Eris was breathing heavily, her hands still trembling from the strain of the spell. The light of the sanctuary had dimmed, and the magic lines surrounding Renji and Tiberku pulsed faintly, barely visible. The silence was oppressive. Megan stood beside the platform, her eyes red and her cheeks wet.
Eris turned her gaze toward her. Her tone was calm but tense.
— "Megan, tell me exactly what happened. How did Renji and Tiberku end up like this?"
Megan shook her head slightly, as if trying to gather her thoughts. She was breathing hard, her voice trembling.
— "The elf came to me…" she said quietly, staring at the floor. "He was desperate. He said something had collapsed over them in the north, that the ground exploded, and the sky broke apart. He couldn't reach them on his own. He asked for my help."
Eris stepped closer, listening intently.
— "And when you got there?"
— "Everything was burned," Megan continued, her voice lowering. "Nothing was alive. I felt two faint souls, barely flickering. It was Renji and Tiberku. The elf stopped me when I tried to approach. He said the energy surrounding them wasn't human… that if I touched them, I'd destroy them."
Eris crossed her arms and looked silently at Renji.
— "Demon energy," she said sharply.
Megan nodded.
— "Yes. We waited, but Renji was dying. Then I took the risk. I carried him and came to you. I left Tiberku under a seal, but I didn't know if it would hold."
She stopped, her voice breaking.
— "I couldn't lose anyone else."
Eris lowered her eyes. Her gaze glimmered briefly in the blue light of the sanctuary. It was clear she understood Megan's pain, though she tried to stay focused.
Eris looked again at the two bodies lying on the glowing platforms. Their breathing was weak but steady. For now, they were safe.
She turned toward Megan, her tone softening.
— "You've done enough, Megan. You can rest now. The spell will keep them stable for a while. You need sleep."
Megan blinked tiredly, barely hearing the words at first. She looked at Renji, then at Tiberku, hesitating.
— "But what if…"
Eris gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
— "If anything happens, I'll know right away. Go rest. You need clarity, not guilt."
Megan nodded slowly. Her eyes were heavy, her body trembling with exhaustion. She took a few steps and sat on the edge of a bed, clutching her cloak to her chest. Within minutes, she fell asleep with her head resting on her arm.
Eris stood in silence for a moment, then rose and stepped outside the sanctuary. The cold air hit her immediately, and ash carried by the wind settled on the dark ground.
A few meters from the door, the elf stood alone, staring at the horizon. His wings trembled slightly, and his hands were clenched. When he saw Eris, he turned away, his jaw tight.
Eris approached slowly.
— "Tell me what happened there, step by step. I need to know everything."
The elf snapped before she could finish.
— "I don't need to tell you anything, Eris! Everything that happened there is your fault!"
Eris didn't move, but her eyes darkened.
— "Explain."
The elf took a step toward her, his fury surging.
— "Renji and Tiberku went alone," he said, his voice full of restrained anger. "No one sent them. They wanted demon blood to forge Renji's armor and sword. He thought that if he strengthened them, he could stand against the demons."
His voice grew harsher.
— "I was wandering in the northwest when I felt the shockwave. I knew something had gone wrong. When I arrived, the land was scorched, the air reeked of blood and smoke. Renji was on the ground, over Tiberku's body."
Eris lowered her head slightly.
— "They shouldn't have gone. There was no rush for the blood."
The elf clenched his fists.
— "That's what you think. He knew he was running out of time. The sword was part of him. Without it, he wasn't whole. Tiberku followed because he couldn't bear to leave him alone. And now both of them lie between life and death."
Eris stayed silent for a few seconds, then spoke quietly.
— "He risked everything for a piece of metal."
The elf let out a short, bitter laugh.
— "To him, it wasn't just metal. It was all he had left. His honor, his promise to the fallen. You've forgotten what that means."
Eris closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
— "Maybe you're right."
The elf looked at her one last time, then stepped back.
— "I can't stay here. I have to find out what happened in the north, why the demons vanished suddenly, and why the world is changing. I can't stay near you, knowing everything is falling apart while you remain silent."
Eris raised her gaze, but he was already spreading his wings.
— "Don't stop me. If I find the answers, I'll come back. But not for you. For them."
The air vibrated around him. Ash rose, carried by the wind, and his wings glowed faintly in the dark.
In moments, he soared into the clouds, leaving behind only the heavy silence of the sanctuary.
Eris stood alone. She looked toward where he had vanished, then slowly turned back inside. Renji and Tiberku were breathing weakly, and Megan slept beside them, her dried tears still on her cheeks.
Eris placed her hand on her forehead and whispered:
— "It was my fault. I should have stopped them."
Hours passed. The sanctuary was shrouded in a heavy stillness, broken only by the faint pulse of magic that kept Renji and Tiberku's bodies stable. Megan slept by the bedside, her breathing shallow, uneasy.
Suddenly, a piercing scream tore through the air.
— "Aaahhh! No… I can't…"
Renji shot up, his face contorted in pain. His left arm, severed hours earlier to escape the demons' claws, throbbed violently, every fiber burning as if alive. The old blood was gone, but the pain was real, almost unbearable. His muscles trembled, veins bulging from the strain.
Megan woke instantly, eyes wide, heart racing.
— "RENJI!" she screamed, rushing toward him. "Stop! Don't move!"
Renji writhed, clenching his teeth, his broken voice echoing through the room.
