I never thought something like this would happen to us.
Is this truly how everything ends?
The night wind howled through the ruins—ancient stones cracked with time, wild shrubs trembling under the silver moonlight. Shadows danced across broken walls, shifting like ghosts under a silk-pale moon. Amid the wreckage of a forgotten era, a pair of eyes gleamed with both defiance and despair.
Aksel and Lyanna—two souls entwined by fate—were trapped in the cold, damp labyrinth of stone. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, their hearts pounding as blood and adrenaline surged through their veins. Behind them, the footsteps of pursuers echoed louder and louder, their rough voices slicing through the stillness like wolves on the hunt.
Lyanna, her long white hair tangled and her clothes torn, clutched Aksel's bloodied hand tightly. Her eyes, once bright with fire and laughter, now brimmed with unshed tears. Her lips trembled as she fought back sobs. And yet, behind all that pain... a flicker of hope remained, like a dying ember refusing to go out.
Aksel's jaw clenched. His brow furrowed. He returned her grip with silent resolve. He knew they were on the brink—death breathing down their necks. There was no escape from this trap. Still, he wouldn't let her give up. He'd do whatever it took to protect her, even if it meant laying down his life.
"In the end… it all ends here, Lyanna…" Aksel's voice cracked. He held her trembling hands tightly, his eyes shining with unshed tears.
"It's… alright…" Lyanna forced a fragile smile as tears streamed down her cheeks. "To make it this far… was already a miracle. I have no regrets… not when it's been with you… Aksel…" She embraced his wounded body, burying her face into his shoulder.
Aksel returned the embrace, his whole body trembling. "Listen to me carefully, Lyanna…" He took a deep breath, steadying his voice. "There's something I've never told anyone. You'll understand… after I do this. Tell me—don't you want to meet me again, one day?"
No one in this world knew whether the act Aksel was about to commit would succeed—not even Aksel himself. But he had no other choice.
Lyanna remained silent, then lifted her gaze to meet his—eyes filled with heavy thoughts. Time was running out. And time… never stopped for anyone.
"I… I understand," she whispered, nodding slowly as her tears kept falling. "If this is the right choice… then I'm ready to go anywhere… with you…"
They stared into each other's eyes—deeper than the deepest oceans. As if they both knew this was meant to be. Time seemed to slow down, granting space for the unspoken. In silence, a thousand words were exchanged—hope, laughter, tears, wounds, beauty, and joy—all reflected in their gaze. This wasn't just eye contact. It was a farewell between two intertwined souls.
With a voice barely audible, Aksel whispered his final words, "Even now… you're still so beautiful."
A tear slid down his cheek, falling into Lyanna's tangled hair. "I'll find you… in the next life. That's my promise."
Lyanna nodded, her tears mingling with Aksel's blood. "Not even… the gods… could keep us apart."
"Renatum: Sacrificium."
In a flash, memories raced through Aksel's mind—laughter under the warm sun, promises by a quiet riverbank, moments when they were still just ordinary humans.
Then—light. Blinding, radiant light erupted from their bodies, flooding the ruins with a brilliance that defied the night. Stones quaked. Walls cracked. The ground trembled. Dust whirled in the air, dancing within the glow of their dying breath.
And when it faded… only a grotesque pattern of blood and shattered stone remained. Silent witnesses to their final sacrifice.
Moments later, one of the pursuers reached the scene. Narrowing his eyes, he surveyed the destruction—brows drawn in disbelief.
No bodies.
No signs of struggle.
Only the remnants of a devastating force.
"Madness…" he muttered. "You two have proven exactly why you're being hunted… and why we've failed to catch you." A thin smile tugged at his lips, as if he understood what Aksel had done here.
"Axis Mundi Guardians. The capture of Aksel Matthias and Lyanna Minerva for the theft of a Primordial Relic—The Embodiment of Darkness—has failed."
In the blink of an eye, the figure and his forces vanished, leaving no trace.
And yet, amid the smoldering ruins, a flicker of golden light pulsed gently.
Two golden butterflies hovered in the air—silent, glowing, eternal.
Per angusta ad augusta.
Through adversity to greatness.