Letter from Viic to Axel

**The Letter from Viic to Axel** is a letter that was written by Viic and sent to Axel at an unknown point in time. Axel gave it to Evie before the Rose's Thorns fled from the Hollow.

## Contents

Axel,

I don’t know where you are, and I can’t be sure that you’ll even get this letter. But the kind postmaster who I entrusted it to assured me that it would be delivered to you. Or that she’d die trying. A little melodramatic, perhaps, but it certainly instilled a sense of hope in me. And there’s far too little of that to go around these days.

I know we haven’t really spoken with one another since we found Evie's body that day. After days of searching throughout the Expanse, clinging to the hope that she was alive and well….

Neither of us could have been prepared to face what remained of her. Seeing her body like that, torn apart and ravaged by man and beast alike. It still makes me sick, even after all these years. I always had the strongest stomach between the three of us, so I can only imagine what you felt in that moment.

I know you blamed yourself for her death, despite my attempts to convince you otherwise. Deep down, you always wanted to protect us, even at the cost of your own body. You always told yourself that when it came down to it, you’d lay your life down on the line for us. To protect us, your younger sisters. Your family. No matter the cost. I don’t know if Evie ever knew, but I did. I knew I couldn’t let you do that. Your life has worth, and I never knew why you couldn’t see it.

That’s why I tried to stop you that day, from following the trail of blood that led from her body deeper into the Expanse. To find answers. It was all still too fresh, too raw, and we needed each other. I needed you, Axel.

I asked myself, over and over again, why you would leave. Why you wouldn’t even speak a word to me about what you were feeling. For years, it ate me up from the inside out. I thought you had left me behind. I thought you had abandoned me.

But now, I understand. You knew it, all along? I didn’t find out until later, when she made a similar attempt on my life, unsuccessfully…but, the dagger in Evie’s back that we found, you knew it was Dava’s, didn’t you?

And you wanted to protect me from a similar fate.

So you left. To find her. To find the truth.

And you couldn’t tell me because I still clung to the idealistic vision we had of Corvos. The one you were starting to doubt with each passing day.

I understand that now, even if it makes little sense to me.

Wherever you are, I know you’re still entirely heartbroken over Evie’s death. I can feel it. You’re alive and you’re broken. I am too. We’ve both grieved apart, but I wished more than anything that it could have been together. Like we always have been.

If you get this message, and the part of my staff that I sent with it, I want to ask a favor of you.

Please. Come home. Come back to me. We can find Ali, Avan, and the rest of them. We can be a family again. We can put Corvos behind us, for better or for worse. It’s what you’ve always wanted, right?

No matter where I am, you’ll be able to find me. Just take my part of the staff, and find its twin where we laid Evie to rest. It’ll guide you to me from there.

In the meantime, I’m going to start looking for Lilac and Oliver. I’ve heard rumors that they could be on the southern edge of the Alliance, or even in the Dominion.

It doesn’t matter. I’m going to find them, then I’m going to find you, and the rest of our family.

And we’ll be together again.

I love you. Be safe.

Viic