Cain reached Cornelia just as the last of the dust settled.
She lay on the shattered stone, her body twisted at an unnatural angle, blood soaking into the cracks beneath her. Her armor was torn open. Her cape was half-burned. One arm was mangled so badly that only a single finger still moved, trembling weakly as if clinging to life out of stubbornness alone.
Cain stared at her body intently.
For a brief moment, the world went silent.
Then he crouched down slowly.
He reached out and touched her remaining finger, careful, far more careful than anyone who had seen him moments earlier would ever expect. His hand trembled despite himself.
"…The beautiful Cornelia," he muttered quietly. "Reduced to this."
His lips curved into a bitter smile that never reached his eyes.
"Sigh. I almost made you despise me. I almost got what I wanted."
He glanced at the ruins around them, then landing on the humans.
"But these humans really have the worst timing."
