The flames consumed everything. The manor of Lysandros had become a veritable hell. The wood cracked under the intensity of the heat, and the walls twisted under the pressure of the flames. Every breath burned my throat, but I couldn't stop anymore. My body moved with an almost unreal fluidity, my bands of nonexistence slicing through the air to ward off the burning debris threatening to engulf me. I saw him through the smoke, his silhouette flickering in the midst of the embers. Lysandros stood there, his body riddled with wounds, but he hadn't fallen. Not yet. His eyes were fixed on me, full of hatred and fury, despite the obvious pain marking his every movement. He slowly straightened up, staggering through the flames, and screamed:
« I won't let you win, Ume! This power... this cursed power! You don't deserve to live with such a gift! »
His words echoed in the chaotic surroundings, but they only fueled my anger. My bands of nonexistence danced around me, ready to strike again. They twisted and coiled, seeking to close in on him, to annihilate him completely. He dodged, with the last ounce of strength he possessed, and created a small blade with his power. He was no longer capable of forming the giant steel sword, his energy was depleted, but that didn't stop him from fighting. He lunged at me, blade forward, ready to pierce me. I pivoted to the side, narrowly avoiding his strike. The flames illuminated his face, ravaged by rage and pain. His eyes bore into me with an intensity that would have terrified anyone, but not me. Not now. I countered with a band of nonexistence that struck him square in the chest, sending him flying backward against a burning wall.**
« You never understood, Lysandros, »
I said, advancing slowly toward him.
« This power... I never wanted it. But today, it will destroy you. »
He got up again. Despite the pain, despite the wounds, he refused to give in. His will was of iron, but his body was at its limit. He attempted another attack, his blade whistling through the air toward my head. I raised a band of nonexistence to block it, and the steel clashed against that tangible void with a deafening crash.
« You're nothing but a mistake of the Gods, Ume! »
he shouted, pouring all his strength into his blade.
« I will purge this world of your monstrosity ! »
My band repelled his sword with doubled force, and he staggered, losing his balance. I seized the opportunity. Three bands unfurled at lightning speed, wrapping around his limbs, pinning him to the burning ground.
« You talk of monstrosity, Lysandros, »
I murmured, approaching him,
« but look at yourself. You are nothing but hatred and despair. You were willing to do anything to crush others, to satisfy your pride... and that is what will destroy you. »
He spat blood, trying to free himself from my bands, but they were firm, relentless. I looked at him, the flames dancing in my eyes, and with a fluid gesture, I raised a band to deliver the final blow.
But something in me hesitated.
Would Naboru really have wanted this? In that instant, I doubted my own resolve. Naboru, despite his sacrifices and mistakes, had always shown a depth of compassion that I struggled to ignore. And I wondered if he would have wanted me to let hatred guide my actions to the very end. This doubt paralyzed me for a moment, my bands wavering and losing their precision.It was then that the bands, independent of my will, plunged deep into Lysandros's body. The scene became almost surreal as the bands pierced his flesh with chilling brutality, without my control. Lysandros straightened up, his eyes wide with pain. He looked at his body, the color draining from his face little by little. Lysandros stood there, life slowly slipping away from him. He slowly raised his head, his eyes cold and hard, fixed on me. It was clear that he was dying, and yet there was a strange serenity in his gaze, a mix of defiance and despair. He opened his mouth, and his voice, weak and raspy, began to speak. His words were slow, but charged with an intensity that transcended his pain.
« So... this is how it ends... I suppose I should have... expected this kind of ending, coming from someone like you... But before I go, let me... tell you something. »
He paused, his breathing growing more irregular. He looked at the bands of nonexistence that pierced him, then turned his gaze to me.
« I always believed I... controlled everything... that I could control everything. That's what brought me here... this desire for power, this will to impose my vision on the world... I destroyed everything in my path... and now... I'm reduced to this position... watching my own decline. »
He coughed, and a drop of blood trickled from his lips. His voice grew weaker, but his determination didn't falter.
« I... I see now... the futility of it all. Power... riches... none of it matters... not when you're facing your own end. I've seen what I've done... and now... I know it was all in vain. Everything I destroyed... everything I caused... it all leads to this... to this miserable end. »
He made an effort to lift his head, his eyes filled with a sadness I hadn't noticed before.
« And you... you're here... with your power... a power that is... far more terrible than anything I could have imagined. But despite everything... despite everything I did... I... I'm touched by what you... sacrificed to get here. Maybe... maybe I shouldn't have... been so blind. Maybe if I had seen... beyond my own... ambition... I'd still be alive.
.
.
.
No... I... I'm lying to myself. Why... why pretend... to regret? Why forgive you, when... I hate you... I hate you more than anything, you, you and that cursed power... I was supposed to be... the hero of this story... It was my destiny... I was supposed to end... in triumph, not... in flames. You took everything from me... destroyed everything... »
His gaze, once weakened, filled with icy hatred. His words were sharp, spat with the venom of a life of anger and disappointments.
« If only... I could have ended... as the hero... I was meant to be...
…
…
...
Ume... I'm scared... I'm so scared... I can't feel my hands anymore... They're so cold... It's like... everything's slipping away... Ume, I don't want to... I don't want to die... I can barely see you... everything's blurring... It's so cold... Why is it so cold? I... I don't want to... I DON'T WANT TO DIE, UME! »
He coughs violently, a metallic taste surely filling his mouth, as if death itself wasn't bitter enough. He looks down and sees blood staining his hands. I can see the fear intensifying in his eyes. His voice is almost gone, a desperate whisper
« Ume... it's... it's blood, isn't it? ... I... I'm really going to... die, aren't I? Ume... I don't want to... I don't want to... I don't want to leave... I still have... I still have so many... so many things to... Ume… I just want... to live... »
Tears start streaming down his face.
« I don't want to... I don't want to be forgotten... »
He coughs up more blood, liters of it, and gives me one last command before fading away.
« Ume... I'm so cold... Bring me... Bring me a blanket, please... Otherwise... Otherwise... oth..e..rw..i- »
To be continued...