Page 118 of Wedded Witch

“Please,” I whisper, the word barely audible, more to myself than to anyone else. “Please, don’t leave me.”

I close my eyes, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill. This wasn’t supposed to happen. We broke the curse, we defeated Morfran—this was supposed to be the moment we won, the moment we could finally be free.

But instead, I’m kneeling here, terrified I’ve lost everything.

Ican’tlose them. Not now. Not after everything.

Mavis and Oland stand nearby, their faces grim, but I can’t focus on them either. Mavis is chanting, trying to weave together the remnants of her magic to help, but I know she’s nearly spent.

We all are.

Then she quiets.

The silence stretches, and I’m drowning in it. My hands shake as I reach for Ri’s massive paw, clutching it like it’s my only lifeline. His form is the most unnerving. He always seemed so invincible. If he—no, I can’t even let the thought cross my mind.

“I love you,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “All of you.”

The words tumble out before I can stop them, my chest tightening with the weight of it. I should’ve said it sooner. Maybe I should’ve told them how much they mean to me before it got to this point. But now, it feels like it’s too late.

I wipe angrily at my eyes. This can’t be it. This can’t be how it ends.

I reach out, touching Kel’s side, feeling the warmth of his body even though he’s too still. “Kel,” I whisper. “Please wake up. You said we’d see this through. That I wouldn’t have to face it alone. You promised.”

My voice cracks again, and the tears fall despite myself. I don’t know what to do. I’m supposed to be strong, supposed to lead us through this, but all I can do is hold onto them and hope—hope for some miracle.

“Ri, Sol… you can’t leave me. I need you. I need all of you.”

The silence that follows is deafening, the weight of it crushing me. There’s magic in the air, but it’s fading, dissipating like smoke after a fire.

Mavis steps forward, her voice softer than I’ve ever heard it. “Swyn… we’ll do everything we can. But sometimes, the Aether?—”

“No,” I cut her off, my voice firm, even though my hands are still trembling. “No. We’ve come too far. We’ve fought too hard.”

I bow my head, closing my eyes as a sob escapes my throat. The words come unbidden, a prayer to whatever forces are out there listening.

This is not balance. Morfran’s evil for their good? It’s a price I refuse to pay.

“I love you,” I whisper again, louder this time, as if they can hear me wherever they are. “Please. Come back to me.”

For a heartbeat, there’s nothing. Just the heavy silence, the weight of my grief, and the crushing realisation that maybe, just maybe, I’m too late.

I press my hand to the fur again, searching for something—anything—a sign that they’re still alive.

But then… I feel it.

A shift. A stirring.

It’s faint at first, but I swear I feel Kel’s chest rise beneath my hand. My breath catches, my heart pounding in my ears as I lift my head, hope blooming like a fragile flower in my chest.

A faint pulse. Too faint.

I reach deep, pulling on the threads of my magic, summoning every ounce of power I have left. The Aether stirs within me, hot and wild, and I push it into them, willing them to come back, to breathe, to open their eyes.

Please. Please, I’ll do anything. Give anything. Just save them.

“You can’t leave me,” I whisper, my voice cracking as I close my eyes, trying to focus through the blinding panic. “You promised. We’re not done yet.”

For a moment, there’s nothing but silence. I think maybe I’ve failed, that I’ve lost them for good.