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Richter's hand reached out to reverently stroke the pallid face before meeting his partner's lips. Green eyes, once vibrant, were now dull; no sound escaped that throat as Richter pressed forward. The taste of salt mixed with iron in their kiss.
Richter slowly pulled back.
The demons of Niflheim had kept their end of the bargain: Aster's face now smiled up at him – familiar, but lacking in its usual warmth. Chills ran down Richter's spine, and the rigid fingers that touched his chest cut straight into his heart.
This wasn't Aster, but a corpse.
A hollow shell of his beloved.