Chapter 61: You’re My Home (Special Chapter)
Chapter 61: You’re My Home (Special Chapter)
The child’s eyes met theirs one last time, and in that moment, everything changed. The realization struck them like a blow.
The war, the demons, the sacrifices, it was all part of a grand design. But the child understood something Alishiera and Devancier did not want to face, they had a choice.
"Thank you," the child whispered, his tears falling as he smiled softly.
And then, with a single motion, he ended his own life, his body crumbling to ash as the demons that had once followed him also disintegrated into nothingness.
The battlefield fell silent.
The war was over.
Alishiera and Devancier stood there, their hearts heavy with the knowledge of what had just transpired.
The demons were gone, and their power shattered. But at what cost?
The child’s sacrifice, his tragic end, had ended the war, but it had also revealed the ugly truth of the world they had fought to protect.
"Is it over?" Alishiera whispered, her voice hoarse, her body drained of everything it had left.
"Yes," Devancier said softly, his voice filled with grief. "But at what cost?"
They stood together, surrounded by the silence of victory, knowing that while the war had ended, the scars it left would never fade.
The journey home was supposed to be their triumph.
The victory over the demons, the end of the war, the return of peace, it was all supposed to be the beginning of their new life together.
But as they walked through the desolate lands, heading toward the empire they had fought so hard to protect, Alishiera’s body began to betray her.
The strength that had carried her through battle after battle, the power granted by the swords and her prayers, had finally run out.
Devancier’s heart shattered at her words. He didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t fathom a life without her, without the love they had shared, the dreams they had built together.
He had thought he could handle anything, battling demons, leading armies, fighting for their future, but this... this was different.
This was the kind of battle that had no victory. There was no saving her from this.
"I can trade my life for you to live," Devancier whispered, his voice raw with anguish. He had no idea if it was even possible, but he would do anything.
Anything to save her. "Is that possible? I’d give anything. Please, Alishiera. Don’t leave me."
Her smile, though faint, held all the love she had ever felt for him. She shook her head slowly, tears welling in her eyes.
"No, husband. Don’t do that." Her voice was weak, but there was so much resolve behind her words.
"You... you need to live. For the children. For the empire. You still have so much to give. Don’t waste your life for me."
Devancier’s heart felt as though it was being torn apart, the pain so intense it threatened to consume him.
How could she ask him to live without her?
How could he go on knowing that the woman he loved, the mother of his children, would be gone forever?
His soul ached, and he felt a gnawing emptiness deep within him.
But Alishiera’s hand, though weak, pressed against his chest, as if reassuring him. "You gave me everything, Devancier."
"Everything I ever wanted. You gave me a family. You gave me love. Don’t let my death be the end of everything we built. Our children... they need you. The empire needs you."
Devancier couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. They fell freely down his face, staining her silver hair as he held her close.
"I don’t know how to live without you," he whispered through broken sobs. "You were everything to me. Everything."
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