“Excuse me,” Vesta whispered, gathering all the courage he had. “Do you need help?” The stranger hadn’t heard him approach. He started badly, his body twitching upright, flattening against the wall like a cornered animal. His eyes were a brilliant, unreal red, the only spot of real colour almost glowing in the grey-scale darkness surrounding them.

“Are you scared of me, kitten?” Rough with sleep, Maxim’s voice echoed through Kostya’s ribcage, reverberated down his spine. Violet irises peeked from under heavy eyelids.

Rebirth. It made him wonder how lucky it was that they couldn't remember what the first time had been like. Because, if every time it was anything like what he was going through right now, then it meant they truly were being born to this world only to suffer, and suffer, and suffer—and to suffer again, as they tore themselves to pieces to try and make it into something worth living.