Without hesitation, Sara dashed up the stairs, her heart racing. She burst into her mother's room, breathless. The flickering candlelight revealed Arthea sitting at her desk, startled by her daughter's abrupt entrance.
"Sara, what are you doing here?" Arthea asked, concern etched on her face.
"I saw Agro," Sara said, her voice urgent. "I think he's here to kill you."
Arthea's expression shifted, her brow furrowing as she stood. "What? Guards—"
Before she could finish, a voice echoed from outside the door, chilling and calm. "It's too late."
Sara spun around, her blood running cold as Agro stepped into the room. His presence was a dark cloud that seemed to suck the air from the space. He held his sword at his side, its blade catching the faint light ominously.
"Agro," Sara said, her voice trembling. Her hand instinctively reached for the hilt of her own sword.
Arthea's eyes widened as she stepped forward, placing herself between Agro and Sara. "Leave this place."
Agro's lips curled into a cold smile. "I've waited too long for this."
The ensuing fight carried a frantic energy. Agro's strikes were deliberate and punishing, while Sara's were wild, fueled by sheer desperation. Arthea tried to summon her magic, but her movements were sluggish, her strength sapped by exhaustion.
As Agro closed in on Arthea, Sara lunged forward with a scream, her blade catching his shoulder. Agro stumbled but turned with a feral snarl, his retaliation swift and brutal. Sara was thrown to the floor, her weapon clattering out of reach.
"Sara!" Arthea's voice broke through the chaos, filled with panic and love.
Agro seized the moment. He raised his sword, his gaze fixed on Arthea. The queen's eyes met his, defiant yet resigned.
A crash echoed in the hall as the guards finally arrived, but it was too late. Agro hurled his blade with deadly precision, the weapon finding its mark in Arthea's chest.
"No!" Sara's scream tore through the room as her mother collapsed.
Agro retreated into the chaos, vanishing as swiftly as he had come.
Sara cradled her mother's lifeless body, her tears falling freely. The queen's final words were soft, almost lost in the noise
"I'm sorry for ruining your life. Please forgive me