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The world seemed to have stopped.
Yara and Amara remained embraced, and there was no wind, no noise, nothing that could pierce that moment. It was as if all the chaos around them had yielded, making space for two souls, separated by fate, to finally recognize each other.
Amara wept as if she had stored a lifetime of tears. Her short, ragged sobs echoed against Yara's chest, who held her tightly, as if fearing that a simple loosening of her arms would be enough to lose her again.
Yara did not speak. She didn't need to. Her silence was the loudest cry of all: I am here, I will not let you go again.
Stella and Dan remained silent, respecting the intimacy of the reunion. They watched from a distance, but they knew they were witnessing something sacred. A victory that could not be measured in blood or destruction, but in love—the most improbable and rare of all.
For a few moments, even they forgot the weight of the war.
Dan took a deep breath, feeling something tighten in his chest. The scene before him made him reflect on what still remained in his own hands.
Without looking directly at Stella, he broke the silence:
— If we survive this… I'd like to step away for a while. — his voice sounded deep but calm, laden with sincerity. — And… I'd like you to come with me.
Stella's eyes widened. She didn't answer immediately. Her body froze, as if her mind was trying to process every detail of what she had heard. Then, slowly, a huge smile bloomed on her lips, illuminating her face, still wet with tears.
— Dan… — she murmured, moved. — I… of course I accept. I've always wanted to go to France, by the way.
He finally looked at her. A tired half-smile appeared on his face.
— It would be a good place to rest… after all this.
Stella laughed softly, tears still caught in the corners of her eyes. Her mind was already beginning to lose itself in small fantasies, images of Parisian cafés, illuminated streets, the simple act of walking hand in hand without fear of the war tearing them away at any moment.
Dan watched this almost childlike joy shine in her and let out a heavy sigh.
— I've always wanted to retire… spend time with the people I love. — his voice wavered for a moment. — But I never knew when that day would come.
I never imagined I could picture a future like that...
He clenched his fists and, for a moment, stared at the ground before lifting his eyes again.
— But now I know that, at least… confessing my feelings is something I can do. At least that.
He turned completely to Stella, who was still smiling through her tears. His gaze was resolute, unshakable.
— Stella… I love you. — he said firmly, without hesitation. — And I would like to marry you one day.
The world seemed to stop again.
Stella stood motionless, and then her face flushed a deep red. Her eyes sparkled gold, reflecting all the emotion overflowing from within her. The tears streamed down, slow, almost solemn. She lowered her head, clasping her hands against her chest as if in silent prayer.
Inside, it was as if she were thanking the heavens for that moment, for those words she had always longed to hear.
— I… — her voice choked, but the smile never faded. — I accept, Dan. Even in the chaos, even here… between life and death.
Her golden eyes shone even brighter as she added, almost as if speaking to herself:
— I've always wanted to hear that…
The silence between them was filled with certainty. There, between reunited souls and exposed wounds, a new promise was born: two lives wishing to intertwine forever.
Dan took a deep breath, as if lifting an immense weight from his shoulders.
— When all this is over… — he said with a light smile — I'll make a more proper proposal. And, if you accept, I already know who the perfect best man will be.
Stella let out a tearful giggle, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
— If I accept, you idiot? — she teased, even though the happiness left her flustered.
She lifted her eyes and added:
— And I think I already know who you're talking about…
— It could only be him. — Dan confirmed, without hesitation. — There wouldn't be a better best man.
The two looked at each other, smiling before the abyss. For a moment, they imagined futures that seemed impossible. A simple life, shared dreams, peace.
But then, reality pulled them back.
The smiles wavered. The gaze of both of them scanned the devastated field, searching for someone.
And the doubt turned into anguish.
— Where… — Stella murmured, her voice trembling. — Where the hell is Tekio?
The silence that followed was no longer sacred, but suffocating.
His absence now weighed heavier than any battle.
Dan paced back and forth, his mind racing.
— He was right there… — he muttered, as if talking to himself. — In front of Karmore… arms open… and then… he vanished.
Stella crossed her arms, trying to stay calm, but her gaze betrayed her distress.
— It doesn't make sense… — she replied, in a low voice. — Tekio would never disappear like that… alright, he caused this, but where did he end up?
They tried to piece it together, but the more they thought, the more it seemed impossible to understand. The space around them still vibrated, unstable, as if reality itself were too fragile to hold.
Meanwhile, the sisters remained locked in their embrace.
Amara wept without shame, without control, clinging to her sister's body as if it were her last anchor. Her face was stained with tears and blood, but that no longer mattered. The fear, however, consumed her: the fear of losing her again.
Yara gently stroked her sister's hair and smiled, even with moist eyes.
— Amara… — she said in a soft, but firm tone. — My time here… seems to be running out.
Amara lifted her face in despair, shaking her head.
— N-no… don't say that… please… don't leave again, I can't bear it… — she begged between sobs, holding her tighter.
Yara was crying now too, her voice choked, but her gaze serene.
— I will always be with you… — she whispered. — Watching over you… caring for you… as I always have.
Amara struggled between the pain and the need to believe. Her tears soaked her sister's shoulders.
— Don't leave me alone! Not again!
— Never alone, not anymore. — Yara interrupted her, firmly, even as her own voice trembled. — You will never be alone if you promise me… to be kind to your new companions. Fight for them. Fight for yourself. Fight… for us.
The space began to crumble.
That ethereal plane, fragile, sustained only by the love between souls and a strength beyond comprehension, began to dissolve like transparent glass shattering in the air.
Cracks opened around them and, in moments, all that had been serene broke apart, revealing the chaos once more. The destroyed landscape, full of ash and blood, returned to swallow the world.
And in that last instant, Amara lifted her face… only to see Yara vanish before her eyes.
Despair choked her—but then, where her sister had been, another figure was revealed.
Tekio.
He said nothing. He merely looked at her with a tired smile, a deep gaze that seemed to carry far more than words could express.
Amara felt her face burn with shame, but she did not look away. She recognized, in silence, the absurd effort he had made for her. The pain he carried didn't need to be explained—it was in every staggering step, in every detail of that gaze.
She felt the weight of her actions, of the pain she had caused. The pain of seeing the person she had nearly killed multiple times now smiling gently before her.
It hurt, but she knew she had to say something.
Her lips trembled, and she managed to say only:
— Thank you… Tekio.
He kept his smile.
He nodded, simply, honestly.
— You're welcome.
Behind them, Dan and Stella finally located their friend. Relief moved them closer, but they respected the moment. They remained a few steps back, watching.
And inside Tekio, something stirred.
In that silhouette of Amara, in those blue eyes full of tears, he didn't see just the liberation from a curse. He saw the reflection of another pain.
The reflection of someone he loved more than his own life.
"I love you, Izabela…", he thought in silence, staring at Amara as if seeing his own sister through her.
That memory cut him deeply. He knew he would never see Izabela again, that he had lost her definitively. But in that moment… in that moment, by saving Amara, it was as if he had managed to save her too.
Yara, even absent, felt the truth in his soul. She felt Tekio's crushing pain, the void of never being able to embrace his own sister again. And she understood.
She would never forget what he had done that day.
And if it were necessary to sacrifice herself for him, for his life… Yara would do it without hesitation.
Because Tekio had given her the greatest gift possible: the chance to say goodbye. The chance to mend what was broken.
Even if she died tomorrow.
Even if everything went wrong.
That single act was worth Yara's entire soul-life.
To be continued…
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