Freya's POV
The moment my eyes met Freja's lifeless body, lying on the cold, bloody ground, a part of me dislodged itself from the other pieces of me. A big chunk shattered. The whole world was muffled in silence while my heartbeat drummed so loudly in my head.
Gone.
I heaved myself up from the dirt with a shaking body. My entire body ached, my limbs were heavy, and the bitter taste of blood filled my mouth. A deep gash ran down the side of my face, with the warm liquid trickling into my eyes, blurring my sight. I blinked furiously, hoping to clear it, but nothing could rid this haunting scene before me of Freja lying lifeless, her chest hollow where her heart should have been. I wanted to scream. I wanted to fall to my knees and weep. I wanted to reach for her, shake her, tell her to wake up, that this couldn't be real.
But I couldn't.
There was no time to grieve.
A slow, mocking clap echoed across the battlefield. My blood ran cold.
I turned my head, my body still shaking, a
