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The capital went silent.
Not gradually.
Not naturally.
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Instantly.
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As if the entire world had stopped breathing.
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The sky above the ruined palace darkened unnaturally, clouds twisting into spirals around a single point—
Her.
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Rosy stood in the center of the destruction.
Motionless.
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Broken marble floated around her, suspended in distorted space. Fragments of the palace drifted like shattered stars orbiting something far too dangerous to exist.
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And the people watching from afar—
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Couldn't move.
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Because every instinct inside them screamed the same thing:
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Run.
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But their bodies refused.
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Not because they were trapped.
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Because they were overwhelmed.
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By her presence.
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"…She really came back," a trembling noble whispered from the distant courtyard.
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Another knight dropped to his knees.
"…Monster…"
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The word echoed faintly.
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And Rosy heard it.
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Slowly—
Her head turned.
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The knight froze instantly.
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Because those eyes—
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They weren't human anymore.
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Black and violet swirled together like endless galaxies collapsing into darkness. Looking at them felt wrong.
Like staring too long at something the mind wasn't meant to understand.
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The knight's breath hitched.
Then—
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Blood spilled from his nose.
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He collapsed unconscious.
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Silence followed.
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Azrael watched from the ruins quietly.
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"…She's affecting reality passively now," he murmured.
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Even his expression had changed.
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Serious.
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Because this wasn't just raw power anymore.
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It was existence itself bending around her.
---
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Her father stepped forward through the ruined hall.
Calm.
Steady.
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Yet even he—
Was careful now.
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"…Rosy."
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No response.
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"…Isle."
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Still nothing.
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Her gaze remained fixed on the sky above.
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As if she was listening to something far away.
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Something only she could hear.
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"…Interesting," her father said softly.
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A pause.
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"…You're hearing them already."
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Azrael's eyes sharpened.
"…Don't."
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Her father ignored him.
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"…Do you know what they called you before?"
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Rosy's fingers twitched slightly.
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"…No," she answered slowly.
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Her voice echoed strangely now.
Layered.
Not singular.
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Her father smiled faintly.
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"…The Eternal Sun."
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Silence.
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Then—
Rosy frowned slightly.
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"…Sun?"
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A low laugh escaped him.
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"Yes."
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He looked toward the darkened sky.
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"Because no matter how much darkness surrounded you…"
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His gaze returned to her.
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"You burned brighter than anything else."
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Something flickered in her expression.
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A memory.
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Very small.
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Children laughing.
A field of gold.
Warm sunlight against pale skin.
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And then—
Blood.
Screams.
Fire.
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Her head suddenly hurt.
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Violently.
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Rosy staggered slightly—
The floating debris around her shaking with her instability.
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Azrael moved immediately.
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He appeared beside her before anyone else could react.
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"Hey."
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His voice was quieter now.
Careful.
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"Don't force the memories."
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Her breathing became uneven.
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"…It hurts."
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The words were soft.
Almost vulnerable.
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Azrael's chest tightened slightly.
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Because this—
This was still her.
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Beneath everything else.
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He crouched slightly in front of her.
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"Look at me."
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Her eyes shifted slowly toward him.
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For a second—
The distortion around them lessened.
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"…Azrael," she whispered.
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A faint smile appeared on his lips.
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"There you are."
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But then—
Her father spoke again.
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"You're weakening her."
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Azrael's expression darkened instantly.
"…And you broke her."
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The tension slammed back into place.
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Rosy's eyes flickered between them.
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Confusion.
Pain.
Anger.
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"…Stop talking about me like I'm not here."
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The moment the words fell—
Reality cracked again.
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A massive fracture split across the sky above the capital.
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People screamed.
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Because the sky itself—
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Was breaking.
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Azrael's eyes widened slightly.
"…She's destabilizing the barrier."
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Her father's expression finally shifted.
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Not fear.
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Concern.
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Real concern.
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"…Rosy."
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This time—
His voice was firm.
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"Calm down."
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Her gaze snapped toward him.
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And for the first time—
Emotion appeared clearly in her eyes.
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Rage.
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"…You don't get to tell me that."
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The pressure exploded outward.
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Buildings in the distance shattered instantly.
Windows burst across the capital.
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People fell to the ground unable to breathe.
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Azrael grabbed her shoulders immediately.
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"Rosy!"
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Her eyes met his.
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Wild.
Unstable.
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"…Why does it hurt?" she whispered.
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The question broke something in him slightly.
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Because despite all this power—
Despite all the fear—
She still sounded lost.
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"…Because they took too much from you," he answered quietly.
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Silence.
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Then—
"…Can I take it back?"
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The question froze both men.
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Because the way she said it—
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Wasn't emotional.
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It was literal.
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Her father stepped forward instantly.
"…No."
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Rosy tilted her head slowly.
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"…Why not?"
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The darkness around her deepened.
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"…This world hurt me first."
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Another crack split through the sky.
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Azrael's grip tightened slightly.
"…Rosy."
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But she kept staring at her father.
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"…You sealed me."
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A step forward.
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"You erased me."
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Another.
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"You watched me suffer."
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The ground beneath her disappeared with every step she took.
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Not broken.
Not destroyed.
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Erased.
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Her father remained still.
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"…Yes."
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No denial.
No excuse.
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That honesty only made it worse.
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Rosy smiled.
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Small.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
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"…Then maybe you deserve to watch too."
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And suddenly—
The entire capital lost gravity.
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Screams erupted everywhere as people, debris, and shattered buildings began floating upward into the fractured sky.
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Azrael's eyes widened.
"…She's tearing apart the laws of reality—"
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Her father moved instantly.
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A massive force slammed outward from him, stabilizing part of the city before complete collapse could happen.
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But Rosy—
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Didn't stop.
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Her hair floated around her like living darkness.
Her eyes glowed brighter.
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And behind her—
Something appeared.
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A massive silhouette.
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Not fully visible.
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Too large.
Too unnatural.
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Like a shadow hidden behind existence itself.
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The people below stared upward in horror.
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"…What is that…?"
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Azrael looked at it—
And for the first time in centuries—
His expression changed completely.
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Shock.
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"…No…"
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Her father's eyes narrowed sharply.
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"…It manifested already?"
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Rosy turned slowly.
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"…Manifested?"
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The giant shadow behind her moved slightly.
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And the entire world trembled.
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Azrael stepped in front of her immediately.
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"…Rosy."
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His voice was serious now.
Urgent.
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"You need to stop."
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She looked at him silently.
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"…Why?"
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A pause.
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Because this answer mattered.
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"…Because if that thing fully wakes up…"
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His gaze darkened.
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"…You won't stay yourself anymore."
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Silence.
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The wind howled through the broken capital.
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Rosy looked at him for a long moment.
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Then softly—
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"…And if I don't want to stay this way?"
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The question left him speechless.
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Because beneath all the power—
All the rage—
All the destruction—
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She was tired.
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Tired of being broken.
Tired of being sealed.
Tired of hurting.
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And for the first time—
Azrael realized something terrifying.
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The world wasn't ending because Rosy lost control.
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It was ending because—
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Part of her no longer cared if it survived.
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End of Chapter 20