I woke up the thousands of chirping birds that surrounded the cabin. Soft orange rays radiated in the room, the peaceful ambiance of nature almost making me drift back to sleep. A tender aura resonated just outside the room, my head turning to face the source.

Asthia stood outside on the balcony. Her long white hair swayed calmly in the soft breeze as she gazed at the sunset. I said nothing, slowly sitting up and watching the girl. My armor had been taken off to facilitate my rest, and Asthia only had the underclothes of her battle armor that remained intact.

She seemed to be in some sort of daze. Her mind understood what had happened, and what was going to happen, but it refused to accept that. I moved my legs slowly, sitting at the side of the bed and feeling the coarse wood underneath my foot.

I couldn't say anything as the orchestra of nature embraced the area with a warm glow. My voice would only be a reminder of our defeat, and that was the last thing Asthia needed right now. I knew what I had to do to solve this, and yet all I wanted to do was run away from that solution.

Asthia felt my presence, turning around and smiling at me. Her face glowed a variety of colors from the sunset, but I could see the emotion behind her expression. She was utterly devastated. Her people had either been killed or imprisoned back on the battlefield, and all she could do was stay here and hide from the enemy.

The scars of betrayal were apparent in her eyes. She no longer shone with the same brilliance, the same innocence that they had previously. All I could see in her eyes were my own.

"Thank you for saving me."

I looked up, surprised at her first words. There was no meaning behind her gratitude. It felt as if the Dragon Princess had become empty.

I got up, walked to her side, and leaned on the wooden rail.

"I'm sorry."

"Please don't apologize," pleaded Asthia, turning back around to look at the sunset beside me.

"..."

Minutes of silence passed. None of us knew what to say to the other, and I could feel Asthia was on the point of breaking down. Every passing second allowed her to understand what our defeat really meant for all the innocent people who awaited their return back in Lares."I should've seen his intentions," muttered the girl, looking down in shame.

Blaming yourself for everything that went wrong was something that I was all too familiar with. I had blamed myself for the deaths of all my teammates while adventuring, and now, Asthia blamed herself for the Dwarven victory.

"I could've done more..." she continued, her voice beginning to falter as she struggled to keep her tears back.

"I'll fix this," I said. My methods of comfort weren't known to be the best, but maybe sharing our way of salvation would help Asthia. The girl looked up with a surprised face. I summoned the dark crystal into my palm with a straight face. Showing my fears and doubts was not an option. I had to support Asthia as best I could in her moment of grief.

The girl's eyes widened at the sight of the crystal, her mouth failing to produce a sound.

"I'll absorb the Elder Wyvern," I stated confidently. Asthia's gaze met mine, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Please don't... you know what the consequences are..." she croaked, "We'll find another solution."

"There is no other solution."

"There has to be!" cried Asthia, her emotions exploding as her tears began to streak down her cheeks. Her legs gave in to the sadness as she collapsed onto her knees, her entire body shivering in a state of anguish and panic. "I can't lose you too!"

I took a deep breath, calming myself before continuing.

"I was given a second chance at life, Asthia. This entire existence of mine has only been a gift randomly bestowed upon me."

"W-What do you-"

"I used to live in a horrible place, and when I finally died in that world, I came here. The boy you met all those years ago in the forest was a ruthless killer. All I can do to thank this world for letting me live on it is to give back what it gave me all those years ago."

"I don't care where you come from!" yelled Asthia, snapping me out of my monologue, "I just want you to live! I want you to come back to me!"I kneeled down beside her, putting my arms gently around her head and pulling her in. A single tear streaked down my face, but I made sure it was out of Asthia's sight as I kept her head in my chest.

"I'll come back to you, Asthia," I whispered, feeling the girl's ragged breaths as she failed to compose herself. She nodded slowly, and I finally brought my arms back. Asthia was unable to meet my eyes as she stared below, her hair covering her face.

A white lie. That's all it was.

"I want you to have this," I said softly, materializing a golden necklace into my hands. The Dragon girl looked up at the piece of jewelry, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her parents' pendant.

"W-Wha- Why do you have that?" she asked timidly, her face flushed with a bright red from the amber rays.

"Selena gave it to me. The other one is right here."magic

I revealed the necklace that was underneath my shirt, showing the matching pair.

"You want me to have that?" asked Asthia, completely taken aback by my comment.

"Why not? It'll be my promise to you. That I'll come back."

I clipped the necklace around Asthia's neck, making sure her hair wouldn't get caught in it. The vibrant red jewel glowed in the fading rays of sunlight, but it seemed like Asthia was more disappointed than anything.

I stood up, looking at the girl.

"Please stay here. I'll be back," I said. Asthia nodded silently, but I knew that her action was a lie.

"He doesn't even know what the necklace means..." I heard her mutter, sulking. I smiled, grabbing the dark gem.

I let my bind flow through my hand and into the rock. The cyan mark began to glow, signaling the acknowledgment of the crystal.

"Asthia," I called out as a violet aura began to expand from the stone. The girl looked at me, her eyes still glistening from her tears. "I know what the necklace means."

I gave one final smile to the now pink girl, applying all my strength onto the jewel.

CRACK