— "I can't… the pain… it's burning… my arm… it's pulling me back…"
Eris ran in, pale and alarmed. Her eyes locked on Renji's left arm, where the skin seemed to pulse with agony, every muscle fiber twitching as if the wound had reopened.
— "What happened?!" she shouted, rushing to his side and forming a circle of light with her hands.
Renji arched in pain, trembling violently, his groans turning into screams.
Megan tried to hold his arm, but his spasms were so strong she almost lost her grip. Tears streamed down her face as she watched him struggle.
Eris chanted quickly, the circle of light tightening around him. The air vibrated, the old blood's energy feeling alive again, trying to pierce through his body.
— "Stay with me, Renji! Listen! There's nothing there anymore. No one is hurting you now!"
— "It hurts… the pain… it won't stop!" he screamed, his face pale and twisted. "Everything burns… my muscles… my nerves… I feel like I'm dying!"
Eris placed her hand gently on his forehead, channeling magic to steady his pulse.
— "It's the memory of your arm, Renji. Your body still feels the trauma. You have to stay awake. If you fall asleep, the pain will return stronger."
Renji kept groaning, trembling, his breath ragged, sweat and tears mixing on his face. Every fiber of his body fought against the agony.
Megan held his remaining hand, feeling his fear and pain through the tremors.
— "Don't give up… not now… please, stay with me…"
Renji blinked slowly, his gaze distant, but his cries faded little by little under Eris's spell. Each breath was a struggle, yet his resolve kept him conscious.
Eris looked at him, her eyes filled with worry.
— "It will pass… but it will take time. Your body needs to adjust to the trauma. Don't let him fall asleep, Megan. If he does, we lose control."
Megan nodded, holding Renji tightly as he trembled, trying to endure the pain that reminded him of what he had sacrificed.
Renji lay trembling on the bed, his left arm still throbbing violently. His breathing was ragged, his eyes filled with fury and despair.
— "You… you don't know how to value people!" he whispered hoarsely. "You don't even care about Tiberku!"
Eris blinked, opening her mouth to respond, but Renji continued, not giving her a chance.
— "It's fine if you don't care about me! You barely know me, I didn't expect that… but I thought you'd protect Tiberku! I thought you understood what he meant to you!"
Megan flinched, clenching her fists, tears streaming uncontrollably. Hearing Renji's pain and anger was unbearable, but she knew he needed to let it out.
— "I paid for it!" Renji went on, his voice breaking yet fierce. "I cut off my own arm, yes, me! To escape the demons' claws, to protect Tiberku, who… who was stabbed through the chest by one of them!"
Eris felt her heart tighten at his words. His voice sliced through the air, every accusation hitting deep. She tried to speak, but Renji didn't let her.
— "Don't say anything! Don't! You don't know what it's like to lose, to watch someone sacrifice themselves while you can't do a thing. You have no idea!"
Renji's tears flowed as his body shook, pain and grief consuming him.
Eris stood frozen, her hands clenched, every word cutting into her soul.
— "Now you know how it feels to lose someone, to see their sacrifice, to realize what it means to give your life for another… and you can't do anything!"
Renji gasped for air, trembling, but his eyes burned with anguish and rage. Megan held him tightly, trying to show him he wasn't alone, while Eris understood, for the first time, how little she knew about truly valuing people, even those she had just met.
Renji collapsed backward, shaking violently. His left arm still burned, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the torment in his mind. His eyes went blank, his voice a trembling whisper.
— "I saw it all… my sister… my friend… killed… by my best friend… they fell… and I couldn't do anything…"
Eris reached out instinctively, but no words came. Megan held him close, trembling, feeling his pain seep into her bones.
— "They killed me… over and over…" Renji continued, his voice tearing through the air. "The man I admired… killed me… and now… I don't even know if Tiberku… is… still alive…"
Renji bit his lip until it bled. His body convulsed from the tremors.
— "I feel cursed… everything I love, everything I try to protect, ends in blood and pain… and Tiberku… he'll share the same fate… he'll be torn apart…"
Megan held him tighter, her tears falling endlessly as she felt his trembling and saw the hollow despair in his eyes.
Eris stood motionless beside him, feeling every word as a stab to her heart. She wanted to say something, to comfort him, but nothing could erase the deep pain consuming him.
— "I… I can't… I can't take it anymore…" he whispered, his voice fading into sobs. "Everyone I try to protect… dies… and I stay alive… only to feel this pain…"
Megan leaned over him, tears streaming down her face.
Eris breathed deeply, her hands trembling, her eyes fixed on Renji, knowing she couldn't erase his suffering, only keep him from losing himself completely.
— "Renji…" she murmured, but he didn't hear her, trapped in his own nightmare.
Eris stood still, every word from Renji echoing painfully in her mind. His grief tore through her, making her feel the futility of her efforts. Each accusation, each anguished cry, resonated like a wound.
Her hands shook, but she said nothing. There was nothing to say that could ease that pain. Her eyes lowered, her heart heavy with guilt and frustration.
Without hesitation, Eris took a deep breath and pulled her cloak over her shoulders. She turned toward the door without looking back. Each step echoed through the silent sanctuary, a reminder of the weight of Renji's words.
The door closed softly behind her, leaving the room in heavy silence. Renji lay trembling on the bed, his left arm throbbing faintly, while Megan held him close, tears still streaming down her face.
The sanctuary was quiet, filled only with the lingering pain and sorrow that refused to fade.