the same amber orbs.

“Ezra,” Kaida whispered.

Ezra giggled and pecked him again before hopping to her feet, pulling him up with her.

“We’re going to make love until we’ve made up for the past fourteen-hundred lifetimes,” she said. “But first, I want to show you that I’ve been practising-”

She situated him in front of the bed.

Tanya stared back at him, unblinking, arms and legs bound to the bed.

Ezra took Kaida’s hand and placed it on Tanya’s bare chest. It was warm.

“She’s still alive, but her mind is gone. I’ve erased you from her memory. I wanted to do the same to the brat but she slipped and I accidentally pierced her stomach with a kitchen knife,” Ezra gentured at the bloody knife on the bed before spinning him back toward her. “Are you impressed? Can you guess my favorite part?”

Kaida sat on the bed, backing away from Ezra as she moved closer. I have to guess. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Ezra kissed him again, climbing on his lap.

Kaida grasped the knife handle.

She closed in, grasping his head in her hands. “I like that sweet moment they give in and just give up.”

Ezra kissed him again.

Kaida tightened his grip on the handle, and stuck it into Ezra’s gut.

Ezra moaned in pain, but grasped the handle herself. Slowly she pulled it out.

Breathing heavily, her amber orbs glared at Kaida like they now understood.

“Not everything has returned to you, has it?” She lifted the knife. “You don’t remember the love you gave me, you don’t remember the promises... or your vows.”

Her eyes grew bigger, the knife rose above her head.

Kaida struggled, but couldn’t lift her off him.

“Just one more, one more time,” she brought the knife down.

Kaida caught her arm.

“One more time!” She laughed, applying more and more pressure. “ONE MORE TIME AND YOU WILL LOVE ME FOREVER!”

Ezra leaned forward and the knife drove into Kaida’s chest. She pulled the knife out and raised it up again. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll find you again, like always.”

The knife came down.