At that instant, the pain, once a muffled scream, now dissolved into a frightening void. My body, which until then had been struggling in agony, finally found stillness. However, this calm was not a relief, but the brutal realization that Keltherion, by destroying my hearts, had stolen my very life. As I sank, my vision narrowed, the world became distant, and the sound faded away. The only image that persisted was Aurëalis's desperate face, on the verge of collapse, too exhausted to fight.
— Aurëalis… No… I can't leave her there… I need to go back… She… can't stay with those monsters… She needs me — I thought, with a cold despair invading me, while I tried, in vain, to move my body, and extend my hand to reach her.
But, however much my will screamed, however much I desired, nothing happened. My body did not respond. Still, even in the face of futility, I persisted, fighting against the inevitable.
As I struggled, trying somehow to return to consciousness, the space around me became increasingly vast and distant, as did the sounds of the outside world. Gradually, the energy that allowed me to fight ebbed away, until, suddenly, everything went dark. The sounds ceased, and I found myself there, alone with myself, on the brink of eternal disappearance.
At that moment, the hope of fighting vanished. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. I had been through so much, despite my young age, that the only real desire was, finally, to find the peace of sleep.
— So… is this it? — The question echoed in my mind, as I floated through that dark ocean, on the thin border between life and death.
— Tsk… how could I have been so naive? — I thought, as bitterness rose through my throat.
— To think that Keltherion would not be capable of great feats, or that he didn't even think straight, was the greatest of my mistakes… Tsk… in the end, the one who fell into his trap from the beginning was me, wasn't it? — I concluded, with the cruel irony of the situation hitting me.
For a few seconds, the silence was absolute.
— Everything… vanished so fast… — I thought, observing the darkness that enveloped me.
— Sigh… Really, I am very tired… — The exhaustion was a crushing weight.
— All I ever wanted was to rest in peace, but throughout my life… I always faced the worst situations… almost as if the universe amused itself in seeing me suffer, without ever being able to have what I always sought: my peace. — I reflected, while the voice of my soul sounded in my thoughts.
— Much worse beings, who really deserved to go through everything I went through, seemed to never have problems. Whereas I, who never wanted to cause even one problem… I am… about to die…
— … Sigh… this is almost hilarious, hahaha… — A joyless laugh, an echo of resignation, escaped my mind.
— Well… but what happened, happened. I can't change the past… — I thought, trying, now, to find some way to accept the situation.
— The truth is… that this peace I feel now… this feeling that everything will be fine… and that I don't need to worry anymore… I really want it to be true… I really want to go. I want to be at peace… But… can I really? — I asked myself, increasingly certain that the answer was affirmative.
At that moment, almost in unison, all my thoughts seemed to agree. It was as if everything conspired for me to give up resisting, and surrender to what I always desired, and which finally seemed to be there, before me: eternal peace.
However, among all those thoughts that urged me to give up, the memories of my parents and, especially, of Aurëalis, seemed to hold me back, like invisible anchors.
— Mother… father… Aurëalis… — I thought.
— Aurëalis… — I repeated the name, while I relived everything we had been through together, from the day we met, until a short time ago, when I saw her face for the last time, desperate, exhausted, broken.
Thinking of that, thinking of Aurëalis, of how much I loved her — even more than the peace I always sought — and how my death would mean dragging her with me, due to our soul link, made something vibrate in my chest, even though all my hearts had already been destroyed, and even in the condition I found myself in.
— I… I can't let her come with me like this. I… I may be dying, but she can still be happy somehow… — I thought, while the decision formed in my mind.
At that point, even if it was difficult for me to put into words, I was already certain of how much I loved Aurëalis and her way. I was certain that, just like her, I also wanted her by my side forever. And, sincerely, knowing that as soon as I died, perhaps she could find another love in her life, was not something I even liked to consider. However, I could not be selfish to the point of deciding, for her, who still had a chance to live, something so serious. I could not let her die along with me just because of our soul link. I could not be selfish to that point, as much as I wanted to.
— Tsk… I just… can't let this happen like this… But… I also can't let her go back to those monsters out there… What do I do? — I thought, with my mind in a whirlwind.
