Dahlroth hugged me when we appeared in the inner sanctum deep within the bunker. When he touched a wall panel, the machines whirred back to life. Without a word, he made his way towards the ceramic pod.
"Dahlroth, are you sure we did the right thing?" I asked. "Are we doing the right thing now?"
"You defended your friends," he replied. "You didn't shed a drop of blood more than necessary."
He approached me and tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. "You should be proud," he whispered.
"I'll miss you, Dahlroth."
"If the pain becomes too great, all you have to do is sink into your thoughts, and you'll find me."
He kissed my forehead. "No tears, Khrysakh. I'm always with you."
Dahlroth entered the pod and placed all the cables into his arms. Giving me a wry smile, he said, "Now's the time."
After planting one last kiss on his lips, I closed the lid. With a heavy sigh, I pressed the medallion to the control pad and heard the beep and click of a locking mechanism.
I turned to Dahlroth one last time and placed my hand on the glass. A solitary tear trickled down my cheek as his eyelids slowly closed.
Casting a cursory glance at the control panel, I saw both red lights turn green. Footsteps approached the control room, and Dahlroth's familiar avatar approached.
"You did it," he said with a smile. "It worked."
Dahlroth the Protector wrapped me in his arms and kissed my hair. "He loves you so much," he whispered.
"I love him too," I murmured back.
"Now, you must wake, Helena."
With a start, I woke in front of the garden maze. The ruins and rubble told me that the whole sequence had happened, but an eerie quiet had settled on the battlefield.
A black hole expanded inside my chest, along with a deep sense of loneliness. "I'll miss you, Dahlroth."
"He's never really gone," a deep voice I knew so well echoed.
My heart leaped for joy when I turned to see Lord Darius saunter towards me across the grassy fields.
THE END
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A/N: You've reached the end of Forlorn. If you liked it, please remember to vote, comment, add to lists, amd share with your friends. Every bit of support helps! :)
I also appreciate constructive criticism, which helps immensely during the editing process.
Special thanks to all my lovely readers, editors, and artists. This chapter is dedicated to Tabesh02 for her amazing cover (see above in the media section). Thank you so much! ♥
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Deception
Fantasy"Science is magic comprehended, and magic is science misunderstood." ___ The evil kingdom of Gatál has conquered the peaceful kingdom of Halcía and has ruled the land with an iron fist for the past sixteen years. When an infamous Gatál press gang c...
