The world around them had stilled, as if time itself had begun mourning. The sky had dimmed, the stars above flickering weakly, as though they too were fading.
Nyx, still bleeding but very much alive, knelt at the center of the devastation. The warmth of her companions' presence was quickly slipping away.A weak chuckle broke the silence.
"…Damn," Aurora murmured, barely able to keep her golden eyes open. "I really thought we had it this time."
Seraphine's voice, soft and tired, carried on the wind. "We did our best."
Celeste exhaled slowly, a wry smile on her lips. "I hope the next life is gentler than this one."
Orion and Gideon, the two who had guided them all like unshakable pillars, now lay wounded, their strength finally failing.
But there was no regret in their eyes.
Only acceptance.
Lila, the youngest of them, struggled to lift her trembling hand, reaching for Nyx.
"…You're still standing," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
Nyx could only stare.
Lila smiled—small, fragile, yet filled with so much warmth.
"You're always the strongest, Nyx."
The others, despite their broken bodies, let out faint laughs.
"She is," Aurora murmured. "She always was."
"…And that's why," Gideon said, struggling to lift his head, "she's the one who will carry us forward."
Nyx's breath hitched. "What do you mean?"
A soft glow began to form around them. Magic.
Power.
The last remnants of them.
One by one, they extended their hands toward her.
"You can fix this," Celeste whispered.
"You can go back," Orion said gently.
Nyx's eyes widened in horror. "No—"
But they were smiling.
"I give you my flames," Aurora said.
"My shadows," Seraphine whispered.
"My earth," Celeste breathed.
"My strength," Orion rumbled.
"My wisdom," Gideon added.
Lila, with the last of her strength, took Nyx's bloodied hand in hers.
"And I give you… my hope."
Nyx's entire body trembled as their powers surged into her, wrapping around her like a blazing storm. She tried to fight it, to push back, but she was too weak to resist.
Then, in a voice both soft and desperate, Aurora spoke again.
"Nyx… when you go back—find us again."
Aurora's golden eyes, once so full of fire, were dimming, but they still burned with one last ember of conviction.
"Find us. Tell us everything."
Celeste nodded weakly, a faint smile on her lips. "We'll believe you."
Seraphine's voice was barely above a whisper. "No matter what happens… let's fight together again."
Orion's large hand trembled as he reached toward her. "Don't let this be the end."
Gideon, always the strategist, managed a weak chuckle. "This time, we'll be stronger. You won't have to fight alone."
Lila, her small fingers tightening in Nyx's grip, pleaded softly.
"Promise us, Nyx."
The glow around them grew stronger, their final powers pouring into her, merging with her very soul.
Lila's voice, fragile yet filled with unwavering trust, reached her one last time.
"No matter how long it takes… find us, okay?"
The light exploded.
And everything shattered.