The scene unfolded with a grim finality. Veremos's lifeless body lay shattered, a mosaic of gore upon the unforgiving earth, a macabre testament to the ferocity of the battle. The soil beneath was stained crimson, as if the very earth itself mourned the violence that had transpired.
Ethan, a solitary figure amidst the chaos, knelt stoically, his gaze locked upon the harrowing spectacle before him. His face, a mask of inscrutability, revealed little of the turmoil that surely raged within.
Aiko, her eyes fluttering open like a fragile butterfly emerging from its cocoon, felt the ebbing strength gradually flow back into her weary limbs.
As Aiko's vision gradually cleared, the first sight to greet her was Ethan, a solitary figure kneeling upon the ground, his gaze locked skyward.
He appeared lost in profound contemplation, his features an enigmatic canvas upon which thoughts and emotions danced in shadowy hues.