The wind tore across the cliffside, carrying the scent of salt and danger. Aqua's fingers gripped the knife until his knuckles whitened. His heart hammered like a war drum, each beat counting down the seconds to the moment that would decide everything.
He drove the blade into his side. Pain flared sharply, hot and real, but shallow enough to keep him alive. Blood seeped across his shirt. His breathing came in ragged bursts, chest tight, but his eyes never left Hikaru Kamiki.
Hikaru's expression twisted from surprise to fury. "What… are you doing? You can't—"
Aqua flinched. The instinct to leap, to throw himself at Hikaru and end this once and for all, surged through him. But then he saw the flashing lights approaching — sirens screaming through the distance, police arriving at the cliff's edge. He froze, knife still in his hand, the thought of Ruby's safety anchoring him. He couldn't make the jump. Not now.
Hikaru's face paled as he noticed the approaching authorities. "The police…? No… this can't be happening… —"
He took a step back. The ground beneath him shuddered. Cracks spread like lightning across the cliff's edge. His scream pierced the wind as his footing vanished. He toppled forward, tumbling toward the jagged rocks and roaring sea below. His head struck sharply, and the waves swallowed him instantly, leaving only silence behind.
Aqua's knees buckled, pain from the self-inflicted wound burning, but he was alive. Relief crashed over him in waves almost as fierce as the sea. The police reached him immediately, shouting, securing the area. Medics attended to his wound, stabilizing him. He had executed the plan perfectly — Hikaru was gone, Ruby was safe, and he had survived.
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Weeks later, the city basked in warm sunlight. Aqua walked beside Ruby along the pier, the soft scent of salt in the air and the gentle waves lapping below. The horizon stretched endlessly, calm now, a stark contrast to the chaos of the past.
"You… you really survived," Ruby whispered, tears glistening in her eyes.
Aqua smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I wasn't going anywhere. Not yet."
Ruby laughed softly, gripping his hand tightly. "I was so scared… I thought I'd lost you."
"You didn't," Aqua said, warmth in his voice. "Not today. Not ever. We get to live now. Really live."
From behind them, the people who had fought and suffered alongside them began to arrive:
Kana, laughing, clapped her hands. "Finally, we get to see you both standing without cliff drama!"
Akane, smirking, gave Aqua a light shove. "Don't think about pulling stunts like that again. Ever."
Melt, handing Aqua a cup of tea, chuckled. "You've earned some peace, huh? Finally."
Taiki, grinning, shook his head. "I knew you'd pull through, Aqua. Looks like we all get to stop holding our breath."
Ruby's laugh rang out, clear and joyful, as she leaned into Aqua's side. "See? Everyone survived. Everyone is still here. Because of you."
Aqua exhaled, letting tension leave him for the first time in years. He looked at the calm sea stretching to the horizon, at the faces of his friends, at Ruby smiling beside him — and finally felt it: freedom, safety, and the simple joy of being alive.
The past — the lies, the battles, the pain — was behind them. Together, they could walk into a future that was theirs to shape.
THE END