Elena walked to the fireplace. She picked up the heavy brass poker and stirred the coals. She didn't feel sadness anymore. The tears had dried hours ago, replaced by a searing, white-hot clarity. He had used her heart as a hearth to keep himself warm, never caring if he burned it to ash.
The rain was freezing, stinging her skin, but she didn't retreat. She stood in the center of the gravel driveway, the sky screaming above her. She struck a match, sheltering the tiny flame with her palm. It flickered, defiant against the gale. "You said we were forever," she whispered into the wind. Adele - Set Fire to the Rain
The air in the cabin was thick with the scent of mahogany and the bitter tang of a dying fire. Elena stood by the window, watching the storm roll over the valley. It wasn't just rain; it was a deluge, the kind that drowned out every sound but the frantic beating of her own heart. Elena walked to the fireplace