Adhira:

My head felt heavy and seemed to pound in pain. I felt thirsty for the first time as if my body was finally feeling the effects of the strain it was put through. My limbs hurt and I felt I needed a long nap and probably a strong painkiller. In short, I must've been hit by a truck.

Surprisingly, my side vision glimpsed Nyx crouching beside me, "What's wrong?"

"Thirsty," I whispered with a hoarse throat.

She gently picked me off the ground and I winced as the pain shot across my skull. Something was definitely wrong...

She lowered me beside a stream and I scrambled for the water not willing to wait for her help. She just held on to me as I wobbled. After I was done, I just shut my eyes silently requesting sleep. And then I was out like a light.

I felt someone's body heat cocooning me comfortably. My migraine seemed to have died down and I felt somewhat content on Nyx's lap. I blinked a few times before finding Nyx gazing at me. She hardly gave away any emotions but the crinkle on her forehead told me she was worried. 

"You look rather worried,"  I whispered with a small smile. She shook her head as if dismissing the fact.

"So, did you find any solution to kil-"

"I brought you something," she interrupted immediately. It wiped my smile out because I quickly recognized her attempt to hide some finding. 

"What is it?" I played along. 

Did she not want to finish me? It'd be easier to move on. Panthers live alone anyway. Was she just waiting for the right moment?

I sat straight as she pulled out a small wrapped-up towel from her side. She opened it up to show me a few chocolates in the shape of hearts. My lip twitched as I tried not to crack up. Was it Valentine's already?

It was then that I began to remember my family's yearly tradition. Every Valentine's Day, my parents always sent me a box of chocolates no matter where I was. Nostalgia hit me as I reached for the blocks of warm sweetness.

"Thank you," I whispered.

I bit into the block to find stuffing of cherries inside them. I wondered who made them... They were quite decent although the sugar was a bit much. I like my chocolates a little more dark and less sweet... just like Nyx's personality. 

I leaned into her frame and continued to chew on the chocolate. We stayed in comfortable silence for a while. Nyx refused to eat the chocolates and I just ate each of them probably because I hadn't eaten anything for days. 

"So, what did you find out?" I asked her.

"Find out regarding?" she was pushing it as if she just want to prolong the inevitable.

"Nyx, you found a way to kill me, haven't you? Stop beating around the bush," I insisted.

"There's a way that the wolves have been using. A chant that is used to kill the most vicious souls. It's only ever used in rare circumstances... to destroy a soul forever and to make them incapable of taking a rebirth... Saves generations of brutality. A few humans were granted death through the very same chant. Seemed to work."

Permanent death to the most vicious lives to prevent them from causing havoc again. I bit my lip trying to peal off a part of my skin. How ruthless... But this seemed to be the only way. Although it would wipe me off permanently, it's a good way to go. 

My voice sounded a little hoarse, "So, what are we waiting for?"

"No," she said unexpectedly. 

"What? What do you mean?" I asked her.

"No," she said pressed again.

I scoffed as I gripped her collar, "We solved it. It's done. I don't understand what's the problem here!"

She glared at me, "I am not doing it." 

She let me on the ground and stood up only to pace around frustratingly. I pursed my lips and scrutinized her drama with an infuriated pout. 

I stood up on my feet unsteadily, "Will the chant hurt you in any way?"

She shook her head, "No..."

"Then, why?"

"I'm not doing it."

Her curt answers began to dip my willpower. I was losing it. Why was she doing this? Can't she see what I'm going through? Tears began to wet my cheeks as I pathetically considered begging on my knees.

"Nyx... please. I just can't deal with this anymore. I'm in pain," I spoke as I choked on my tears. "What do you want me to do?"

She tensed up as she faced away from me, "Stop crying and suck it up. I'm not doing it."

I got on my knees, "Please Nyx... If you want to punish me, you can. But, please grant me my fate. I don't know what I've done to deserve this... I tried my best I swear." I hiccuped and sniffed to regain my composure. "I'm here on my knees before you. I've lost everything I've ever known. Why are you trying to kick down a dog that's already dying?!"

She just turned toward me and with a guarded expression, she picked me off the ground by my arms. I reached out to grab the fabric of her shirt, "What do you want from me? Why won't you give me this?"

"I'm not about to give you a fate as bad as this. We'll figure it out," she steadily told me.

My legs gave way and I repeatedly shook my head, "I can't. I can't wait."

She steadied me and lifted me off the ground, "Yes, you can. We can wait."

I trembled and pressed my forehead against her chest, "I'm hurting. Please."

"If you're hurting then,... I can put you out of it right now," she professed.

I lifted my head, "Will you-"

"If you agree to mate with me, I can pull you out of this loop. It's only a mating recitation. We don't need to have sex just yet," she spoke all of it with a straight face.

