"Dylan! Dylan, *sob*, no, please wake up, Dylan." Sherry couched besides Dylan, shaking his bloody body but it was weak and nonreceptive. She could feel the beating of his heart grow weaker and weaker as time went by.
"…I can't use magic…" Matthias revealed with shock. He and Sherry had actually been constantly trying to use healing magic on Dylan but not to mention a spell, they couldn't even release the magic in their bodies without it dispersing into nothingness.
"No, that can't be! There has to be a way, we promised…we promised to go back home." Sherry stubbornly shook her head and continued to put pressure on Dylan's open wounds that were still leaking blood.
"Then, how about I stay to look after him while you go look for some help?" Matthias suggested with a weak smile.
"But-!"
"You'll be the fastest of the both us of." Matthias lifted his hand from his black robe, revealing the sticky blood that overflowed from his stomach.
"You, why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want you to worry." Matthias attempted to laugh, only to be stopped by the intense pain in his abdomen. "There might still be some people loitering around, go ask them for some help."
"Who would stay here after a demon has attacked? Even if someone did, they'd already be dead!"
"I, I heard that there was a strange sage that lived in these parts. He's powerful enough not to be bothered by a demon, you, you can go find him for help." Matthias made up some bs and lied. He seemed to have made it his mission to force Sherry to evacuate from the building that barely resembled a castle.
"Is that true?"
"Yes, why would I lie to you in this situation? Now, go. Don't waste any more time."
Sherry looked back at Dylan one last time before gritting her teeth and sprinting out of the ruins, leaving a trail of tears behind her.
When she was finally gone, Matthias staggered and fell to the ground with a thud. He coughed violently, agitating his wounds. Weakly, Matthias pulled himself up and sat down besides Dylan. His breath was laboured, face pale and wet with cold sweat.
Brushing against Dylan's hair, Matthias sighed. "Looks like this is the end, old friend. This building will collapse soon, hopefully, by then, Sherry would've gotten out."
As if awoken by Matthias' voice, Dylan slowly opened his tightly shut eyes. The first thing he saw was Matthias' dust stained, pale and crying face. "Did we get it?"
Matthias was startled by Dylan's words. He froze for a brief second but finally reacting. "Yes, yes we did. The last victims of that old thing will be us."
A thin smile surfaced on Dylan's lips. "That's great." He wasn't exactly fond of the world he lived in, in fact, it gave him many terrible memories. His childhood was plagued by toxic relations, schemes and blatant disdain, it couldn't be worst. However, the world also offered him fond memories, he enjoyed playing with the spirits, he enjoyed playing with Matthias, he enjoyed training at the knight's barracks, and most importantly, he met Sherry in this world. To see it vanish because of a vile fiend would leave a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Sherry?" Dylan called out, seeing she was nowhere to be found.
"This building is going to collapse soon so I sent her away."
"Why didn't you go too? You could still make it if you go now." Dylan scolded and urged. Raising his voice agitated his wounds, causing him to cough out blood.
"My leg and stomach have been hit, I'd only drag her down. I only managed to get her to leave by making up some sage. Do you really think she'll leave us if she knew the truth?"
"…No, she'll be an idiot like you and stay."
Matthias couldn't help but chuckle. "Exactly."
He laid down beside Dylan on the dusty and rubble filled floor. "Remember when the kids at academy used to bully us for being illegitimate children?"
"Mm."
"Back then, you weren't so strong but you always tried to protect me. You told me that you'd at least share the beatings so it wouldn't hurt as much. Do you know how stupid I thought you were back then?"
"Well, that's because you were frail like a flower back then, even now. Without your magic, you're as weak as a child. I was raised to protect the weak."
"Maybe that was when, when I decided that I'll stay beside you for the rest of my life, or at least, stick with you through thick and thin."
Dylan didn't have to turn to look at Matthias to know that he had that same old smile plastered on his face. At the thought, a smile snuck onto his face. To die smiling was pretty cool.
"To have a talking companion while I wait for death isn't so bad after all." He snickered.
"Yeah. Haha." Matthias chuckled. "Now, if only it would happen sooner. I'm started to feel dizzy, how unpleasant."
"Me too, it's taking my all to keep myself awake."
"Do you want to bet how we'll die?" Matthias suggested.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Whether we die of blood loss or being crushed to death."
"That's interesting. We'll settle the winnings in our next life, I'm assuming."
"Hehe, of course. The winner can request anything of the loser in our next life."
