It was over.
When Arzhen's claw ripped through her heart to break their seven-year bond, Cecilia knew the world had truly cast her away.
They had promised each other a year ago that they'd break their bond with the Meleth Flower when Arzhen's true love, Ruby, returned. Cecilia had even scoured the world to find it as insurance. As promised. For them to break cleanly… safely…
But no.
Arzhen just had to rip out her heart, where the bond mark resided, and stole away the Meleth Flower she'd so thoughtfully brought with her.
"Why?" she asked, with everything she had left.
"Ruby accidentally bonded with Nikolas. This way, she can break safely from him."
Ah.
Of course.
Because of Ruby. It's always because of Ruby.
So that was why Arzhen went out of his way to bring her to this beautiful forest, under the stars. How poetic. The very place they first met.
She laid there, alone now, waiting for her end. What else was there to do?
Meanwhile, Arzhen had left, surely to find the very woman in his heart, the real Saintess, Ruby Vaiva. A woman who could see the future and was blessed by gods.
Why would they need Cecilia the fake Saintess now? Her services were clearly no longer required.
Cecilia snorted in her last moment. So, the way she predicted and deduced people's fate with her mind alone to help them was worth nothing in their eyes. All that cleverness, just to be outdone by a magical cheat code.
But perhaps her sharp mind couldn't compare to Ruby's supernatural foresight. Obviously.
Perhaps that bitch knew she had the Meleth Flower and deliberately bonded with Nikolas and made Arzhen do this for her.
To finish off the one and only thorn on her side. Cecilia.
Fair.
She was the loser, and Ruby was the winner.
This was simply how the world was. No need for a prophecy to see that.
Cecilia's eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Cold. Everything… Everything was cold.
It was time to just… rest.
And close her eye—
"Impressive."
Cecilia's eyes darted to the source of the voice.
It was hard to see, but there was a man laying on his back in the shadows with one arm ripped away and one leg having its bone exposed. He was hidden in some kind of ditch under a tree, and she couldn't see his face that was covered in something dark.
"...who…?" Cecilia asked.
"Forgot about me?" The man asked, then snorted weakly.
"...were you… already here… the whole… time…?" She rasped.
"Yep," the man said, his voice deep and dark. "Saw everything. Tragic."
Cecilia coughed into a weak, pathetic laugh. "...seriously… who are you…?"
"Still having so much energy for questions, Saintess?" He asked again. "Well, this is the first time I see a human able to control her own blood to keep circulating without a heart with sheer will and telekinetic power alone. No. Not even a beast can do that."
"Fine… don't answer… my question… But shut… up…" she coughed. "Let me… die… in peace."
Silence.
…
…
…
"Fine, what do you want?!" Cecilia snapped.
"BWAHAHAHHAH—COUGH—COUGH—COUGH!" The man burst out laughing and suddenly vomited blood.
The two of them were dying, huh?
"It's fate, Saintess Cecilia," he said with a broken voice. "Seventeen years ago… we once met."
"For God's sake, I was eight. How would I remember you?" Cecilia's patience waning, which was impressive given she had minutes to live. "Spit it ou—"
"You said you'd be the one killing me one day," the man's voice suddenly turned gentle, the gravelly tone softening into something that belonged by a fireside, not here in the dirt. "I got halfway to your place, thinking I'd have to die like this. Who knows… you'd be killed around here too."
A weak, bloody chuckle escaped him, barely a breath.
"Fate, right?"
Seventeen years ago… ah.
The day she was crowned the Saintess.
The Dragon Lord, Oathran, went to find her and sai—"I don't want to transition into flashback right now. I'm dying," Cecilia deadpannedly said. Some narrative conventions are just too much to bear.
"BWAHHAHAWHSHSHAHWAHHWA—COUGH—COUGH!"
Oathran the Dragon Lord had to lay back to look at the stars to hold himself from cough-laughing.
"Hey. The sky looks nice," Oathran suddenly said.
"Yep," Cecilia managed.
Silence.
…
…
…
"Oathran, are you dead?"
"Not yet."
…
…
…
"Dying kinda cringe."
"You think?"
…
…
…
"I'm hungry."
"Me too."
