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Sandwiches always reminded her of him. Of those picnics they would organize on councilor bonding day. After doing trust exercises like trust falls, truth or dare, or two truths and a lie. Of when Kenric would tease Bronte for wearing black in the summer time.
“Not even a shade of gray Bronte?” Then Terik would join in with teasing him, and it was like they were at Foxfire once again.
They reminded her of when the two of them would have a secret picnic for lunch, and how the rest of the council would turn a blind eye to their romance as long as it wasn't affecting their job and the work they did. How they would talk about the future and how one day they would step down from the council, together. Build a life together, maybe have kids. But being reminded of him always drew her back to that one memory the worst memory she has.
As she stopped to catch her breath, she looked back. Big mistake, the fire roared, Everblaze painting the sky. It was beautiful in a horrible way. Oralie did a quick headcount, Tiergan, Alden, and then other councilors. Fitz and Sophie were no where to be seen, as well as Kenric. She was just with Fitz and Sophie, but she had run to find her colleagues to find the others, she didn't expect for the wind to catch the Everblaze and shift the direction. She fought her way over to where the rest of the council was. "Sophie, Fitz and Kenric are all missing she told them.
"What!" Emery shouted before doing a quick headcount of his own.
"miss Foster and Mr. Vacker went to bottle quintessence so we can extinguish this." as she said the last word Liora gestured around to the Everblaze. Oralie let out a sigh of relief, but only for a minute, "Wait, that still leaves Kenric uncounted for.” The whole council don't look at her, in fact they look any where other than her “what's wrong, where's Kenric?” despite it being hot with everblaze roaring and the heavy fire proof clothes she was wearing a chill ran up her spine, goosebumps raising on her arms. Bronte cleared his throat and wrapped her in a hug as he told her the news,
“Kenric-he's dead Oralie, we're so sorry.”
Dead
Dead
Hearing those words echoing in her head of "He's dead Oralie we're so sorry." Bronte breaking protocol by not using her title but who cared, nothing mattered any more because, Kenric was dead the whole world was ending. How was she supposed to survive without her best friend by her side? How dare the sky look so beautiful in such a deadly way on that night the Everblaze that killed her love mixing with the stars that reminded her of his eyes. How dare it. Every time she saw the stars, it brought her mind back to the memories. The time they were in Foxfire and they did their astronomy assessment together, how Kenric helped her study the stars, while she helped him study the elements. The time that Sophie had her first tribunal and he plotted the stars. But all the reminders eventually go back to that day. She didn't know if she would ever be able to forget, but she did know she would keep trying her best, keep living, and keep remembering him.
Because what else could she do.