As Her Life Ends

The night breeze was warm. The crickets were silent tonight, so the whole place was quiet. No other sign of life, except for the trees and him, were seen. The only source of light was the moon. It was a peaceful night.

What a tranquil time to die.

The moonlight shone softly on his blade as he pointed it to me. I stared at the man who was looking at me with eyes full of hatred. I can't move backward anymore, for what was waiting for me was a cliff leading to the abyss.

As the silence continued to envelop us, I stared at the man who would be the last person I'll see before my demise. Silently tracing his features that have been long etched in my mind.

His unruly, dark hair that I used to caress whenever he's tired from work. Those amethyst eyes that first caught my attention. The orbs that once showed me light and reflected love for me. His tall nose that I loved to pinch whenever he pissed me off. That sharp jawline that I was so fascinated about when I first met him. His lean and strong figure that always protected me from harm. The arms that embraced me and made me feel safe. Those hands that always held my hand tightly, making sure not to let me go. And his lips that once whispered words that made me feel better and loved.

Right now, I lost all of those. The one who gave meaning to my life turned to be the the one who'll bring my death. The man who was once my shield became the sword that would take my life. The warmth I once felt turned ice-cold, and the love that bloomed like a rose became thorns of hatred that brought pain to me again.

"Cain Lewis Vistronde." I whispered his name softly, but he heard it and placed his sword beside my neck.

"Don't call my name recklessly, you liar." Tears pooled in my eyes as I heard his voice. That baritone voice that I loved was now spatting poison with his words.

"I love you." I told him. Cain's expression grew darker, as he pushed the sword on my neck, just enough to make me bleed.

"Stop fooling me." I gently smiled at him and took a step closer. He flinched when he saw the wound on my neck go deeper and glared at me. I maintained my smile and held his cheek.

"I'm not. I promised not to ever lie to you, remember?" He pushed me, sending me a few centimeters away from the chasm. The pain I felt from the impact was nothing compared to the pain I felt in my heart. I was rejected all my life, but this would be the most painful one.

"You broke your promise and betrayed me." I slowly shook my head with his statement. I can feel my body getting tired. I never thought I would feel pain again when he saved me, but this was worse than getting abused and tortured. The breeze was a little stronger, but it was gentle. It was like a lullaby that's guiding me to sleep.

"I didn't. But, you'll kill me now, won't you?" I asked him. He didn't answer, instead, he pointed the sword at my neck and looked at me straight in the eyes. Without any words, I knew what he was trying to tell me.

'You need to die.'

I bitterly smiled at him and nodded. He raised his sword but before he could even swing it to my neck, I saw a tear fell from his eye. I didn't know if that was a hallucination, but a memory resurfaced the moment I saw his tear.

'I never wanted to kill anyone. All I want is to protect the people I treasure, especially you. I promise to not ever hurt you.'

"I see. I get it now." I told him and before he could even react, I jumped backwards, causing me to fall towards the abyss. I saw him looking down at me, trying to reach for my hand, but it was too late.

I get it now.

My death would be a part of the play. The most crucial part, if I must add. In order to deceive the enemies, one must face his own weakness, and in Cain's case, I am that weakness.

He can easily inflict a fatal wound on me, then bring me to a secluded place for my treatment while he continues to act, but that would be a huge gamble. With the number of our enemies, they can easily search for me and once they do, the whole play would be destroyed. The last plan for the salvation of our empire would be lost.

He never told me anything because he knew I would understand his plan during this time. His only miscalculation was this scenario.

The act where I would intentionally kill myself for the sake of his plan.

"I'm sorry, Cain. The empire is now in your hands." I whispered, even though I knew he wouldn't be able to hear that.

Ah...

I'm still falling.

Deeper,

Sinking deeper into the abyss.

I can't see the light anymore, but I thought I heard his voice calling for my name. I tried to look around but all I can see was pitch-black, it was all dark.

Did I make the right choice? Should I have followed his plan? What would happen to him now? Would he be able to see the end of it?

I had a lot of questions, but that didn't matter anymore because I know what was waiting for me.

When would I reach my demise?

I closed my eyes as I thought of something.

'I wish I could turn back time... Back to the past... Then we'll handle things differently and live a peaceful life without our enemies...'

That was the only thought I had as I continued to fall...

Until my heart stopped beating.