An Honorable Death

---Katherine---

"Kath..." Aaron's eyes were sad, sadder than I've ever seen him. "Kath, I'm sorry things turned out this way. I had hoped we wouldn't end up like this."

I looked up into his brown eyes and smiled dejectedly. "It's not your fault, Aaron. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. You came to rescue me, but look at us now."

Aaron shook his head. "Don't say that, Kath. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm just sad that…that we ran out of time."

My heart suddenly began to beat faster. What did he mean by that? 'Now is not the time, Katherine', I scolded myself. 'We're about to die here.' I decided to take his words at face value. "We didn't get to complete the mission. We failed. The Rosewood Seven didn't turn out to be the heroes that everyone hoped we were, and I..." Unable to complete the thought, I shook my head and sighed.

"Maybe they chose the wrong people," Aaron said bitterly. "Maybe the prophecy was fake, just like Lord Victor said."

I shook my head. "Our powers are not fake, Aaron. Look at you, and Lucian, and Ashley, and the rest of us. We are the chosen ones. It's just that—"

The clamor of approaching soldiers interrupted me. We looked at the quivering weapons that steadily marched up the slope towards us, and then back at each other.

"You're the nicest, bravest, most amazing girl I've ever met," Aaron suddenly blurted out. His dark brown eyes stared intently into mine, and I was seized again by the fluttering of my heart. "You always think that you're not as good as everyone else, but you are just as good, if not better. Kath, you're smart, and cute, and brave, and everything else you think you're not. You are amazing, Kath. I just wish we had more time."

Despite the grim situation, I smiled up at Aaron, like I often did when we were still in the Academy and Aaron made jokes. "And you, Aaron, are the smartest, kindest, most charming boy I've ever had the honor of meeting. From the moment I saw you in the Academy, I was…captivated. I'm glad I got to know you, even if it was only a few short years."

"Hey! There's nowhere to run! Surrender now and we won't hurt you!" A soldier shouted. Our pursuers had caught up with us. The soldiers formed a solid arc about fifty feet away, blocking our only escape route. We turned back to look at the chasm looming below. More pebbles skittered off the edge and into the unknown.

"Aaron, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked casually. To my surprise, his arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me close.

"If I know you, Kath, then yes," Aaron replied. I beamed up at him, my heart suddenly at ease and no longer afraid of what was coming.

"I said, surrender now! Or we'll have to do things the hard way!" The same soldier, who seemed to be the leader of the group, yelled again. I merely glanced at him and ignored his threats.

The green trees, the blue sky, the fresh air…I took in everything, viewing it all in a new light. The landscape suddenly seemed like a lovely place to be, with the greens and browns and blues mixing together in harmony. Even the tiny wildflowers seemed like exquisite beauties. When death is upon you, you really do change your perspective. All at once, the fatigue faded, and the pain didn't matter anymore.

My gaze landed on Aaron again, who was also studying me. I had a flashback to when I first met him at the Academy, when I was a shy, lonely girl who had only heard of his popularity and intelligence. Then I got to know him, and I realized that not only was Aaron smart, but also kind and charming. His gentle smile, his warm brown eyes, even how his hair swept over his brows…everything was still the same. The painful creases on his forehead had disappeared, even though his eyes still held all the battles he fought.

Once I accepted everything that is to come, the peace that settled was so soothing. I knew that everything is going to be over. Everything is going to be alright. I won't have to run or fight anymore. All there is to come is the blissful sensation of death.

"Alright, enough dawdling. Since you're not going to surrender—boys, get them!" The leader was impatient. He waved his arm and sent his men charging forward.

Aaron and I looked at each other one last time, with soft smiles on our faces. Then with his arm securely around my waist and mine around his, we leapt off the side of the cliff. We were suspended momentarily in the cool air, as if we were floating, before plunging down to the abyss below. I pressed myself into Aaron's side, and he did the same. My eyes squeezed shut. A million thoughts ran through my head—my short life, my family, my friends.

The rest of our group was already dead. Given our conditions, Aaron and I would've never made it to the Northern Mountains. At least we died together, with honor. At least we died a hero's death by not surrendering to Lord Victor even at the very end. Maybe, decades from now, there will be tales of the valiant Rosewood Seven who died trying to defeat Lord Victor, of how the last two chose death over defeat. Or maybe we would all die out here in a lonely mountain range on foreign soil, and no one would ever know, not even our own families. Either way, it's all over.

With the blue sky above and the cold wind whistling past my ears, one last thought flashed through my mind: What a beautiful place to rest…forever.