Regulus dropped the goblet, distantly hearing the clink clink clink as it hit the ground and bounced, then rolled, across the stone floor of the cave.
He supposed the scene would have been beautiful under any other circumstances. The cave was clearly naturally formed, and the lake created a soft glow, and the little island he was standing on was the best place to take in the picturesque scene.
If only … If only it wouldn't end so terribly. But there was no other way. No other way for it to end, and he wasn't sure he wanted there to be. At least this — this beautiful monstrosity he was faced with — was coming about on his own terms. At least this meant something.
He could try to run. Maybe he would be killed in a few days, weeks, months. Maybe he would last years. But what sort of life would that be? Living in constant fear. Fear that he will be discovered, caught; fear that someone will recognise him and mention his whereabouts in front of the wrong people. He didn't think he could live like that. And, as much as he didn't want to die, he knew it to be the lesser of two evils.
He was not faced with good options, but he had put himself into this position. He had no one to blame but himself. His brother had tried to warn him against joining; his cousin had tried to warn him against disobeying. He had ignored them both, and now he would pay the price.
With a deep breath, he tried to calm his racing heart.
He stepped forward, towards the beautiful lake, but he knew there was something deadly lurking just below the surface. As soon as the toe of his shoe touched the water, the surface began to stir, whirls created in the once still water as the creatures sensed his presence.
A thin hand — only skin and bone — broke the surface, reaching towards him with long, ghostly pale fingers, and he was caught in that odd stillness between fight and flight. But he knew what he had to do.
Before he had a chance to think on it any longer, Regulus took a large step forward, into the lake. The water was deeper than he had thought — he'd been hoping he might be able to wade in — and he dropped like a stone, his head sinking below the water.
The creatures grabbed ahold of him, clutching at anything they could reach; tearing at clothes and hair and flesh, breaking fabric and skin, with sharp nails and deceptively strong fingers.
He was holding his breath, though he knew it to be pointless, and he had to make a conscious decision to breath in. He'd rather drown than suffer through whatever these creatures had in mind.
Water filled his lungs, and he choked, limbs thrashing as some small part of him fought to survive. It burns his lungs and brings tears to his eyes, though those are quick to merge with the water of the lake, and he chokes and coughs uselessly.
Distantly, he feels nails and hands and teeth, but everything is fading. He can't hear anything over the loud beat of his heart, and his vision blurs and fades.
Finally, he is calm.