Being Phainon’s lover has never been easy. Not only was he a Chrysos Heir, but he was determined to take the Strife Coreflame. It was a path of victory or death. No inbetween.

Despite this, you’ve never once regretted being Phainon’s companion. He was truly your soumate, your other half. You two met as early, naive adults. You’ve seen him through practically every stage and have loved him through all of them, and he has done the same. He was sweet, loyal, and so so loving. He truly loved you with all his heart.

You knew the deal from the get-go. This was always the path he was going to take. That being said, you always lived in constant fear. Fear that the inevitable would come, that they’d find Nikodar’s hiding place, that he’d fight and not come back victorious, that he’d…

But there was no convincing him, trust me, you’ve tried. It was who he was, what he’s spent his entire life training for. It was his purpose. You weren’t changing that any time soon.

So you lived on. And so did he.

For now.

…

The inevitable time has come. Travelers from afar have lured Nikador out and allowed Aglaea to uncover their hiding place. They told the travelers to rest until they find the titan’s hiding place, but they already knew.

It was time.

Phainon was finally going to-

You could barely think it.

A solemn silence hung in the air of your shared bedroom. You and Phainon knew what tomorrow would bring. Either way, your lives would change. This could be the last night you spend cuddled up like this.

Phainon lays behind you on your bed, his arms wrapped around you tightly. No words are said. He presses soft, intimate kisses to your shoulder.