After a few seconds, the only possible alternative arose in my mind.
— Yes… I can do this… Use the remaining energy I still have, generated by my physical body, before stopping completely, and pass it to Aurëalis. Even if it's not much, with this she will be able to escape using her speed… I'm sure. After that, she can go to my parents in search of help… I'm sure they will protect her… — I concluded, with a plan now formed.
— Great, now the hardest part will be thinking of a way to break our soul link, something that isn't even well known how it works, and reach her… Sigh… but one step at a time, Kyrion, it will work… —
I murmured to myself, trying to give myself courage.
Thus, I began to, immediately, think about what to do. However, before I could continue, an unprecedented tiredness hit me, and, the instant I felt that, I gathered what was left of me and fought desperately. I still couldn't go, I still couldn't disappear, not without first helping Aurëalis.
— Tsk… but… what… is this… — I thought, feeling a fatigue I had never experienced before.
— Why… this now… agh… I… can't… I can't… — I continued, resisting with all the strength I still had left.
— No… please… not yet… Aurëalis… I can't… leave her… please… I implore… if someone hears me… please… please… I….. — I said finally, before, inevitably, succumbing.
At that moment, the anguish and fear that accompanied me, even at the hour of death — a moment that is expected to be of peace and final rest for the spirit — caused in me something worse than physical pain. Even though I should rest, I couldn't. It was a terrible feeling, which only ceased when, suddenly, a ray of light broke through all that darkness and, in seconds, took over the entire space, almost blinding me in the process.
— Agh… but what… is this? What is happening? Where… am I? — I thought, while protecting my eyes with my arm.
When the light finally dimmed, I could lower my arms and open my eyes.
— But… what happened? — I asked myself, extremely confused.
— Agh… I only… remember… the darkness… the tiredness… and… Aurëalis… — I thought, finally remembering, even if in part, what was happening before I blacked out.
— Aurëalis… I HAVE TO RUN TO SAVE HER SOMEHOW… I CAN'T GO YET, I CAN'T GO WITHOUT SAVING HER… I CAN'T… — I thought, desperate, believing that, somehow, I had managed to get out of that place, and that I should take the opportunity to try to find Aurëalis, before something like that happened again.
However, after some time running aimlessly, I realized that desperation would lead me nowhere.
— Tsk… think, Kyrion, this desperation is only stealing our time. We are running in circles. Come on… How can we find her? … Tsk… That is if she is here… — I said to myself, trying to rationalize.
At that moment, while I reflected and thought about what I could do, something caught my attention. Just below my eyes, a faint but persistent light made itself present.
— What… is this? — I asked myself, observing the source of that light.
There, connected to my chest, was a kind of luminous line that was not there minutes ago, when I arrived at that place. It extended in front of me to a point I could not see.
Even without believing that that line would lead me to Aurëalis, or, at the very least, to a place that could help me, something in me said that I should follow that line. And, without any other choice or better idea, so I did, and began to follow that line.
As I moved, the line seemed to decrease more and more.
— But… what is this line? — I asked myself, confused, while walking.
It was at that moment, while I was trying to understand what that line represented, that, finally, I could see something on the horizon. A strange shape, huddled on the ground.
Seeing that, I stopped and tried to discern, still from afar, what it was about. However, no matter how much I narrowed my eyes, I could not distinguish it. Only one thing was certain: that line connected to me was going in the direction of whatever that was.
— Sigh… Now that we've come this far, we have nothing to lose, right? — I thought, while I continued to walk towards whatever that was.
As I walked and got closer, the image became clearer, until, at a certain point, when I could finally understand what it was about, my legs weakened for a moment. However, I firmed them again and, with a speed I didn't even know I had, I ran towards it. There, lying on the ground, unconscious, with extremely tired eyes, was Aurëalis, the other end of that rope that started from my chest.
As soon as I reached her, I threw myself to the ground without thinking and brought her closer, in an extremely tight embrace.
— Aurëalis… By the heavens… Thank you… thank you so much… — It was the only thing I could say while I hugged her, thanking whatever had heard my last request.
