"Cinder ran for the gun that had been shot from Thorne's hand. Thorne ran too, yanking Cress's attention back to him. In one movement, he knocked Cress's arm up with his elbow while simultaneously, with his noninjured hand, driving the knife into her stomach, burying it to the hilt. Cinder snatched the gun off the floor. Cress dropped hers. Blood seeped through her dress. She gaped up at Thorne and it was impossible to tell which of them was filled with more horror. Thorne's hand was still wrapped around the knife's hilt."

Levana was too distracted with Cinder, to pay any attention to Thorne. She let go of her hold on him. He immediately let go of the knife. "I'm so sorry Cress!" Thorne managed to press out, he proceeded to pull out the knife carefully. Cress winced in pain, but tried to hold still. She moaned in pain. Thorne dropped the bloody knife on the ground, he didn't want to hurt her ever again. He then proceeded to help Cress over to the wall. She propped her body against the wall and slumped down in a sitting position, with her hand pressed to her injury. "It's not your fault, you couldn't control yourself," she whispered, Cress looked down at his injured hand and paused before she continued. "I did that to you, I should be the one apologizing,". Thorne sat down next to her, she lay her head on his shoulder. "Cress," Thorne said. She tilted her head back a bit and looked up into his eyes, she was so beautiful, he could see on her face that she was in pain. "This," he held up his injured hand, and tried to hide how much it hurt to actually move his hand. "Isn't even a scratch, compared to that," he pointed at her wound with his good hand, the wound that he had inflicted on her. "I'll be okay," Cress whispered reassuringly. "Cress," Thorne said again, he had to tell her how he felt. He brushed her hair away from her brow. "I meant it," he told her. Cress smiled. "I love you Cress," he said. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you too Captain," Cress whispered, her smile was even bigger now. "We need to get you out of here," Thorne said. "There is no point Captain, it's too late," Cress mumbled. "No!" he cried and tried covering her wound with his hands. "You're my hero," she murmured. "I won't let you die without being kissed," Thorne whispered. He held her fragile body in his arms and then he kissed her. This kiss was slower than the kiss on the rooftop, but it was still passionate in a way that the kiss in the atrium had been. His lips burning against hers, they both had tears streaming down their faces. "Thank you for everything Captain," she said against his lips, but her voice was lower than a whisper. Cress's body slumped in his arms and the warmth started ebbing out off her. "No! Cress!" he sobbed. Thorne brushed Cress's hair away from her face, she was so beautiful, why hadn't he told her sooner? His brave little Cress. He clutched her in his arms, and started rocking back and forth with her in his arms. "Why?" he sobbed.

Some people would say that you were lucky if you survived a near death experience, however Thorne did not think so. Because he had to live with the pain of loosing Cress, and those people had no idea what that was like. It was one thing loosing the person you love, but it was another thing when you were the one holding the murder weapon. When you were the person who killed them, even if it wasn't of your own will. He still had horrible nightmares about how he had buried the knife deep into Cress's stomach every night, even after several years had passed. He still had nightmares. It felt like she had died a day ago, but at the same time it felt like eternity, because he missed seeing her face light up when she smiled. He missed seeing her blush, he missed everything about her.

Thorne was not lucky for surviving.