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“I’m here with you.” She said, because she couldn’t help herself. “I’m so sorry this happened. I’m so sorry the girls were taken from you.”

Kahn worked like a man possessed. Dirt covered his body, and the dark circles beneath his eyes indicated that he hadn’t slept in days. Randa wished she could hug him.

She’d never been comfortable with hugging. She’d never even had a relationship where it would be welcomed. Kahn’s life was the complete opposite. His whole life was hugs. He needed someone to lean on, only there was no one left to support him.

Every few minutes, he’d stop shoveling the graves to scream up at the sky or collapse to his knees, sobs shaking his body. Mostly, though, it was just eerily still. Not even the trees seemed to sway in the dim light. And he was used to so much noise.

“Oh, Kahn…” She whispered, her heart breaking for him.

The girls had showered him with affection, hardly leaving him alone for a minute. For someone used to pranks and games and siblings surrounding him, the unrelenting solitude must have been like a tomb.

“There you are.” After an eternity of silence and digging, Rye came into the clearing where Kahn worked. He looked nearly as bad as Kahn, exhaustion pouring off of him in waves. “Let me help you.”

“I got it.” Kahn intoned without even looking up from his digging.

Rye didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t push it. No doubt he’d noticed Kahn was barely holding it together. “Julius is burying his parents. Mannus and Daven are finally sleeping, and I don’t have the heart to wake them. I think…” He swallowed hard. “I think we’re the only ones left.”

Kahn shoveled more dirt from the hole and said nothing.

Rye rested his face in his palms. “My God. We’re the only Light Phases left.” He dropped his hands again, releasing a shaky breath. “What the fuck are we going to…?” His voice trailed off, his eyes sharpening. “Mara will be buried in the Magnet Kingdom, right? You said Chason refused to bury her here.”

Kahn grunted.

“So then why are you digging seven graves?” He looked worried now. “You’re not planning to do anything crazy, are you?”

Randa’s eyes widened in horror.

Kahn blinked like he was coming out of a fog. He turned to count the graves, a confused frown tugging at his forehead.

“There are seven.” Rye reiterated. “You only need six.”

“I’m just used to seven.” Kahn shook his head. “I do everything for seven. There’s always seven girls, so it was automatic to dig…” He cringed, unwilling to finish the sentence.

“Alright.” Rye accepted that, but he was clearly wary. “Just so you’re not planning on using the last one for you.”

“I’m not going to kill myself.” Kahn’s eyebrows compressed, his grief swinging into anger. “Hell no!”

Randa sighed in relief.

“You’re sure?” Rye pressed.

“I’m not going anywhere until I’ve killed every monster of the Air Kingdom.” Kahn climbed out of the seventh grave, covered in dirt and seething with rage. “As soon as my baby sisters are buried, I’m going to start hunting down Parald and his men. I survived this plague for one goddamn purpose: vengeance. And I’ll see it fucking done.”

Not the healthiest reason to go on living, but Randa was okay with it. Kahn was still in control of himself. He was grievously wounded, but he stayed functioning. He endured. His hatred of the Air House had kept him alive, when other men would’ve shattered. It gave him something to focus on until he could get a handle on his grief.

Randa gazed at her Match, realizing that they were very much alike.

The two of them were bloody and bruised… and unbroken. It wasn’t always a pretty kind of strength. There had been pain. And failure. And moments when hope was gone. But they’d hung on through all of the suffering and come out the other side. They’d endured, until they found each other.

Kahn was a survivor. Just like her.

The memories shifted again. They were still in the Light Kingdom, but Rye was gone and now a new man was standing in front of her. Randa’s mouth parted in startled alarm.

Vandal, of the Light House.

The psycho who’d plotted to overthrow the Elementals once before and was undoubtedly trying to do it again. He stood in the Light House jungle, while Kahn lay sprawled on the ground.

“Kahn!” Randa cried and raced towards him.