Regret Came Too Late

Outside, the snow kept falling. In the distance, the landscape was nothing but rubble, and beyond that, an endless stretch of bleak gray sky.

Ethan's fingers stayed locked with hers; the heat of his skin was a smoldering presence she couldn't ignore.

Grace didn't have it in her to be cruel-not when he asked so quietly to just be allowed this.

The minutes dragged painfully, and his fever only worsened.

Eventually, she couldn't sit still any longer. She reached for the bottle of water, ready to coax him into drinking again.

His eyes fluttered open-glazed, foggy, as if he wasn't sure where he was.

"Mr. Bennett's gone, Mr. Henderson. Let's head back first. Even if there's no medicine, lying down will be better than staying here," she reasoned.

Instead of responding, Ethan slowly dragged his tie, his movements sluggish from the fever.

Grace quickly pressed her hand against his chest to stop him and re-fastened the tie.

Normally, he was all sharp lines and strict precision, never leaving a button undone.

Grace lowered her eyes, fingers deftly tying the knot. She decided she wouldn't wait for Tim anymore-she would get Ethan back herself.

Just then, Ethan's scalding hand closed over hers.

"We're not going back," he rasped, his voice wrecked by the fever. "There are magnolias nearby... did you know?"

Grace had no clue where they were, only realizing more and more that he was completely out of it.

"Alright, magnolias. If you want to see them, I'll go pick some for you," she said, playing along.

But his eyes lit up instantly, hope flashing through the fevered haze.

"What?" he said, surprised.

Grace blinked in disbelief-seriously? In this frozen wasteland?

"Mr. Henderson..."

over, but he suddenly dropped her hand, staring bleakly out

it," he

to his forehead; even the corners of his eyes seemed misty, his cheeks flushed a sickly

said, "I'll look. But if I can't find any in

as he hummed

Grace took crunched softly

but after a few paces, worry

headed back to the car and tapped lightly on the

His face was still flushed with the fever, and his hair whipped around

a bit and grab something random to bring

at

looked like some feral, red-draped spirit-fragile, powerful, and

even have to speak; somehow, he made her want

she would ever feel pity for him.

She

her

bet

put. I'll go find it, You want

a response, she marched into the

things that didn't exist. However, after ten minutes of wading through the. snow there it was-a flash

a wall. yel

were magnolias. They burned bright against the ghostly white of the world, shockingly

disbelief

reached out. The instant she brushed the delicate bloom, a rush of fragmented memories

the pitch-black cave, two children clung to

instinctively glanced around, then moved toward a direction that

about 65 feet, she spotted a hollow

heart lurch, hammering painfully

was like stepping straight into one

that dream, she and a little boy had been trapped