Ashes Between Us

The prison doors buzzed open, the metallic hum filling the corridor. Footsteps followed, each one heavy against the cold tiles. The overhead lights cast long shadows that stretched across the walls, making the place feel even more hollow.

Levi sat in his cell, his head bowed, shoulders slumped beneath the weight of chains. The cuffs around his wrists dug into his skin, and every small movement sent a sting through his ankles. The silence of the prison wrapped around him, broken only by the echo of approaching steps.

“Hi.”

The voice pulled his head up.

Audrey stood at the bars. His wife. The woman he had once believed would stand beside him no matter what. Her long red hair fell neatly over her shoulders, and a faint smile rested on her lips. But her crimson eyes carried none of the warmth he remembered. They were sharp, steady, filled with intent.

Levi straightened slowly. His eyes were dull, tired.

“Finally, you came,” he said.

He already knew her reason. Audrey was not just any woman. She was the CEO of ZERO, a company whose machines powered homes and armed nations. Her life was under constant attention, every move scrutinized. When the headlines exposed her husband as a murderer, she had stepped away. The marriage had ended in truth, but not in law. For weeks, she had sent her secretary with annulment papers. For weeks, Levi had refused. His answer had always been the same: She comes herself, or nothing.

Now, at last, she had come.

“Yes,” she said, her voice even, almost rehearsed. “I don’t want this to continue. Please, Levi—sign the papers.”

She held out an envelope.

Levi didn’t move. His eyes fixed on hers, searching for something behind that mask of calm.

“Please, Levi.” This time her voice cracked. “I will do anything. I will pay anything. Just sign them.”

He let out a bitter sound, half laugh, half scoff.

“So this is how it ends.”

His voice trembled. The words hung between them, heavy.

He raised his head fully now, staring at her without breaking his gaze.

“Do you remember our vows? For better or worse? Where is the loyalty now?”

“It ended when you killed a man.” The answer came quick, sharp, like a blade.

Levi flinched. Her words cut through him. His chest tightened. His fists clenched. Heat gathered at the corners of his eyes, but he forced it back. His throat burned.

“Is that so?” he asked quietly.

She did not answer.

“Sign the papers,” she said instead. “You’ll receive compensation. Enough to live on after you leave this place. But you will never see me again.”

She lowered the envelope and pen to the ground. The smile she had worn when she walked in was gone. Her face was stripped of all softness, her features cold and rigid.

Levi looked at the envelope for a long moment. He sighed, shoulders sinking further. Slowly, he bent down and picked it up. His hands trembled, the chains rattling faintly with the movement. He pulled out the forms. His name stared back at him from blank spaces, demanding release.

He gripped the pen tightly. His hand shook, but he forced the signature onto the paper. The sound of the pen scratching across the page seemed louder than anything else in the room.

When he finished, he held the envelope in his hand, his body still. But before he gave it back, he spoke.

“I want something for this,” he said, his voice clearer now.

Audrey frowned. “I already offered compensation.”

“I don’t need money.”

Her eyes narrowed, confusion flickering in her gaze.

“Then what do you want?”

Levi raised his hand, slow, deliberate. The guards didn’t stop him—he was still shackled. His fingers brushed against her hair, moving it gently aside until his hand rested near her neck.

“This,” he said.

The pendant rested there. The one he had forged years ago from his own war tags. A token of love, of sacrifice, of a bond he thought unbreakable.

Audrey froze. Her eyes widened. She had forgotten she still wore it.

“Is that all?” she asked, her voice lower now.

Levi nodded and withdrew his hand.

Audrey took a long breath, then lifted her own hand to the chain. Her fingers touched the clasp, ready to pull it free. But as soon as she tried, her body stalled.

Memories crashed into her—their first date in Italy. The quiet dinners after long days. Their wedding day, when Levi had placed this very pendant around her neck, saying it would remind her of his promise no matter where he was. The sound of his voice, the way he had looked at her then—each moment returned with sharp clarity.

Her hand trembled. She thought she was ready to end it all, ready to sever the last tie. But the simple act of taking off that pendant felt impossible.

She lowered her hand slowly. Instead of removing it, she grasped the pendant tightly, holding it against her chest. Her eyes flickered, and for a moment, Levi thought he saw her falter.

“I will bring it tomorrow,” she said at last, her tone unsteady. “Until then, think of anything else you might want in return.”

Her voice cracked faintly at the end. She turned before he could speak. Her footsteps carried her away, sharp and fast.

Levi sat frozen, staring after her. His heart pounded against his ribs, heavy and painful. He wanted to call out, to remind her of what they once were, but the words never came. His hand tightened around the signed papers.

He had thought their love was stronger than this. Stronger than the cameras, the scandals, the whispers of the world outside. He had believed it could survive.

But as the prison door slammed shut again, leaving him alone in the dark, he realized he had been wrong.

Outside, Audrey gripped the pendant in both hands. Her face was hot, her breath uneven. She had told herself the divorce was necessary, that she was protecting her company, her image, her future. But now, doubt pressed hard against her chest.

She raised her eyes toward the gate. A black armored limousine waited for her. By the door stood a woman in a black skirt and a crisp white shirt. Her brown hair was tied in a bun, neat and professional. Orange-rimmed glasses rested on her nose. She held a notepad and pen, standing straight as she waited.

“Ma,” she said with a respectful bow as Audrey approached.

Audrey unclenched her hand slowly, realizing she was still holding the pendant. She slipped it back under her blouse and steadied her breath.

“Hello, Elena. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Her voice was calm, but her heart was in turmoil.