The descent from the ridge took longer than the climb. My legs felt like hollow wood, threatening to snap with every step.
The cold mountain air bit at my face, but I welcomed the sting. It proved I was still breathing, even if I felt completely dead inside.
I had to go back.
The dream of Alisa replayed in my mind on an endless loop. Her smile. Her gentle voice telling me she would wait.
Returning to the capital meant walking straight into the jaws of the Duke's wrath.
Kael would likely draw his sword the moment he saw my empty hands.
But hiding out here in the frozen wilderness? That is cowardice.
I have to look them in the eyes and tell them I failed. I have to hold Alisa's cold hand one last time.
When I reached the remains of the village, the atmosphere had shifted.
The 5th Inquisition Unit was no longer relaxed. The banter was gone.
Marcus was strapping a massive iron shield to his back.
Elena was murmuring incantations over a glowing communication crystal, her frost-colored hair whipping in the wind. Silas sharpened his daggers with a frantic, rhythmic scraping sound.
Julian stood in the center of the camp, his silver armor reflecting the pale morning light. He looked grim.
"The perimeter is secure, but the corruption is spreading faster than the Cathedral predicted," Julian commanded, his voice tight.
"We move out in 1 hours."
Liora stood near the medical tent, wrapping a thick winter cloak around her shoulders. She looked up when she heard my boots crunching against the ash.
"Leo,"
she called out, stepping toward me. The relief in her eyes was obvious, but it quickly faded when she saw my face.
"Are you alright? You look... empty."
"I am leaving,"
I said. My voice sounded foreign to my own ears. Flat. Lifeless.
"I am heading back to the capital."
Liora froze. The color drained from her cheeks, leaving her as pale as the snow. "What? No! You cannot do that!"
She rushed forward, grabbing the sleeve of my charred tunic.
"Are you insane? You told me about your mission! You told me about the Duke! If you return empty-handed, they will kill you for failing! They will execute you on the spot!"
I stared at her hands gripping my sleeve, feeling absolutely nothing.
"It does not matter."
Julian turned around, his cape billowing behind him. A faint, amused smirk broke through his grim expression.
He looked at Liora, then at me.
"Well, well,"
Julian teased, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"The Ice Princess of the Cathedral is actually trembling. You are certainly showing a lot of concern for a peasant boy you met just a few days ago. Have you finally developed a soft spot, cousin?"
Liora's face instantly flushed a brilliant shade of crimson.
"W-WHAT!? Shut up, Julian! It is completely normal to care about people! Remember your holy vows?! Besides, this is a serious situation! He is walking to his death! He might not even survive the journey, let alone the Duke's judgment!"
She turned back to me, her eyes pleading.
"Stay with us. We are heading East. The Church can grant you sanctuary. You saved my life, Leo. Julian can vouch for you. Just... do not throw your life away."
I looked past her, toward the horizon where the capital lay hidden beyond the mountains.
"I will be fine,"
I whispered. My voice cracked, betraying the sheer weight of my despair.
"Besides... she is waiting for me."
The words hung in the air, heavy and broken.
I promised her. I thought, my chest tightening painfully. Even if it means standing before the executioner's block. Even if it means letting Kael strike me down. I have to see her. I have to say I am sorry.
though I'm scared of going there, but the promise is a promise, even though I've already broken one. So I won't break it anymore, Alisa.
Liora slowly let go of my sleeve. She saw it. She saw the absolute ruin in my eyes. The realization that I was already a walking corpse.
Julian's smirk vanished. The teasing atmosphere dissolved into complete silence. He walked toward me, the heavy metallic clink of his boots ringing in my ears. For a moment, I thought he might arrest me. Instead, he stopped a few feet away and crossed his arms.
"We cannot offer you an escort,"
Julian said, his tone shifting into absolute seriousness.
"We received an emergency transmission from the border. A Cataclysm-Class Monster has emerged from the Abyssal Rift."
I blinked, forcing my dull mind to process his words.
"A Cataclysm?"
"Yes,"
Elena chimed in, stepping away from her crystal.
