The clouds above us were dark, but from beyond the mountain ridge, I could see the beginnings of a golden ray of light. It shone upwards into the sky, turning the grey into a golden yellow. It was a positive sight, one that would ordinarily fill me with hope.

Yet this wasn’t the time to be hopeful – not when I knew where that light was coming from. I turned to Alica, but no words came. What was there to say to someone after all of this time? Thank you? I’ll see you on the other side? Nothing seemed adequate.

Alica knew, though. She entwined her and in mine, smiling slightly.

“We tried,” she whispered, a tear rolling down her face. “We really did, but we can’t run forever.” I nodded, eyes on the horizon once more as black figures began to sprout from behind the hillside. In their hands, flickered the red-hot flames that had stained the sky yellow. It was not a sunrise, but an end – a final end.

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