With a nostalgic expression, Silvia summoned some of her remaining strength and smiled, saying: "Remember the time we spent in the old tree house near the orphanage? And when we climbed that tree, thinking we could touch the sky?"
Hearing Silvia's words, Cyril suppressed his emotions and replied: "Yeah, I remember that one. I also recall scraping my knees while climbing that tree."
"Oh, the scraped knees and the ensuing laughter before we realized it was dangerous because you couldn't stop bleeding. Liam was so worried that he went to the Edge Forest by himself to gather the medicinal herbs needed to stop the bleeding and treat your injuries. Those were the days when we were all happy and constantly laughing while sharing our miseries."
Silvia continued to speak with the little strength she had left, even as it diminished with each passing moment.
With a slight chuckle, Cyril added: "Remember when we used to explore those old caves deep in the Edge Forest? One of them had red patterns on the walls, and we thought they were some kind of ancient writings, so we tried to decipher them. But no matter how many books we read about symbols and glyphs used in the past, we couldn't make sense of them."
"Oh, I remember that one. The cave we stumbled upon when we went too far into the forest, right? Weren't you the one fascinated by it, believing that those red patterns held the secret codes to unlock a hidden treasure? We spent countless hours reading strange books in the library, but it all turned out to be a waste of time."
Silvia playfully ridiculed Cyril while looking at him, prompting a wry smile in response to her comments.
They continued sharing more pleasant memories, despite Silvia's diminishing strength.
At some point, as Cyril noticed Liam's silence and his mere presence beside him, he nudged him, urging Liam to speak with his eyes.
Liam clenched his fist tightly, took a deep breath, and forced a grin before saying: "There were also the other adventures we had. Exploring the woods, pretending to be heroes as we hunted rabbits, imagining them as chaotic monsters. You were always fearless and ruthless against those cute rabbits, Silvia."
Liam then added: "Do you guys also remember the epic water balloon fight we had with the other kids in the orphanage?"
"Oh!"
Cyril and Silvia let out sounds of nostalgia, their faces adorned with memories.
Thus, the three childhood friends shared heartfelt laughter while reminiscing about their experiences, the good, the bad, the sad, and many others. However, their pleasant moment was abruptly interrupted by a fit of coughing from Silvia, her blood staining her dry lips.
With a concerned expression, Cyril gently wiped the blood off Silvia's lips and urged in a caring tone: "Silvia, you need to rest. Don't strain yourself."
Silvia weakly replied: "I'm okay..."
She coughed a few more times, feeling her body reaching its limits as her strength continued to wane.
With teary eyes, Silvia looked up at the ceiling and said: "We've been through so much together, haven't we? Although our childhood memories are still fresh in my mind as we spoke... They somehow feel so distant now."
Cyril and Liam's expressions turned gloomy upon hearing her words, their hearts weighed down by grief.
Silvia managed a weak smile as she struggled to express herself. With an apologetic expression, she said: "Even though we promised to go to the Central Stronghold together... I'm sorry, Cyril, Liam. I won't be able to accompany you on your future journeys. I wanted to be there, to experience more with both of you. But my time... it's running out."
"Don't say that, Silvia."
Cyril pleaded, holding her hands tightly, tears welling up in his eyes.
"We can't lose you." He said afterward.
"I'm sorry..."
Silvia's eyes began to close, her voice barely audible. Her eyelids grew heavy, and her breathing became shallow.
Before Cyril and Liam could fully grasp their grief over her death, Silvia's body suddenly became enveloped in a radiant white light, as if embraced by angelic energy. Her eyes filled with vitality, startling Cyril and Liam.
"W-What's going on?!"
Both Cyril and Liam exclaimed in shock, witnessing this phenomenon.
Under their astonished gazes, Silvia turned her head, observing her surroundings as if taking everything in. Then, she fixed her gaze on Cyril and spoke helplessly: "So, that's what happened. Unfortunately, we were interrupted. I'm sorry, but it appears that I can't accompany you on your journey this time around."
Silvia's voice sounded melodious and ethereal, as if from another world, in stark contrast to someone on their deathbed.
Although they heard her voice, Cyril and Liam remained silent, unable to comprehend or believe what was happening. They simply stared at Silvia with a mix of shock, relief, and bewilderment.
Seconds later, Cyril felt an impulse, sensing something unusual in Silvia's ethereal voice. The next moment, he suddenly remembered that he still had the corpse of the giant Chaotic Wolf monster inside him, which he could convert into a healing factor to save Silvia.
With excitement, he exclaimed: "Silvia! Don't worry! I can heal you! I can use my power to heal you! You'll be okay!"
Unexpectedly, Silvia shook her head and spoke in a dismissive yet confident tone: "No, that's impossible. You can't heal me with your ability. This is not an ordinary poison. It is... Forget it. Just listen to me, please."
She looked into Cyril's eyes with a gentle gaze.
"O-Okay."
Cyril responded blankly, feeling the confidence and certainty in Silvia's voice. He didn't even have the urge to refute her claims.
Liam observed their conversation with a strange expression on his face, but he chose not to say anything for some reason.
Meanwhile, Silvia looked at Liam with a sense of nostalgia, and then she turned her gaze longingly toward Cyril as she said: "Also, do not blame yourself for any of this. Promise me that you won't blame yourself. After all, this is my fate in this life."
"W-What do you mean by that, Silvia?"
Cyril asked, his confusion evident in his voice, but he didn't get a response from her. As soon as Silvia's voice, which carried a slightly mature and profound tone, uttered those enigmatic words, she closed her eyes, taking her final breath with a peaceful expression.
Cyril and Liam exchanged glances and stared at Silvia's lifeless body, hoping for a miraculous awakening just like earlier. However, after waiting for minutes with no change, they realized that they had truly lost her this time.
Both Cyril and Liam bowed their heads, their expressions filled with sorrow. Liam, unable to comprehend the reality before his eyes, dropped to his knees in disbelief at the sight of Silvia lying lifeless on the bed with a peaceful expression.
With her final breath, Silvia's pale complexion turned serene. Her hand slipped from Cyril's grasp, and the room was enveloped in silence.
However, Cyril's expression still displayed puzzlement. He couldn't shake off the incomprehensible things Silvia had said, adding to his emotional turmoil amidst his grief over her death.
Recalling the look she gave him before speaking, he could infer that her words were, unequivocally, directed at him.
As the room fell into quietude, the dignified old man, overseer of the awakening ceremony, opened the door and entered. Inside, he saw Cyril and Liam, still on their knees, their heads bowed in grief over their loss.
After a moment of hesitation, he sincerely offered his consolation, saying: "My condolences for your loss. She could have been a pillar for humanity, but sadly, those monsters..."
The dignified old man then sighed with a regretful expression, not even finishing his sentence.
Cyril and Liam glanced at him momentarily before returning to their despondent state. They remained trapped in that sorrowful mood for the next few days until Silvia's funeral, which was held by the orphanage.
After the funeral, Silvia was laid to rest in the grave erected behind the orphanage.