Lena took a deep breath. "We focus. We connect. We guide."
She held out her hands towards the shaky pillar, and a soft, blue light came from her palms. Leon did the same, his own energy joining hers.
Mistress Para and Lucy watched them, a silent question in their eyes. Would they work together?
"Lena!" Leon's voice cut through the loud chaos, sounding urgent and raw. "We have to do something! This can't keep going!"
Lena's breath caught, but the fire in her eyes burned even brighter. The thought of Mistress Para losing control and the Water Torrent going wild gave her a new strength inside. "You're right, Leon," she said, her voice steady even though her hands shook a little. "We stop this. Together."
She reached for him, her fingers finding his. A shock, familiar but stronger now, went between them. Their magic, which was separate before, now started to spin and mix together. The wild power of the Torrent beat around them, like a wild animal waiting to be calmed.
"Focus, Lena," Leon urged, looking straight into her eyes. "Feel the flow, but guide it. We have to bring things back to normal."
Nodding, Lena closed her eyes, reaching deep inside herself, using the strength that had helped her break free before. This wasn't just about fighting back anymore; it was about taking control, about making things right. Their combined will, their shared love for their home, flowed into the raging water.
Slowly, carefully, they worked. Leon's steady strength held Lena's wild power in place. Her natural connection to the Torrent guided his focused energy. Their movements became like a silent dance, a beautiful song of magic. The crazy bursts of power started to soften, the violent shaking calming into a more regular beat.
Across the ruined throne room, Mistress Para and Lucy watched, their faces showing disbelief. The daughters they had tried to control, the power they had wanted so badly, was now slipping away. The two figures working together in front of them, the strong force of their connection, was a clear loss for them. A cold fear went through them. Had they really not seen how strong they were?
The loud roars of the Water Torrent quieted down to a soft murmur. The destructive energy changed, becoming a gentle flow that moved through the damaged room. The deep cracks in the walls started to close up, the shaking ceiling became still, and the broken pieces on the floor settled with a soft thump. The throne room, hurt but not destroyed, held its breath.
Lena and Leon slowly lowered their hands, the bright glow of their mixed magic fading away. They looked tired, but their eyes shone with victory. They had faced the storm together. They had held back the powerful water. But as the last bits of magic disappeared, a new sound echoed in the room a low, angry growl from the shadows.
The dust settled. Quiet. Too quiet. Lena's hand was still holding Leon's, a warm feeling in the sudden stillness. The magical link between them hummed softly. Over by the broken pieces of the throne, Lucy glared, her eyes full of hate. But Mistress Para? Gone. Vanished like smoke.
Leon finally broke the silence. "She just left?"
Lena nodded slowly, her forehead "Weakened. But where did she go?"
Lucy laughed harshly, a broken sound. "Does it matter? You won. Enjoy your victory."
Leon held Lena's hand tighter. "Victory? What did it cost, Lucy? Lily.." His voice faded away, the pain still too strong.
Lena squeezed his hand. "We did what we had to do, Leon. For our world."
"Our world?" Leon looked around the ruined throne room. "Look around, Lena. Scars everywhere. This isn't a victory. It's just staying alive."
"It's a chance," Lena argued, her voice firm. "A chance to rebuild. A chance to be better."
Lucy laughed, a dry, humorless sound. "Better? You think things will just magically fix themselves? The power struggles, the old hates they don't just disappear."
Leon met Lucy's bitter gaze. "Then we'll face them. Together."
"Together?" Lucy sneered. "Don't be naive, Leon. This world is full of snakes. And now that Lily's gone." She let the words hang in the air, full of unspoken meaning.
Lena stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. "What are you saying, Lucy?"
A sly smile touched Lucy's lips. "Only that when there's no one in charge, others will try to take over. Quickly." Her gaze flickered between Lena and Leon, a cold, calculating look in her eyes. "And there are plenty who think I should be the one leading now."
Leon's jaw tightened. "You? After everything?"
"Desperate times, Emperor," Lucy said sweetly, the title sounding sarcastic. "Desperate times call for someone who can make quick decisions." She pushed herself up, a new gleam in her eyes. "Remember my words, Leon. This isn't over. Not even close." She took a step, then another, towards the broken exit.
"Where are you going?" Leon demanded.
Lucy stopped at the edge of the ruined doorway, a creepy smile spreading across her face. "To gather my supporters, of course. Someone needs to fix this mess. And it won't be you two holding hands for long." With a final, unsettling look, she disappeared into the shadows.
Lena turned to Leon, her face pale. "What did she mean?"
Before Leon could answer, the floor shook, harder than anything they had felt during the fight. The remaining broken pieces rattled, and a low, angry groan echoed from deep under the throne room. The soft hum of the trapped Water Torrent flickered, becoming unsteady.
Leon's eyes widened in alarm. "What's happening?"
Lena gasped, grabbing his arm. "The Torrent, it's not stable!"
The ground under their feet started to crack, the lines spreading like spiderwebs across the stone floor.
Suddenly, Leon closed his eyes, and then he changed into a big eagle.
A bright light flashed from him, followed by a deafening roar that drowned out everything.
"Eagle?" Lena blinked, looking confused. "Eagle?" she repeated softly.
Leon gently corrected her. "It's Leon, Lena." He gave her a small, tired smile. "But yes. You and I, we fought. We faced everything. And we saved our home." His eyes showed deep respect, a quiet understanding that didn't need words. What they had gone through together had made a bond stronger than any royal order.
"Lena," he continued, his voice low, echoing in the quiet room. "I think it's time for us to go."
Lena looked at him, feeling as tired as he looked. She understood. The weight of what they had given up, the deep hurts caused by their world itself they both carried invisible scars. A chance to heal, to find some kind of peace, felt like a far-off, delicate dream.
"Where would we go?" she asked, her voice quiet and sad.
"To the surface," Leon replied, looking steadily at her. "To the human world. A new life, Lena. Simple. Away from the plans and the endless fights for power. Peace. A chance to just heal."
Lena thought about his words. Had she ever truly belonged here? She always felt like someone who didn't quite fit in, a link between two worlds. Maybe the human world held the key to her own belonging, her own true home.
"What about all of this?" she asked, her eyes looking over the ruined throne room, a silent question about what they were responsible for.
"Our world it will heal," Leon said with a quiet certainty. "It has to. It's survived worse. What it needs now isn't us, carrying the weight of the past, stained by the power struggles. It needs someone new. Fresh eyes. New hope."
He looked at her then, a gentle request in his eyes. "Come with me, Lena. Let's find that peace together. A new beginning. Let's honor Lily's memory not with more fighting, but with lives full of love and quiet."
Lena reached out, her hand finding his. Their connection felt strong, a comforting anchor in the swirling uncertainty. He was right. They needed to leave. To heal. To find something new.
"Yes, Leon," she said, a small hope growing in her heart. "Let's go."
And so, Leon and Lena, the Emperor and the one who had stood against her own mother, the two who had saved their world at a great personal cost, turned their backs on the shattered throne room.