The invasion of Quel'Thalas began under a shroud of darkness, with the ominous march of the Scourge signaling the end of everything Sylvanas and Zanin had fought so hard to protect. The Lich King's forces swept across the land like a plague, leaving nothing but death and despair in their wake.
Sylvanas and Zanin, now bound by love as well as duty, stood side by side, their rangers poised to defend their homeland with every last breath. The forests that had once been their sanctuary were now battlegrounds, echoing with the sounds of battle—the clash of steel, the cries of the wounded, and the terrible, unearthly moans of the undead.
The two had faced countless battles together, but this one felt different. There was a sense of finality in the air, a grim knowledge that this might be the end. Yet, they fought on, driven by a fierce determination to protect their people and each other.
Zanin's eyes met Sylvanas's as they led the charge against the oncoming wave of undead. "No matter what happens, I'm with you till the end," he vowed, his voice firm despite the fear that gnawed at him.
Sylvanas nodded, her expression steely but tinged with the same fear. "We'll make them pay for every inch of our land," she replied, her voice fierce. "They'll know what it means to face the rangers of Quel'Thalas."
The battle was brutal. The rangers fought valiantly, but the sheer numbers of the Scourge were overwhelming. Sylvanas and Zanin moved as one, their years of fighting together making them a formidable pair on the battlefield. But even their combined strength was not enough to turn the tide.
In the midst of the chaos, Zanin found himself separated from Sylvanas, surrounded by a horde of ghouls and abominations. He fought with everything he had, his sword flashing in the dim light as he cut down the undead that sought to claim his life. But for every one he felled, more took its place, an endless tide of death that he could not hope to overcome.
A cry from Sylvanas reached his ears, and he turned just in time to see her battling a death knight, her face a mask of fury and desperation. The sight of her in danger spurred him on, and he fought his way toward her, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and determination.
But the Lich King's forces were relentless. As Zanin cut down another ghoul, he felt a searing pain in his side—a blow from an unseen enemy. He staggered, blood pouring from the wound, but he refused to fall. Not yet. Not while Sylvanas needed him.
He pushed forward, his vision blurring as he called out to her. "Sylvanas!" His voice was hoarse, desperate, but he could barely hear himself over the roar of the battle.
Sylvanas turned just in time to see Zanin collapse to the ground, his sword slipping from his grasp. "No!" she screamed, her heart lurching as she abandoned her fight with the death knight to rush to his side.
She knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she tried to stop the bleeding, but it was too late. The wound was fatal, and they both knew it.
"Sylvanas…" Zanin whispered, his voice weak as he reached up to touch her face. "I'm sorry… I couldn't… protect you."
"Don't you dare apologize," she said, her voice breaking as she held him close. "You fought bravely. You… you saved me, Zanin. You saved us all."
Tears blurred her vision as she pressed her forehead against his, their final moments together slipping away like sand through her fingers. "I love you," she whispered, her voice choked with grief.
"I love you too," Zanin replied, his breath growing shallow. "I'll wait for you… on the other side."
With those final words, Zanin's hand slipped from her face, and the light faded from his eyes. Sylvanas clutched his lifeless body to her chest, a scream of pure anguish tearing from her throat. The world around her seemed to fade, and for a moment, all she knew was the pain of losing him.
But the battle raged on, and the Lich King's forces were relentless. Sylvanas knew she couldn't stay there, couldn't allow herself to be consumed by grief. Zanin's death would not be in vain.
Gently, she laid his body down, her heart breaking as she kissed his forehead one last time. Then, with a steely resolve, she picked up his sword, her own strength renewed by the fury of her loss. She would fight on, not just for her people, but for Zanin, and for the love they had shared.
The battle continued, but the odds were against them. Sylvanas fought with a ferocity born of grief and desperation, cutting through the undead with a precision and skill that few could match. But even she could not stand against the might of the Lich King's forces alone.
As the Scourge closed in around her, Sylvanas knew that this was the end. But she would not go quietly. She would make them pay for every life they had taken, for every inch of her homeland they had defiled.
In the final moments of her life, as the darkness closed in and the Lich King's cold grip reached for her, Sylvanas's thoughts were of Zanin. She would see him again, in whatever world awaited them beyond this one. And they would be together, free from the horrors of war and death.
With one last, defiant strike, Sylvanas fell, her body joining Zanin's in the dust of Quel'Thalas. The Lich King's forces swept over the land, but their victory was hollow, for the spirits of Sylvanas, Zanin, and the rangers who had fought beside them would never be truly defeated. Their love, their courage, and their sacrifice would live on, a beacon of hope in the darkest of times.
And as Sylvanas's soul drifted into the void, she knew that Zanin was waiting for her, just as he had promised.