"It is a disaster of epic proportions. And we know exactly why it happened."
Julian nodded slowly.
"The universe requires balance, Leo. The Sun-Blade... the divine weapon that purges corruption... it demands a heavy toll. The curse burning through your Lady of the North? That is a side effect. But the real tragedy is the original wielder. The Chosen One."
My breath hitched.
"The Chosen One is dead," Julian revealed, his voice solemn.
"The original master of the Sun-Blade perished two nights ago. The seal holding back the Abyssal Rift shattered the moment his heart stopped. That is why the monster immersed. That is why the Cathedral is recalling all elite units. The world is breaking."
The pieces fell into place. The Sun-Blade was not just a curse; it was a lock. And the key had just snapped in half. The girl I was trying to save was suffering from the residual heat of a weapon that had just lost its master.
"Soo is not like the world end.," I muttered.
"Fitting."
Julian let out a heavy sigh. He reached into a hidden pouch on his belt.
"Look... I owe you. You took the brunt of an explosion to save my cousin. My pride as a knight of the Cathedral will not allow me to leave my debts unpaid. I am very pressured to repay you."
He pulled his hand out. Resting in his leather-gloved palm was a small, intricately carved vial. The liquid inside glowed with a pure, brilliant gold light. It looked like captured sunlight.
"Take this,"
Julian commanded, holding it out.
I stared at the vial, my hands refusing to move.
"What is it?"
"It is an Aurum Tear,"
Julian explained, his eyes locking onto mine.
"It is a relic from the High Alchemists. Now, listen to me carefully. This is not a cure. The Sun-Blade burns the soul, erasing it from existence. Nothing can reverse that process once it begins."
Every word he spoke felt like a dagger twisting in my gut.
"But,"
Julian continued, pushing the vial closer,
"this potion creates a temporary shield around the soul. If you give her this, it will stall the burning. It will buy her some time. Not years. Not months. Just a short time. A few days, perhaps a week at most."
I stared at the golden liquid.
Deep in my heart, a dark, venomous hatred boiled up. I looked at Julian's face. He looked like a savior. But to me, he looked like the murderer. He was the one who delayed me. He was the one who set the village on fire. If he had never arrived, if the Inquisition had stayed away, I would have the real prototype right now. I would have the cure.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to draw my weapon and strike him down for offering me scraps after he burned down the banquet.
He is handing me a delay, I thought, my teeth grinding together. He is handing me a few extra days of watching her suffer.
I wanted to reject it. I wanted to smack the vial out of his hand and curse his entire bloodline. But my eyes remained locked on the golden glow.
The truth was a heavy, crushing stone.
The truth was that Alisa was dying, and nothing I could do would save her.
The truth was cruel, jagged, and relentless. I do not even want to hear about it anymore.
Thinking about the truth hurts my chest. It suffocates me.
But this vial... this golden liquid... it was a lie or maybe not. A kind, beautiful trap. It whispered a false promise of more time.
Would it be better if I just accepted it?
If I take it, I can see her smile one more time. I can pretend, just for a few days, that the world is not ending. I can give her a few more hours of peace before the dark takes her forever.
The lie was too kind to reject.
Slowly, with trembling fingers, I reached out. My hand brushed against Julian's leather glove as I took the vial. The glass was warm.
"Thank you," I whispered. The words tasted like ash, but I swallowed them down.
Julian nodded, stepping back.
"May the light guide your path, Leo. Because the shadows are about to consume everything else."
Liora watched me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She stepped forward and suddenly wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in my shoulder. I stood frozen, unsure of how to react.
"Survive,"
Liora whispered fiercely into my ear.
"Please, Leo. Just be safe there."
She pulled away before I could respond, turning her back to me and walking quickly toward the Inquisition carriages.
I stood alone in the ruins of the village, holding the golden vial tightly against my chest. The world around me was moving on, preparing for a war against monsters and abyssal horrors. But my war was already over. I had lost.
I turned my back on the rising sun and began the long, cold walk back to the mansion. I am returning to the nightmare. But this time, I am bringing a kind lie to soften the end.