Solaria's tears fell freely, mingling with the dust and blood that stained her skin. She cradled Aurelius's lifeless body in her arms, her heart shattering into a thousand pieces. The weight of everything was unbearable, her love, her loss, and the cruel twist of fate that had taken him from her before she could tell him the most important thing in the world.
Through her grief, a quiet voice echoed in her mind, his voice, soft and reassuring. "You are strong, Solaria... Our love lives on."
But the pain of losing him, of not being able to share the joy of what was to come, felt like an ache that would never leave her. She clutched him tighter, desperate to hold on to whatever was left of their life together.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered between sobs. "I never got to tell you... We were going to have a family... We were going to have a baby..."
Her voice broke as she pressed her lips to his forehead, hoping that somehow, in some distant place, he could hear her.
The world around her seemed to fade away, her grief the only thing that mattered in that moment. And yet, amidst the pain, a flicker of something deeper stirred within her, the life they had created, the child that now grew inside her. Aurelius may be gone, but a part of him would live on in their child, and that would be the one thing that could keep her going, the one thing that could give her hope.
With a steadying breath, she whispered, "I will make sure they know your name. I will make sure they know your love." And in that moment, she made a vow to both him and their child, she would not let the sacrifice be in vain.
With eyes full of tears, she looked up at Ventris. "Are you happy now, sister?!" Solaria's voice cracked with emotion as she glared up at her.
Ventris looked down at her, a cruel smile curling on her lips. "Not quite." She hummed.
In an instant, Ventris appeared in front of her sister. With a swift motion, she sent Solaria flying into a wall with the back of her hand. Solaria's body slammed into the hard surface, pain radiating through her limbs, but she forced herself to stay conscious, fury burning in her chest.
"There's one more thing I need to be finally happy," Ventris said, her voice laced with malice. "How about I take that baby?"
Solaria's breath hitched as Ventris's words cut through her like a knife. Her eyes widened in shock, her body trembling as she struggled against the grip of the angels now holding her.
"No..." She whispered, her voice barely audible. The thought of losing her child, their child, was unimaginable.
Ventris's smile twisted into something dark and cruel.
"Oh yes, sister. A child born of such a powerful bloodline, imagine what I could do with that." She took a step closer, the air around them growing colder, more suffocating with each passing second.
Solaria's heart pounded in her chest, but there was no way she was going to let her sister win. The baby inside her was the last part of Aurelius left in this world, and she would fight to her dying breath to protect her daughter but it was not enough.
Before she could even comprehend it, a swift cut split her stomach open and a small blue pearl, roughly the size of a fist was taken from her stomach. Her screams of pain erupted throughout the realm, seeing that her child was now in the clutches of her sister she held her stomach and cried, her golden blood all around her.
"Enjoy your new home sister. Don't worry I'll still visit on weekends!" And with that Ventris and her group left.
Bleeding and crying all hope had been drained from her, she tried to escape the realm but to her sister's own words, she could not leave no matter what she tried. with despair settling in her heart she took up her husband's body and held a funeral for him, sending up prayers hoping that his soul finds peace.
As Yohan listened to her story, he made sure to take in every detail from beginning to end, his mind raced as many questions now stormed in but as he looked at her, he made a choice. His life before was gone and in this moment, he was unsure of what would come next for him. But he knew one thing: he would stay. The imprisoned queen was still looking at the floor with tears dripping from her eyes after having to recall those events that opened up old wounds.
With a resounding sigh she got up and started heading for the window. With a wave of her hand, a portal was opened, a spiral of crackling, dark energy.
"With my current power this is all I can muster for now. This portal should take you back towards the Assiah where you can complete your reincarnation. Thank you for listening... For staying as long as you have but you must leave, for your own good." She told him tearfully, gesturing towards the portal.
She wanted to believe that he was her beloved, but as she recalled the past she thought that even if he was, it would be safer for him if he was not with her. The best course of action would be to send him along so he can reincarnate, but to her surprise he held her hand and put it down.
"Nah, I think I'll stay." He smiled as he looked into her tearful, starry eyes.
When she heard that she broke down to the floor, holding on to his legs tightly and pleading.
"Please no! If they, if she catches you here, they'll kill you! You don't need to put your life in danger for me, I beg of you Yohan!"
She didn't think she could handle another loss. Not again... He looked down at her pleading form, his eyes filled with determination.
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself in any life knowing that I left you here to suffer on your own. My last life wasn't anything special. Heck, it was one disappointment after another and just when I started getting somewhere it ended. Besides..."
He smiled at her widely. "Aren't you tired of being alone?"
She looked up at him dumbfounded, and for a moment in his smile, saw Aurelius. As a final show of determination Johan went over to a broken mirror in the corner of the room, picking up a shard of glass. With a brave face, he cut his hand with a shard of glass, making her gasp.
"What are you doing?!" She asked in panic, scrambling to her feet as he walked back over to her.
"Just watch." He smiled and with the blood dripping from his palm he slowly unbuttoned his shirt then wrote a cool runic mark he recalled seeing from his time alive on his chest, over his heart. It meant something along the lines of love and protection, but he drew it not just in promise... But to also look cool.
Unbeknownst to him it was the same runic mark that her husband drew on her to protect her all those years ago.
"On my honor, I Yohan Velmir promise to stay with you and help you escape this place, no matter how long, no matter how hard, I'll be by your side until the end Solaria."
Her eyes widened in surprise at his declaration before her face broke into a tearful smile, once again she saw her husband in the young man.
She let out a soft chuckle as she wiped her tears, marveling at the display and wondering if it was a twist of fate, a sign that things were changing for the better finally.
"You didnt have to cut yourself, idiot." She said as she kissed his hand to heal it, her dark energy wrapping around his torso to heal the cut on his chest as well, to her surprise she was only able to stop the bleeding, leaving behind the runic scar.
Happiness washed over her as she had now regained her lost hope. She swore to herself that no matter what she would protect him.
With a reluctant sigh she hugged the young man and whispered a thank you. They stood there for a few seconds in the embrace as the silence was broken by a sharp metallic clink. The shackle around her neck had just broken.