The sky stretched out in endless darkness, only the stars and the moon breaking through it, giving them at least some light on this cold night.
The air in the slums had always been thick, the stench was so gross that even stray animals wouldn't want to go there.
Layla, a skinny, dirty fifteen year old girl with messy, uncombed hair, stood on the crumbling rooftop, watching Orion.
He was down below, under the rooftop, cooking a stew using the leftovers he had found during the day.
She had always loved him, long before the others even noticed him. She loved how he always looked after her, how he let the world pass by without caring about anything else but their survival. She loved the never dying determination in his, that same determination which allowed them to survive in the slums. But now, as she watched him, a small amount of fear appeared in her heart, the winter was soon to come, but it seemed to be even worse than last years.
A distant rumble sounded, loud and ominous. Orion looked at the sky through the hole in the rooftop, his face tensing in terror. Layla jumped down from the rooftop and stood next to him, wrapping her arms around him.
The sky---the sky itself--- it was shattered. Long, asymmetrical lines tore through it like if it was a shattered piece of glass, sending sparks of red and violet across it. The sky wasn't just slowly cracking... it was bleeding.
"Orion…" She whispered with fear. Her cold arms tightening against his arm and her cold breath hitting his skin.
"Do you see that?" He asked with terror.
"Yes," she whispered, her throat tight as she swallowed saliva in fear "What does it mean?"
Orion's expression was one of terror and disbelief, but pulled her closer, trying to reassure her. "It means that everything is about to change, Layla. But don't worry... I will make sure that those changes won't affect us..."
Layla's eyes widened... but it wasn't fear that intensified, in fact it was something else that replaced it--- excitement. "I'm not worried, Orion. The only thing that we have is ourselves... and I'm sure we will always be together, no matter what." She closed her eyes, leaning her head against his shoulder.
Orion's grip tightened around her waist, his body stiff, though his voice softened. "Always together... that's the only thing I can promise you, Layla."
The air around them grew colder and colder, but Layla couldn't tell if it was the weather or the sky. It wasn't just the cracks. The air itself seemed like it was humming something. The stars that had once looked peaceful now flickered like dying flames, their light too bright, but also too cold.
Orion hugged her tightly, not even thinking about reasing her. He never did when they were like this---when they were uncertain. Layla could feel his heartbeat through his chest, and even though she knew it was from fear, she always wished it was from something else.
"Do you think that this is the end of the world?" She asked quietly, not wanting to break the intimate silence between them.
Orion just stared at her for a couple of seconds. His eyes remained fixed on the bleeding sky, his face horrified. It was rare to see him so vulnerable, so weak. She had always been the who was protected by him, but right now, in that moment, she wasn't so sure who was protecting who.
"I don't know... I really don't know..." His voice was low and quiet, filled with desperation. "But I do know one thing." He looked straight into her black eyes. "Whatever happens… I'll make sure we don't die... We won't go the way of the weak. I won't let you die... after all... it's only the two of us..."
His words sent a chill down Layla's spine. He was always so certain, so confident. But tonight… tonight something felt wrong. There was a weird look in his eyes that made her question how far he was willing to go for her.
"Orion…" she muttered under her nose, pulling back just enough to look at him. "You said we would survive. But what if we're not meant to? What if the world is actually ending, and we cannot do anything about it?"
He smiled softly, cupping her face in his cold hands, his thumb brushing against her cheek softly.
"Then we'll end it together," He said softly, "before it gets the chance to end us."
Before Layla could even respond a single word, a sudden, violent gust of wind whipped through the slums, making the broken buildings wiggle as if they were alive.
The sky above them cracked again, this time twice as loud. Sparks of red and violet shot across the sky, casting an eerie glow over the world.
Layla's heart pounded as the ground beneath them trembled. The gear intensified, and she felt herself instinctively press closer to Orion, who was staring at the horizon.
"Something's coming," He said, his voice a soft whisper. "The world is changing, Layla."
Layla looked up at him, her heartbeat quickening.
"Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly, his voice almost too soft.
Layla nodded, she trusted him with her entire being. She loved him, always had, but there was something in the air tonight that unsettled her. The sky splitting open above them, she couldn't help but wonder if they were both being pulled into something far darker than either of them could comprehend.
"...I love you, Orion..." she whispered and then everything went blank.