Neither Jace nor Steve said a word. They just stared at me.

I lifted my head slowly and asked in a daze, “You don’t know?”

I tried to sit up. “Then I’ll go find him.”

“Rea,” Steve pressed me back down. His eyes were red.

I blinked. “What’s wrong?”

Jace’s voice softened. “Hayden’s already gone.”

I nodded. “I know…” I forced a weak smile. “I know he’s gone… that’s why I need to go be with him.”

Steve’s grip on my hand tightened—hard, almost painful. I looked at him. “You’re hurting me.”

“Rea…” His voice was rough. “You won’t see him again.”

I stared at him, something inside me twisting, clawing, breaking. But I shoved it back down. “I can. Just let me go.”

“Rea,” Steve said again, his voice desperate.

But I couldn’t stop. I pushed harder against his grip. “Let me go.”

That raw, desperate need bubbled over, burning in my chest. I had to see him. If I didn’t, I’d lose what little was left of me.

“You can’t see him,” Jace snapped suddenly. He hesitated, then added, “He’s already… been cremated.”

I froze.

I stared at Jace, my mouth opening and closing, struggling to make sense of his words.

“Jace!” Steve’s hand tightened on my shoulder. “Rea, you… you need to calm down.”

I turned to Steve, frantic, my eyes pleading with him. “What he said isn’t… isn’t true, right?”

Steve’s red-rimmed eyes filled with sorrow. “Rea, if you need to cry… just let it out.”

But I couldn’t cry. If I cried, it meant I accepted it. And I wouldn’t.

My eyes widened. Without thinking, I shoved him away.

“No! You’re lying! You’re all lying! I don’t believe you!”

I tried to get up and run, but Steve grabbed me again, his grip unrelenting. I thrashed, fought, clawed at him, but he wouldn’t let go.

The suffocating panic took over. I lashed out, punching him, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t budge.

In a final, desperate move, I bit him—hard.

Steve didn’t even flinch. He just held me.

Eventually, I ran out of strength. My teeth loosened, my hands trembled, and I slumped against him, my fingers still clutching his arm. “Please don’t be so cruel… Please don’t do this…”

“You have to accept it,” Jace said again.

How could I accept this? Hayden, the man who was so alive just hours ago—holding me, dodging freaking bullets from Bruno’s men, his breath warm on my skin, his heartbeat pounding in my ears—how could he just be gone?

I turned to Steve, desperate. “Take me to him.”

I couldn’t hear another word from Jace. His words were too final, too devastating, shattering the last bit of hope I had left.

Steve glanced at Jace, and I jerked him. “Steve…”

He nodded. “Alright, I’ll take you.”

He helped me to my feet, and we started moving. I didn’t even know where we were going; I just followed.

I wanted to believe Jace was wrong, but deep down, I knew. He wasn’t lying.

With every step, my chest grew heavier.

Then I saw it. A sign. One word.

It stopped me cold.

“Do you still want to go?” Steve asked quietly, like he could feel the shift inside me.

Yes, I did. I had to see him. One last time. Even if all that was left… was a handful of ashes.