𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐑 𝐀𝐔 || 𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑮 𝑪𝑯𝑰 & 𝑲𝑨𝑻𝒀

Vormir.

"To ensure that whatever possesses it understands its power, the stone demands a sacrifice."

Katy and Shang exchanged a glance at one another. "What of?" Katy asked. "Can I like, give up my favourite food for a year? Is that a reasonable sacrifice?"

"In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul."

An immediate look of panic flashed across Katy's face. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I don't think," Shang began. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

Katy immediately ran over to him, pulling him into a tight hug. Although hugs were supposed to radiate comfort, love, protection, reassurance, this one felt far too painful to resemble anything of that sort. Perhaps that was because they both knew it was their goodbye. Perhaps it was because they both knew that one of them would soon be leaving the place without the other. Perhaps it was because they knew it was their last time they'd be able to hear each other's voices. It was an extraordinarily long moment of silence, that was eventually broken by Katy's quiet voice - so quiet, lacking the usual life and joy it should have held. It was so unlike her.

"We made a great team," she said. "Thank you for that. But I guess all good things come to an end, don't they?"

"I... I guess so," he started. "So, this is goodbye? Thank you for everything, Katy."

Katy shook her head frantically. "Not yet, please. Not yet. I don't want to..." 

"Then you don't have to." he whispered. "If you see Xialing, tell her I love and miss her."

"No!" she screamed out, before running to the cliff's edge."I can't." 

Katy jumped.

"Katy, what the hell?" Shang yelled, immediately going to pull her up.

"Katy, no, don't go." She landed back on the clifftop thanks to his support and the situation was almost the exact same as it was before she decided to jump. Almost, because there was an even more desolate sadness to the situation now than there was before, despite that seeming almost impossible. But then again, anything impossible or unrealistic would be far better than the situation they had found themselves in.

For a decent five minutes, perhaps shorter, perhaps longer, they didn't know and didn't care, the pair just looked each other in the eye, full of pity, sadness and regret. "Sorry, Shang. I don't want to lose you."

"Katy, you're making this harder for both of us. Let me go, please."

She sighed heavily, tears finally, finally beginning to fall. "I don't want to."

He softened his voice ever so slightly. "Remember when you said we make a great team? You were right. But that's only because of you. It's okay, Katy. You can let me go. You'll be okay. You can contribute to another excellent team."

"Or... I could just sacrifice myself and get it over and done with."

"No!" Shang begged. "Let me go."

He jumped.

Katy couldn't pull him up, like he did to her.

She couldn't save him.

He was gone, body laid at the bottom off a cliff on a completely different planet, drowning in his own beads of crimson red blood.

"All this," Katy muttered, looking at the glowing soul stone in the palm of her hand. "For a stupid rock."