"Stop this, please, Claudine. I heard everything. I promise I will behave properly from now on. I will even obey your every word. Don't be sad—it hurts me to see you like this," Eryndor pleaded, his hands trembling as he tried to wrest the knife from Claudine's grip.
"Please, Master, let me do this. It will set you free. I don't care about anything else," Claudine sobbed, her tears streaming as she clung to the knife.
"Please, Eryndor, let her go," Aeris pleaded from behind, her voice trembling as she pulled at Eryndor's arm.
"Shut up, you idiot! What are you thinking, saying that? Do you think this will make me happy?!" Eryndor's voice cracked as he turned his tearful gaze to Claudine. "I've changed myself. My mother guided me to become a better version of myself—do you think I did that for fun? I've already lost one friend; I can't lose you too! Please, stay by my side for the rest of my life."
Claudine's grip faltered as her resolve wavered, and Eryndor took advantage of the moment to pull harder. But the force he used caused him to lose his balance. His foot slipped on the damp floor, and he fell backward, dragging Claudine with him.
The knife, still clutched in Claudine's hand, pierced her chest as they hit the ground. Blood spread across her clothing, soaking the floor beneath her.
"No, no, no, no! Why? Why, damn it?!" Eryndor screamed, his voice echoing through the room as he cradled her.
"Please, someone call a doctor! Quick!" Aeris shouted out the window, her voice frantic.
The guards burst into the room moments later, their faces turning pale at the scene before them—Claudine lying atop Eryndor, the knife buried in her chest.
"Quick, bring healers! Get the royal physicians!" Eryndor barked at the guards, his voice thick with desperation.
Amidst the chaos, Claudine raised a trembling hand to touch Eryndor's cheek. "Don't... bother. I won't make it," she whispered.
"Don't say that! Please! I'm sorry—don't leave me!" Eryndor choked on his words, forcing a smile through his tears.
"Don't blame yourself. What happened... was just bad luck," Claudine murmured. Her gaze shifted to Aeris, who was sobbing silently by the window. "Maybe you and Aeris really are meant for each other. Take care of her... for me."
Aeris tried to respond, but her voice failed her, overwhelmed by emotion.
"You know, Eryndor," Claudine continued weakly, "even though I wasn't your mother.... the best part of my life was watching you grow. The time we spent together... was the happiest time I ever had. When you were little, you were so shy around me. I still remember how you cried when I helped you bathe..." She smiled faintly. "And the nights you came to me for bedtime stories because your mother wasn't there...."
Eryndor's tears fell freely as Claudine's voice grew fainter. "I still have the cloth you made for me with your tiny hands.... even though you hurt your little fingers...." Her hand slipped from his cheek.
"Claudine? Claudine! Please don't leave me!" Eryndor sobbed, holding her lifeless hand against his heart.
Her pendant fell to the ground, clicking open to reveal a photo of Claudine holding a young, crying Eryndor. The other side of the pendant was empty.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Eryndor screamed, his anguish tearing through the silence.
Aeris, trembling, knelt beside him and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry.... please forgive me. This happened because of me."
Her tears mingled with Eryndor's as she whispered, "Why, Lyriel? Why did she die? And now Claudine too? They were the kindest people I've ever known. Why did they have to suffer such horrors?"
"The greatest crime in this world is being innocent," Eryndor said through gritted teeth. "But don't worry, Aeris—I'll find the bastard who did this. I won't rest until I do."
Fourteen days later, Aeris began stepping outside again, though only when Eryndor was with her.
The noble girls watched them from afar, their expressions dark with envy.
"I guess losing one friend wasn't enough," Seraphina muttered, her fists clenched tightly.
"That bitch Aeris... she's even closer to Eryndor now," Amelina hissed, scratching at her arm.
"Should we finish her and her family, like what happened to Lyriel?" Isolde suggested, her voice unnervingly calm.
Their conversation stopped abruptly as Eryndor turned to look at them, his gaze cold and piercing. They froze, exchanging nervous glances.
That evening, Eryndor escorted Aeris home. Though he hated leaving her alone, Aeris insisted she didn't want to trouble him further.
As he left, Eryndor noticed Isolde talking to an unfamiliar man while glancing toward Aeris's house. His unease deepened as he continued walking.
Further along, he spotted the golden bird with its long, fluttering tail. Its golden feathers shimmered in the fading light, streaked with green. He paused to watch it as the bird's owner approached.
They exchanged a few words. "I heard about your friend. I'm truly sorry for your loss," the man said, his tone somber.
"It's okay," Eryndor replied. "She isn't really gone. As long as Aeris and I are alive, she'll live on within us. But it's my duty to give her justice."
The bird flew past them, stirring the air. Its warmth made Eryndor pause. The man hurried after it, disappearing into the distance.
Later, the man stumbled upon a group of elves aiming arrows at the bird.
"Stop it! You bastards are going to kill her, just like before!" he shouted, stepping in their way.
"You again? You still haven't learned? We kill these birds—you have no right to interfere!" one elf snarled as the group attacked him.
Beaten and bloodied, the man collapsed, clutching a golden feather that drifted into his hand. "No.... not again. Please... no!" His scream echoed as a glass ball fell from his pocket.
A soldier watched silently from the shadows.
That night, a shadowy figure loitered outside Aeris's house but was thwarted by tight security. Inside, Isolde paced her luxurious room, visibly restless.
At the royal palace, Eryndor spoke with his father, his expression serious and resolute.
Later, Eryndor entered a small house within the kingdom. Inside, he found numerous golden bird feathers. He inspected each one carefully, his expression darkening. When he didn't find what he was searching for, he left quietly, his thoughts heavy.