The Battle of Betrayal - Final Moments
The battlefield was scarred with destruction, the remnants of a war that had claimed countless lives. Xue stood amidst the ruin, his breath heavy, his hands stained with blood, but his heart was heavier than ever. The demons were gone, but the price had been far too high. The Elites were decimated, and the last battle had torn apart everything they had worked for.
Elysia, once a beacon of hope, now lay before him, her body wracked with the demon's curse. Her eyes, once so full of life and light, now burned with an unnatural fire. The demonic blood coursing through her veins had consumed her, transforming her into a beast, a shadow of the person she had been. Xue couldn't bear to see her like this.
Seraphina, the Elite of Healing, knelt beside them, her hands glowing with the last remnants of her mana. She chanted softly, her voice trembling as she tried to mend the impossible. Elysia's body convulsed, but the wounds were too great, the transformation too far gone.
"Stay with me, Elysia," Xue whispered, his voice breaking. "I won't let you go. Not like this."
But Elysia, though still breathing, was slipping away with every second.
Seraphina looked up at Xue, tears in her eyes. "There's nothing more I can do. I can extend her life… but only for a few minutes."
Xue nodded, his heart sinking as the time they had left dwindled. He couldn't accept it. Elysia had always been the strongest, the most brilliant of them all. How could this be the end?
With Seraphina's help, they fought to keep Elysia's life lingering, a fragile thread keeping her tethered to the world of the living. Elysia's breathing slowed, but the light in her eyes was dimming. Xue held her hand, refusing to let go.
"Elysia, please… You're not alone. I'm right here," he said, voice raw with emotion.
Elysia, despite her struggle, managed to lift her head slightly, her gaze meeting his. She smiled weakly, but there was a deep sorrow in her expression—regret and realization. The betrayal her father had orchestrated, the madness that had consumed her, all of it. She had been blind to the signs, trusting the wrong people, and now it was too late.
"Xue..." she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely audible. "I was… so dumb. I didn't… see it coming. My own father… I couldn't…"
Tears welled in Xue's eyes as he squeezed her hand. "No, don't say that. You were never dumb. You were just… fighting for what was right. You always fought for the world."
Elysia's eyes flickered, and her lips trembled as she struggled to speak. "I couldn't save us… but you can. You have to. You're the only one left…"
Xue's chest tightened, and his voice broke as he whispered, "I will. I'll make it right. I promise."
Elysia smiled again, though it was bittersweet. "I know... You always keep your promises…"
In a final, trembling gesture, Elysia reached up and cupped Xue's face. Her fingers, cold from the transformation, brushed gently against his skin. Then, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in a soft, lingering kiss—a farewell, a promise between them both.
"I'm sorry… for everything," she whispered, her breath growing fainter.
Xue's heart shattered, and he kissed her back with all the love and regret he had been carrying for so long. He had failed to save her, failed to protect the woman he loved.
And with that, Elysia's body relaxed, her breath slowing until it stopped completely. Her eyes, once full of light, were now closed forever, her final smile etched on her face.
Xue held her for a long moment, his mind numb, his soul crushed. He had lost her, the one person he couldn't afford to lose. But even in her final moments, she had given him hope—a reason to keep fighting, to keep going.
And as the last breath of battle and chaos faded into the silence of the battlefield, Xue knew what he had to do.
For Elysia, and for the future she had died to protect.