A Rift Between Us

The air was thick.

Heavy with the lingering scent of blood.

Zareth clenched his fists.

Ed stood there, sword still in his hand, his expression unreadable.

The body—no, the absence of it—was the only thing between them.

The old woman had vanished.

Disappeared.

Zareth's chest rose and fell. He turned toward Ed, his eyes burning with an emotion he didn't fully understand yet.

"…You killed two people."

His voice came out lower than he expected. Heavier.

Ed, however, remained unfazed.

"Were they innocent?" he asked, his tone flat.

Zareth's jaw clenched.

"That's not the point."

His words came sharper than intended.

Ed tilted his head slightly, his gaze almost bored.

"Then what is?"

Zareth took a slow breath, trying to calm himself.

"Who are you to decide? Who are you to punish people?" His voice grew louder. "Are you a god?"

Ed remained silent.