After a few seconds in that way, I could perceive that her breathing was difficult, and even with me there, by her side, she was not waking up. The contour of her eyes was dark, different from all the times I saw her before, dark circles caused by the extreme exhaustion she had gone through.
Along with that, at that moment, while I observed her to make sure she was okay, I could see something that caught my attention again. The other end of the line that came out of my chest was connected to Aurëalis's chest, as if we were both connected somehow.
It didn't take long for me to put the pieces together and understand what that line meant.
— So… You are the representation of the soul link… aren't you? — I thought, holding that line.
For a few seconds, I stayed there looking at the line, while Aurëalis rested on my lap.
— Tsk… I don't want to do this… I don't want to… — I said to myself, my voice choked with reluctance.
But It was then that I looked again at Aurëalis's face, remembering everything we had been through, although briefly, and again I understood that I couldn't be selfish to the point of taking her with me. After all, her life was just beginning, very different from mine.
— But… I have a mission to fulfill here, and I need to fulfill it quickly, because time is probably running out… — I thought, pushing away other thoughts and acting logically.
Thus, I began the race against time to discover, before anything else, how I could undo that soul link so little known, even by the gods.
For some time, I stayed there, trying in every way to cut that line, or even pull it from me or from Aurëalis. However, nothing worked.
— Damn… Damn, damn, DAMN… — I said, with a defeated voice.
— What hell… Come on, I need something, anything that helps me break this link… please… — I implored, without having any idea that could help.
Then, irritated and in a desperate action, I did something I had already tried without success, but that I hadn't done with full strength in me yet: pull that line out of my chest, even if it tore me in the process. None of that mattered. To me, what mattered was the fact that Aurëalis would be fine, and wouldn't need to feel any more pain.
So, I placed Aurëalis back on the ground carefully, then I stood up, moved away a bit, and with both hands I began to pull. The pain I felt was thousands of times worse than what I felt while Keltherion destroyed my hearts. It was the pain of the soul being hurt, of two totally compatible souls separating. However, even with all that, even with that pain that made me want to faint, I didn't stop, I couldn't stop.
After a few seconds of excruciating pain, I finally managed to tear off the end that connected me to Aurëalis. It was a hard and sharp end, like a spear, different from the rest of the line, and it left a hole in my chest. A hole that exploded in a luminous dust, and that made me fall to the ground, without any more strength.
The moment it was torn from me, that line dissolved like dust in the air, without it being necessary to do the same with Aurëalis, which brought me immense relief.
However, as soon as the rope disappeared, Aurëalis, who before was sleeping exhausted, suddenly woke up with a long sigh.
— B-But… what happened? — She asked herself, while looking around, confused.
It was then that, looking in my direction, she remembered what had happened.
— Kyrion… KYRION!! — She said, desperate, crawling in my direction, with some difficulty for still being very weak.
She, then, was the one who, this time, brought me to her lap.
— W-WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS HOLE IN YOUR CHEST?!… — She said, crying, desperate.
At that moment I looked at her, placed my hand on her face with delicacy and calm, and I couldn't help but open an extremely happy smile. Seeing how much she cared about me really was something incredible, and I was grateful that she was the person I chose to stay with in my last days of life.
— Aurëalis, my love. — I began.
— You don't need to despair… It's all right… — I said.
— This hole… it… no longer hurts.
— I-IT DOESN'T HURT? KYRION LOOK AT THE SIZE— She was saying, when I interrupted her.
— Aurëalis, this necklace… So… it's true, isn't it? You… really made a necklace with my scale.. — I said, changing the subject, since I could feel that my time was running out, and that I still had one last thing to do.
Aurëalis, then, looked at her necklace, slowly.
— Y-Yeah… I made it… on the same day I took it from you… as soon as I got to my room, later that day I made it… — She said, with teary eyes, while looking at the necklace with an indescribable affection.
The truth is that, from the first moment that Aurëalis and I had reunited inside Lumina, I could see that she carried that necklace, however, I had never managed to comment on it, since we hadn't had time, not until now.
— I really… was the luckiest male of all to be able to know you… — I murmured to myself, happy.
