From Ruin, She Rose Novels & Stories

“I’m going to fuck you so thoroughly that the only name you remember is mine.” Zira moaned softly as my fingers pushed inside her once more. The storm wasn’t over. But for the first time, I wasn’t facing it alone. And I would burn the entire college down before I let anyone take her from me.

Her cries rang out into the stone walls, but no salvation came. It was the end of something within her. That night, her spirit shattered. No more tears fell, for the well of her sorrow had run dry. The fire that once burned in her dimmed to ash, her heart emptied of all warmth, all humanity. And above it all sat Ravena—cackling like some mad crone, goblet in hand, her laughter ringing like a death knell. She drank deeply as the ruin unfolded before her, delighting in Scarlet’s undoing.

Then it opened its beak and let out a sound no raven should make—a low, human whisper. My Luna’s name. Once and clear. Before it launched into the storm and vanished south. I stared after it. The riders waited. I kicked my horse forward. The snow swallowed our tracks behind us. But I knew now—whatever waited in Ravaryn wasn’t waiting anymore. It was coming for us.

“I can’t meet you again.” “I have to be faithful.” “Victor doesn’t deserve this.” Neither did I. But I won’t say that out loud. I don’t get to. Not when I’m the ruin she keeps crawling back to. Not when I’m the name she never should’ve said in the dark. Not when I’m the truth she’ll always run from, even if a part of her wants to stay. The sky above me is soft now, pale and quiet, like the day hasn’t fully woken up yet. Maybe it knows better than to witness this. Maybe even the sun doesn’t want to see what’s left behind.

A peace that felt, for the first time in longer than she could properly remember, entirely, wonderfully real. Outside their window, the city continued its endless rhythm, unaware that somewhere within it, a woman who'd once believed herself utterly discarded had finally, fully claimed the crown that had always, rightfully, belonged to her.

He reached down and pressed the barrel of the gun lightly against my bandaged wound. Pain exploded through my side, and I gasped despite myself. The sound finally stirred Ruin. His body tensed, and his eyes opened. Everything happened at once. Ruin saw the men, the gun, and my expression. His entire posture changed in a single heartbeat. The exhaustion vanished from his face, replaced by cold fury. “Step away from her,” Ruin said. His voice was quiet, but it carried absolute authority. The assassin laughed softly. “You are not in control here.”

“I won’t.” Ashen’s fingers threaded through mine. “Then we adapt to the bond you’ve created.” “The bond we created,” I corrected. But before any of them could answer— The ruins groaned. A deep, thunderous shudder rolled through the floor, shaking dust from the ceiling. The mosaic of the First Maiden flickered, light sputtering like a dying star. Riven pushed to his feet, instincts snapping to alert. “That doesn’t sound like a celebration.” Silas reached for his blade. “No. That’s something breaking through.”

It’s always been like this, even before I realized what she was to me, a storm in human skin, the promise of ruin and salvation. Riven stepped in beside me, just far enough from Violet and her friends that she wouldn’t hear a damn thing. His eyes stayed locked on her, on the way her aura curled around her, on the way her laugh made the walls vibrate with power she didn’t even notice leaking out of her.

Justin could guess that not long after Sin Rose disappeared, Ruin would come to take revenge on Justin. It is not difficult for Justin to defeat Sin Rose who is known to be dangerous to demon hunters and monsters. "Ruin," Justin muttered, staring at the flames in the rain. "I'm waiting for your revenge, Ruin," Justin immediately disappeared from the original place. And a second after Justin left, the clouds slowly faded away, and the rain stopped too, but the flames that burned Sin Rose were still burning. Justin disappeared, and appeared in the shed behind the kitchen, right in his apartment. If he suddenly appeared anywhere, Karina would be shocked and confused.

Her feet didn’t touch the ground. She floated inches above it, each step trailing ember dust. “You keep clinging to love, Rory. To guilt. To the belief that you’re still human.” She stopped. “But I’m what happens when you let go.” Riven stepped forward, slicing the air with his blade. “Come one step closer and I swear—” “You’ll what?” she whispered. “Kill her?”