…
…
…
"Let's treat ourselves to bone broth soup in the next life, alright?"
"Cool."
A smile bloomed on Cecilia's lips. Tears she didn't know she had left streamed down her temples, tracing paths through the grime and despair.
"Hey, Saintess, can I scoot over and hold your hand?"
"Sure."
Painstakingly, Oathran dragged himself closer. He settled beside her, a ruined king facing the uncaring stars, and grasped her limp, cold hand. Closer now, Cecilia could see the blood caking his entire face. The dark thing covering him earlier was dried blood, shrouding the smell of death.
"Good job getting halfway to get killed in my hand, Your Majesty," she whispered, the old prophecy feeling like a cruel joke now.
"Concentrate. You can do it. With your skill, without a heart—"
"No," Cecilia shook her head, the movement costing her dearly. She smiled. "Humans store our magic from the bond in our hearts. I'm forcefully using the residue of mana in my entire body to maintain this."
It was a miracle that was running out, drop by drop.
The man looked at her, his eyes dimming. One of his horns was broken, and a part of his jaw was mauled, a grotesque window showing the inside of his mouth and teeth through the hole in his cheek.
He saw the end was near for her, and he felt his own approaching. Then, Cecilia saw it. A warm smile in his eyes.
"What kind of bone broth soup do you like?" he tenderly asked.
Cecilia's glassy eyes met his. "Cow's…"
"Hm," he nodded, the hand grasping hers gently rubbing the inside of her palm. "Is that the only thing you want to eat?"
"No…"
"What else—cough! COUGH—" Oathran's body wracked itself, and he vomited more dark blood.
Cecilia shook her head weakly. "I want… to eat… what you… want to eat…"
"An orc meat is nice," Oathran shrugged.
"Gross."
The two laughed raspily.
A black cloud slowly covered the sky, and the night became darker than ever. Perhaps the heavens themselves could not bear to witness this.
"If you keep me talking, I might actually die in your hand."
"While holding my hand?"
"Yeah."
The two faced the black sky once more.
Unfair.
She felt her eyes grow heavier than ever. This was truly the end. Her existence would cease to exist.
"It's nice… to die like this… with you… Saintess Cecilia Araceli."
DING!
[Capturable Love Interest detected! Would you like to roll for Five Star Love Interest, Oathran Alicei? You have 10 free rolls!]
[Yes/No]
"Hey… Your Majesty…" Cecilia complained. "Don't joke around like this…" But when she turned her head, a movement that took all her will, she saw the man had closed his eyes peacefully. Too peacefully.
"Oathran…?"
[Warning! Five Stars Love Interest Exclusive Banner is about to expire! Roll?]
[Yes/No]
Cecilia looked at the floating, shimmering words hovering just beyond the darkening veil of her vision. She blinked incredulously. Was this the final delirium? A last cruel trick of the mind?
[Warning! Five Stars Love Interest Exclusive Banner is about to expire! Roll?]
[Yes/No]
The words pulsed with an urgent light.
"Can you save him…" she breathed. "Whoever you are…?"
[Warning! Five Stars Love Interest Exclusive Banner is about to expire! Roll?]
[Yes/No]
Cecilia turned her fading gaze back to the man beside her. To the broken Dragon Lord who had offered her a hand in the dark. This couldn't be how his story ended. Not like this.
"Whoever you are… god, devil, anything…" her vision tunnelled, the world dissolving into a single, desperate point of light. "Yes. Save him…"
Her consciousness started to fray at the edges, unraveling into nothing.
[Rolling!]
DING!
[Four stars miracle elixir!]
DING!
[Three stars frost steel spear!]
DING!
[Three stars magic stone!]
DING!
[Three stars magic stone!]
DING!
[Three stars frost steel spear!]
DING!
[Three stars magic stone!]
DING!
[Three stars magic stone!]
DING!
[Three stars frost steel staff!]
DI-DI-DING!
[Five stars Oathran Alicei!]
DING!
[Four stars miracle elixir!]
[Warning! Your captured Love Interest's HP is about to deplete. Your HP is about to deplete. Would you like to use two miracle elixirs to—]
[Automati—]
[Proce—]
[Warn—]
[—ing]