— W-What? — She asked, clearly unable to hear properly what I had said.
— It's nothing… it's just that… it looks indescribably beautiful on you… — I said.
Aurëalis, then, opened, for the first time in a while, a small smile, and her face flushed.
Next, I raised my hand slowly to the necklace, and held my old scale with my hand. At that moment, I had already decided where I would transfer the energy I would give to Aurëalis.
When I began to transfer that energy to my scale, an extremely strong light made itself present, as well as a great shockwave.
— What… was that? — Aurëalis asked, without understanding anything.
She held me with an indescribable strength, as if she feared letting me go again.
However, at that moment, by passing the rest of everything I had to the necklace, to Aurëalis, my final destiny was already sealed, and I began, little by little, to disappear, like dust, dissolving bit by bit.
— Aurëalis, listen to me… — I said, bringing her face to me, so she couldn't see me disappearing at that moment.
— My time has come… — I said, reluctantly, with a tight throat.
— W… what? — She said, incredulous.
— Yeah… the end has come for me. — I said next.
— But… please… just listen to me. — I continued, asking her to listen to me before she could interrupt me.
— I know it won't be easy… that you don't want me to go… but that's not what's important here and now, but rather you…
— I… am only here now… because I couldn't go without doing something for you… without doing one last thing that could free you from those monsters out there who say that are your parents…
— That's why, I came here to give you what remains of my energy… — I completed.
— I transferred this energy into the scale on your necklace… It's little energy, but it's enough for you to escape from there, I know that…
— As soon as you escape, go to the kingdom of the Void Dragons, tell them what happened, and show the scale to my parents… I'm sure they will welcome you… Because you have my scale… — I said.
— I… just want you to live well… even without me around… — I continued.
Aurëalis seemed frozen in time. She showed no emotions. Her face, which before seemed to have gained a bit of color, quickly paled again, and without any warning, tears began to fall from her eyes. It was then that she seemed to come out of that trance.
— W…What? … What do you mean die? Haha… hahahah… N-No… no no… that's not possible… I-It's not… — She said, refusing to believe it.
— Y-You said you passed me your… energy? I-I'll be fine… please, take it again… you need it more than I do… PLEASE TA— She was saying, starting to despair even more, when I interrupted her.
— Aurëalis… I am already dead. This energy I'm giving you could never bring me back. And even if it could, I would, forever, think of you, before everything, because, to me, it's you who really matters in the end… — I said, while most of my body had already completely disappeared at that moment.
— Just… remember one thing. I love you, for all eternity. Even if the universe ends, even if everything ceases to exist, I, every atom of my body, forever, will continue to love only you… — I said, while, with effort, I rose close to her face and kissed her.
That kiss, even if brief, was enough to show, one last time, that everything I had said, and even things that words couldn't say at that moment, were true, were real. A last proof of a love so powerful, but that had to be interrupted too soon.
— Aurëalis… I love you. Never forget that. And… if possible… tell my parents that I'm sorry for not being able to return… for not being able to talk to them one last time… — I said.
— Farewell, my love… — I whispered one last time, shedding my first and final tear before fading away into nothingness.
As I faded, I slipped back into the same darkness as before — into the same quiet. But this time, I was at peace. I had finally done something to free the only person I ever truly loved. And that was my final act of devotion. The last thing I could really do.
— Sigh… Well… whatever it was that allowed me to go to her… Thank you very much… Now I can, finally, go in peace… — I thought, now letting myself dive into that calm sea of darkness, which, again, returned to consume me.
Meanwhile, Aurëalis, who continued in the same position and had been motionless since then, in a vain attempt to reach me, extended her hand towards the dust that I had transformed into and that was, now, going far away.
— Kyrion… No.. NOOO KYRIOON.. — She screamed, with a despair that words could not describe.
She, then, extended her hand, and, suddenly, as if she had never been in that place, she woke up, again, in the real world, still exhausted, tired, spent, in the same way she was before fainting, while watching me die at the hands of Keltherion.
There, a few seconds had passed, and Keltherion only looked at both of us with a look of contempt and disgust.
