Her eyes are already almost closed, but she smiles at me. The first true smile I have seen on her, untwisted by malice or fear. Her joy means as much to me as any of the orgasms we have had, if not more. And with my heart free and soaring at last, I drift to sleep, holding her warm form to me, feeling her heart beat with mine. I wake alone.
Soot streaks the once-pristine walls, illuminated by the shafts of morning light.
My clothes are scattered beside the mat, but hers are gone. I am alone. I dress in silence, and hurry up the stairs. The fencing hall is a ruin again, burned almost to the ground. I make my way to the locker room where we first met.