Crystal was kneeling, her body trembling, her breath uneven. Her once-pristine hair hung in loose strands around her pale face, eyes dimmed but still burning with stubborn resolve.
She raised her head toward Grand Duchess Amana, her voice hoarse and almost broken.
"End it. If you have even a shred of mercy in you, then end my life here and now. I've lost everything already. Don't you dare leave me like this."
Crystal whispered, her lips quivering but her tone firm.
Amana, standing tall though battered, gazed down at her with steady eyes. There was no malice in them—only a calm, unwavering strength that seemed to reach past Crystal's despair. She shook her head gently.
"No, Crystal. I will not end your life. That is not something I will do any longer. You are not my enemy anymore. Our true enemy… is the same."
Her voice was steady, soft yet ironclad.
Crystal clenched her fists, her teeth grinding as tears welled in her eyes.