Aurëalis had fainted on top of my chest, and as soon as she woke up, she approached my face and could see, right there, that I was no longer alive. My hearts had been destroyed, no energy could be felt coming from my body, I was cold, but still, my face, at that moment, was not one that expressed pain, or agony, but rather one that expressed peace, even at that moment, even in my final seconds.
Aurëalis, trembling, said nothing upon seeing that and remembering the dream she had had. She just let tears run down her face indiscriminately, while passing her hands over my face, in a clear gesture of affection.
— Kyrion… You… Are… still alive… right? You can't have died… You can't… This isn't true… it's a nightmare… that's it… I'm in a nightmare… I want to wake up… I WANT TO WAKE UP… — She said, increasingly in denial, not wanting to accept that reality.
— You are not dreaming, and this is not a nightmare… — Said Keltherion, who was still there, watching all that develop in front of him, with disgust in his gaze.
He then turned, brought his arms behind his back, and began to walk, as if his work there were done.
Before continuing, however, he stopped beside Caelus.
— Get rid of the body of this trash, and bring Aurëalis. She will stay in time-out for a good while so she reflects on what she did… — He said.
And, next, he returned to walking normally.
— Lyssandra, let's go. — He ordered.
Without hesitating, Lyssandra followed him, without even looking back.
Caelus Moonfang, then, went to where Aurëalis was, still hugging my body.
— Princess, come with me… — He said, reaching out to her and pulling her by the arm.
However, Aurëalis continued clinging to me, refusing to move.
— Princess… These are your father's orders, you must follow me to your quarters.. — He said, now, pulling her with even more force.
However, Aurëalis continued refusing to let go.
— You… Bitch, I said for you to let go of this loser and come with me… — He said, now, pulling her with even greater force.
At that moment, then, thanks to the exhaustion she still felt, Aurëalis couldn't keep herself clinging to me, and was pulled away.
— NO… KYRION.. — She screamed, still fighting to reach me again, but without success.
— Tsk… I don't know what you saw in this trash, sincerely. This weak and despicable being… But now he is dead, and there is nothing more to do… You, from today on, are mine, and this trash… — He said, with a sadistic smile on his face.
— He can disappear, because he won't be missed… — He completed, while looking at my body.
Then, without any warning, Caelus gathered in the palm of his hand a considerable amount of energy and, right after that, launched it towards my body, making it be, instantly, vaporized, along with part of the forest.
Aurëalis, until then, had already gone through unimaginable things. Since she was born, she had only been used by her parents and by those around her. When she got older, she could, finally, find someone she really loved, however, even that someone was killed by her family and, in the end, not even his body she could have. She was tired of all that, her feelings were already dead, and, as much as she still breathed, just like me, she, also, felt dead. Upon seeing that, seeing, again, the scene in which I disappeared, and the only thing she could have of me were the memories, Aurëalis's spirit, which was already at its limit, for the first, and last time, broke, into millions of pieces.
At that moment, her eyes, which once had shown to be capable of loving, became opaque, without shine. Tears no longer ran down her face as before, and the exhaustion no longer seemed to bother her. And it was then that, suddenly, her eyes, before red as apples, gained an increasingly yellowish and luminous coloration, until the point that they exploded in a beam of light that outshone any other light in Lumina.
— NOOO KYRIOOON… YOU BASTARDS… I WILL KILL YOU… I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU... ALL OF YOU.. — She screamed, while that beam of light only increased in intensity and brightness, and now, tears that looked more like liquid light cut her face.
At that moment, an unimaginable shockwave made itself present around Aurëalis, destroying everything that was there. And launching everyone, even her parents who were not so close, far away. That light, that pain, only increased more and more, until, at a certain moment, all universes and dimensions were illuminated, for a few seconds, and by a light so intense that it would be marked in the history of all beings of all dimensions and universes forever as an unprecedented event.
Aurëalis had broken, and along with that, the entire superior dimension was about to go through changes that would dictate the paths of future generations. A time of pain and despair was approaching, and the Goddess of Light was the one who would bring it, equally, to everyone who was involved in my death, without exception.
Title of the next chapter:
"A new beginning" - So... Where am I ?