I pushed her away as my jaw hung open, "No way!"

"You're not dying anytime soon so you have plenty of time to think about it," she told me flatly.

I froze, reeling from her statement, "I can't believe you're doing this! You're so callous."

She tapped the middle of my forehead, "You better make it quick then and make a decision."

"I'm not going to have sex with you! I don't even intend to live ahead," I exclaimed exasperatedly. 

She just walked away from me and leaned against a pillar, "I'm not going to annihilate your soul, Adhira."

I wiped my tear-stained cheeks and approached her, "You don't want to be stuck with me for the rest of your life. Just get this over with. You detest me anyway."

She gripped my jaw, squishing my cheeks between her fingers, "When did I say that?"

I glared at her and tugged at her fingers. Unable to pry off her iron grip, I began kicking at her legs trying to vent my frustration with grunts of effort. I scratched at her arms with my blunt nails.

She just let go of my jaw and locked my wrists behind my back. We were now pressed against each other sporting irritated expressions. But my lips parted at the view. She seemed to captivate me with her bewitching features up close. 

"You're such a menace," she whispered.

I frowned, "And you're a cruel asswipe."

She leaned in to run her nose across my cheek and shut her eyes. My heart seemed to beat out of my chest. I squirmed and turned my face away from her.

My lip trembled as I uttered, "I can't... I really can't, Nyx. Please don't do this with me. I'm begging you."

Her eyes shot open, looking rather annoyed, "Stop trying to make it seem as if I'm torturing you."

"But you are!" I yelled at her. "You're torturing me."

"Shut up before I gag you," she bit back at me and released me.

My nostrils flared in anger and I walked away from her. I sat at the farthest corner away from her. I never thought I'd yearn for death so much. This really is hell on earth. I just can't fathom how I'd feel the next day and if I'd wake up in a state worse than today. She probably did not realize it but I was waking up weaker and weaker each day. I felt more pain each day. My heart keeps getting heavier and a voice has begun talking in my mind... how my parents' death is all my fault. How I was also responsible for the numerous people who died. It makes me want to rip my heart out.

I curled up on the ground and sunk my nails into my forearms, drawing blood to punish myself. Nyx swiftly got to my side and separated my arms. She looked livid, "You are definitely getting on my nerves now."

"Why aren't you killing me??" I demanded her.

She looked somewhat conflicted at my question. But I got no answer from her.

My voice shook, "You better not bind me to you against my will. I'll do anything you want me to... but don't force me into this, please."

She remained silent no matter how much I threw a tantrum. After a storm of my conflicting emotions, I settled on a thought. I knew that the loop was slowly killing me. I'm growing weaker by the day. I must just push this whole ordeal until I am truly killed in the process.

With that in my mind, I just remained quiet during my final hours.

Nyx only spoke when it was time for me to go, "I'll find you tomorrow. "

I pleaded with her with my eyes, one last time. She wasn't having it.

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Nyx:

"She said 'anything'. She would do anything for you," Carlos snickered like an immature child as Nyra and I deadpanned at him. We sat at Carlos's study to discuss Adhira's situation.

Nyra smacked his head, "Shut up! This is a crisis."

He just pouted, "I just meant to say,  why not show her the time of her life instead? She wouldn't hesitate since she'd do anything."

"You're a lost case, Carlos. You don't know shit. So shut up. She's fragile right now," Nyra explained and for the first time, I silently agreed with her.

My beast seemed rather worried about Adhira. And I could correlate to his apprehension.

Nyra sighed, "She probably had a family. She's feeling the heartbreak from the loss. And the stress of her having to live in a completely unfamiliar environment with no escape is frightening. So, what you need to do is to show her something that's worth living for... Like first, take her out. Show her around and calm her down. Distract her. See how she responds. Maybe even make a deal for a few days. Push the decision."

Carlos spoke up, "Ny, she hardly has any time left. This was something that I found out today. The ones in the loop are growing weaker by the day. If you let this go on, she'll have... around five to six days at the most. It'll all be over by then... Hopefully."

"I'm mating with her tomorrow," I decided swiftly.

"No no... don't do that. She's going to hate you and she's gonna face more trauma than she already is," Nyra advised me.

"You're the human. Tell me what I'm supposed to do. She's in pain," I voiced.

Nyra chewed her lip and seemed to ponder, "Give it a day. Give it tomorrow and take her out. Show her the lake or something. I'll even bake some cookies. Give her another day and coax her into making the decision."

I nodded and stood up from my seat.

Carlos gave me a shit-eating grin, "You like her romantically."

"I don't," I abruptly answered and walked my way out. 

I just don't hate her...

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