Ruin Filled Coffin Space.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!...

The continuous sound of metal striking metal echoed throughout the front of my Grave Digging Manor. Sivath made sure to also make her presence known as the sound of her hiss followed after every strike.

Yet the only thing that flowed through my mind for those long filled twenty seconds wasn't concern for Sivath or my own life.

It was rage, bloodlust, killing intent, excitement, adrenaline pumping, euphoric, and mindnubmingly right. The worst part was… I did not want it to end, I never wanted to leave it.

'More! More! More! MORE!!!!!' Madness echoed throughout my mind.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Madness echoed across my lips and into the night.

And madness continued to leave my mouth until I could no longer feel my own arms and legs as I lost grip on my shovel as my own consciousness finally returned. As well as the madness I went through in perfect clarity.

"Sonofa… bitch." I said weakly as I felt like a puppet with its strings cut off as I fell back with my arms above my head. "Well… I guess I will find out soon, if I defeated Khedes or not."

I could hardly speak let alone lift my own head as the only sound that I could hear was the sound of grass blowing in the wind.

Everything in my mind was telling me to move, but I was unable to as the only thing that seemed to work was my mind as I looked through my memory of madness.

…

"Well, shit."

I kissed my teeth while smiling as it seemed that the only thing that my suicide attack did was make Khedes Soul Fire pulse with each strike of my shovel. He just stood there and took it. Like trying to break a mountain with an egg.

Then my focus started to change to Sivath as I felt something inside my mind about to snap as I wanted to tear my own throat out.

I struck her… my partner!!

Nonstop with a smile on my face like a smiling jester I once buried!

Yet the more I watched the memory the more I wanted to rip my own throat out as the more I felt something about to snap in my head.

I wanted to scream out in anger, but I couldn't.

I wanted to call out her name, but I was denied because of my own actions.

Yet the only thing that seemed to keep my mind from finally snapping was the determination Sivath showed even though I struck her along with Khedes. She never once quit trying to defeat him.

I could feel tears fall from my eyes.

Yet when I got to the end of the memory I smiled as Khedes finally seemed to fall as the Soul Fire in his eyes dimmed and changed to a pure black flame. As Sivath slowly crawled up my leg with a few missing limbs as she started to rest.

I just continued to lay there as the sound of multiple system notifications played in my mind.

{System Notification. You buried two Rank: Soldier - 5 corpses. Your Trait: Legion of the Buried has been updated. Please check the system}

{System Notification. Congratulations you have defeated the Reckless Undead, Khedes. You have gained a powerful soldier! Please check the system.}

{System Notification. Trait: Commander gained. Please check the system.}

{System Notification…}

Even though I wanted to check my system I couldn't as I could no longer keep my eyes open as they started to feel like lead as my consciousness started to fade.

"Well, at least the moon looks nice." I said weakly as I looked at the bright red moon in the sky. "Haven't slept next to a grave in a while anyway. Kinda miss it to be honest."

I no longer fought off the heaviness of my eyes as they closed as darkness overtook me followed by a deep sleep.

…

…

Yet when I opened my eyes I was surprised, as it was a place I was familiar with. As the last time that I remember being here was when Vlada crippled that bastard King.

"Just what am I doing here? Just what is-!!!"

I stopped mid sentence as someone who I was very familiar with walked out of one of the only two Ruins that were pulsating with strength.

Even though I could see how disheveled Vlada looked as her hair was everywhere. Her face was flushed the brightest red I could see from the peripherals of my vision. Her dress was bundled in her arms as she wore the most tantalizing black lingerie set with matching garter belt and stockings.

My focus never seemed to leave the look of shock in her beautiful star filled eyes.

"You-you are earlier, Bastion. I-I didn't think you would arrive-!!" Vlada started to say as she did her best to try and cover herself as I could no longer hold back as I rushed towards her and embraced her in the most loving embrace I could manage.

I could no longer hold the smile I was trying to hold as I held Vlada in my arms as she felt alive and real!

"Finally! Finally!" I shouted out in joy as Vlada embraced me as we both fell to our knees. "And why are you hiding yourself Vlada? I've already seen everything that needs to be seen. But the look on your face is something new from the one memory I have continually watched over and over and over again."

But yet the response that I was expecting didn't happen as Vlada increased the strength of our embrace as she pulled away with a look of heavy sadness in her eyes as tears started to form.

"You have no idea how happy and alive I feel right now to be holding you in my arms right now. You have no idea how much I want to stand next to you as you become the Emperor that I know you are able to become…"

Vlada continued to explain as she bawled her eyes out as I just brought her into my shoulder.

Yet I didn't feel any sort of sadness as Vlada continued to explain herself. The only thing that I could feel was endless happiness as there was one thing that I could feel that no longer seemed to be true since the last time I saw her.

"It's ok, my Hollowed Empress. This should be a day of joy so stop and examine yourself and feel just what is beating with continued strength with each second." I whispered into her ears as I felt the increase in Vlada's heart pump.

There was a look of shock and happiness that traded the intense look of sadness that she had when she first explained her heart out. As I gently placed my hand against her tear stained face.

"It doesn't matter if this only lasts for a certain amount of time, it doesn't matter if it takes me another five to ten years to see you again." I spoke from the heart as I meant every word as I continued. "The only thing that matters is that if I'm able to do this once I can do it again and as you just realized, your heart is no longer not beating. I will always return, you will never have to wear that look of sadness on your face ever again."

" I will return, My Hollowed Empress and Silent Sister of the Grave. I love you."

I finished as I took Vladas lip as we started to lose ourselves in our love.