Phantom Twin

I nudged Vex's ribs with my boot. No reaction.

Just to be sure, I crouched and pressed two fingers to his throat. His pulse thrummed weakly but steadily beneath clammy skin.

Unconscious, not dead.

Good.

I still had some questions that I wanted to ask him. 

Then—

"Hoof."

My legs gave out. I collapsed onto my backside, the damp grass cool against my palms as I sucked in ragged breaths. The adrenaline that had kept me moving now receded like a tide, leaving behind a body that ached in places I didn't know could ache.

I… won.

The realization settled over me slowly, seeping into my bones like the evening dew.

Around us, the battlefield told the story—splintered trees, gouged earth, the metallic tang of blood lingering in the air. And at the center of it all, the unconscious form of a man who'd tried very hard to kill me.

A faint smile tugged at my lips.