Page 23 of Her Immortal Love

The memory of my own transformation rises unbidden. The burning in my veins, the feeling of my body tearing itself apart and reforming. The hunger afterward, all-consuming and terrifying. The loss of my humanity, my connections, my entire world.

But as I watch Alina suffer, I realize the alternative is worse. I can't let her die. Not like this.

I stare at Alina's writhing form, my mind a storm of conflicting thoughts. The decision before me is impossible, a choice between two unbearable outcomes.

"She didn't ask for this," I mutter, more to myself than anyone else. "She didn't choose to become... one of us."

Eira's voice is soft but firm. "She didn't choose to die, either."

I clench my fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms. The pain grounds me, helps me focus. "But who am I to make this choice for her? To fundamentally change everything she is?"

"You're the one who cares for her," Eira says. "The one who can save her life."

I close my eyes, remembering Alina's smile, her curiosity, her fierce determination. The way her eyes lit up when she discovered something new about her magic. The warmth of her skin against mine.

"If I do this," I say slowly, "she'll never be the same. She'll lose her humanity, her connection to her old life. She'll become... like us."

Another scream tears through the air, and I flinch. When I open my eyes, Alina's back is arched off the cot, her body contorted in agony.

"Fuck," I growl. The sight of her suffering tears at something deep inside me. I can't bear to watch her in pain any longer.

With a heavy heart, I nod to Eira. "I'll do it. But not here."

I lift Alina in my arms, ignoring the burn of her out-of-control magic.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, pressing my forehead to hers. "I hope you can forgive me for this."

As I carry us out into the forest, away from the moaning and cries of the others, I silently pray to Akeldama, to whatever powers might be listening, that I'm making the right choice. That Alina will understand why I had to do this.

That someday, she'll forgive me for changing her very nature and saving her. Because I just can't let her go.

14

ALINA

Idrift in and out of consciousness, my body wracked with waves of intense sensation. One moment, searing pain courses through my veins like liquid fire. The next, a rush of euphoria floods my senses, leaving me gasping.

My mind struggles to make sense of what's happening. Everything feels heightened, amplified beyond normal human limits. Sounds that should be distant echo in my ears as if right beside me. Scents I've never noticed before assault my nose, overwhelming and intoxicating.

My skin prickles and burns, feeling as if it's being peeled away and reshaped. Bones crack and reform, muscles tear and regrow. I want to scream but can't find my voice.

The worst pain concentrates in my back. It feels like my spine is trying to burst through my skin. The agony builds to a crescendo until I'm certain I'll be ripped in two. Then, with a sickening tearing sound, my back splits open.

I fade in and out, unable to maintain consciousness through the onslaught of sensations. In brief moments of lucidity, I catch glimpses of concerned faces hovering over me. But everything blurs together in a kaleidoscope of pain and transformation.

My mind reels, desperately trying to process what's happening. But it's too much. Wave after wave of change crashes over me, dragging me under. I lose all sense of time and self, adrift in an ocean of sensation.

I'm drowning in a sea of memories, each one crashing over me like a relentless wave. Munich's streets unfold before my eyes - the smell of fresh pretzels, the chiming of church bells. I'm a child again, running through the English Garden, my parents' laughter echoing behind me.

The scene shifts. I'm hunched over textbooks in the university library, the familiar excitement of scientific discovery coursing through me. Formulas and theories dance across my vision, a reminder of the life I once knew.

Suddenly, I'm in Greece. The warm Mediterranean breeze caresses my skin, but the peaceful moment shatters as terror grips me. A vrakken appears, his wings blocking out the sun. I relive the horror of my abduction, the disorientation of waking up on an alien world.

But then... Alexei. His steel-blue eyes pierce through the chaos of my memories. I see him guarding the human encampment, our first tentative conversations. The way he looked at me when I first used magic. The feel of his skin against mine during our intimate moments.

A rush of emotion floods through me. I realize that despite everything - the fear, the anger, the confusion - I'm grateful for meeting him. He's become my anchor in this strange new world.

I want to tell him I forgive him. That I understand that he is not at fault for my involvement in the war effort. I would have volunteered anyway, to protect both humans and vrakken. I want him to know that I've fallen for him, that my heart belongs to him now.