"Then, I predict that we'll die of blood loss."
"Oh, why?"
"The castle's sturdier than you think, old friend."
"Oh, hehe, then that leaves me with crushed to death." Matthias closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I hope it collapses soon."
While the two idiots were busy courting death, Sherry was running with all her might, breathless and in pain, but still soldiering on. Just as she got to the exit, she found a glowing golden butterfly fluttering about. Without knowing why, she stopped and stared, as if entranced by the insect.
The butterfly fluttered around Sherry's head before heading into the castle ruins. It flew in one spot, as if waiting for Sherry to follow.
"You want me to follow you?"
The butterfly flew into the depth of the ruins the way that Sherry entered. Unknowingly, Sherry followed the butterfly, running at top speeds but never catching up. Eventually, she made it back to where she had originally been.
{Thank you, little one. It is thanks to you that the vile barrier around here has been broken. I can finally reach my children because of you. For that, I thank you.} An ethereal, kind and warm voice echoed from within the butterfly.
"…Sennia?" Sherry muttered.
{That's what my children call me}
Sennia, the goddess of Diva, the creator of the world. She was mother to all life, the benevolent and kind Sennia.
"Please! Can you save them?" Sherry kneeled down instantly and pleaded with all her heart. By now, both Dylan and Matthias had already fainted from the blood loss and were only waiting to die.
{I cannot.} The goddess cruelly replied.
"…Why?" Sherry asked, in denial. She was a god, she could do anything. Why can't she save them?
{This form does not have much power, I can only save them through the power of another.}
"You can use my power! I don't care, I just want to see them alive, I want them to live."
{...Child, you are not of this world. If I use your power to heal them, they will no longer be tied to the fate of this world. They will no longer be my children.}
"What, what does that mean?"
{It means that the fates of these children will be tied to you and never this world. Even in death, the world will no longer be able to accept them.}
"That doesn't matter! All that matters is that they will still be alive. They can't die, not now. They still have so much to do, so many things to see. They cannot die, I won't let them!" Sherry cried desperately, shedding large droplets of tears.
{Then that would mean that the power meant to send you home would be used up. You will remain here until the day of your death.}
"I don't mind. They are my saviours, I will not abandon them."
{I understand. However, the decision will be left to them. It is their fates, they will choose the result.}
"But, he'll refuse." Sherry understood Dylan well, he would choose death over forcing her to sacrifice something any time.
{And that would be his own choice}
Sherry grit her teeth in anguish. "…I understand."
{Children, what are your choices?}
"I decline the offer." Dylan's gruff voice echoed. He had woken up sometime during the conversation and heard enough to understand the consequences.
"I also refuse." Matthias weakly added.
"Wha-, why? Why would you choose death?" Sherry cried out in disbelief.
"You've always wanted to go back home, Sherry. We don't want to ruin it for you."
"You think I'll abandon my friends just to go home? Do you think I'm that kind of person?!" Sherry screamed in anger. "If you do not say yes, I'll kill myself on the spot."
"Wha-, Sherry!" The two yelled.
"Goddess Sennia, please, save them. They may be dumb, but they really are kind people. I can't let them die just because they value friendship over life. Please, I beg of you, save them." Sherry begged and begged and begged.
The golden butterfly was touched by the three's selfless display, so much that she decided to go against her own words. {Very well, I'll make an exception this time. After all, you did kill the vile intruder for me. As a reward, I shall grant you your request. However, as a result, memories of this entire incident, including your heroic slaying of the demon will be forgotten. Is that fine with you?}
"Yes." Sherry resolutely nodded.
{Your wish has been heard. Children, from henceforth, your fates will forever be tied together, never to be separated. I wish you all the best.}
With that, the golden butterfly dispersed into tiny fractals and spread itself across the entire world. It seemingly turned back time to before the fight, to before everyone got hurt. The actions of the three heroes was forever forgotten and all was restored as they originally were.
***
Sherry woke up in a panic. "Why, why did I suddenly remember that? Didn't the Goddess say I won't ever remember it?"
Similarly, Dylan woke up in a huff. "Why did I forget something so important?"
And back in Diva, Matthias too dreamt of the same thing. "Goddess, why have you shown me this? Is it to mock me for my current state?"
As she continued to think over the contents of her dream/recollection, Sherry strangely started to blush. "Our fates are forever connected."
She very conveniently forgot that Matthias was also included in it.