The healer's hut was suffused with a somber stillness, the air heavy with the scent of crushed herbs and faint traces of incense. The faint glow of magical wards on the walls illuminated Corix's pale, sweat-drenched face. He lay on a cot, his breaths shallow and labored, each one an evident struggle. Raelyn froze at the sight, her chest tightening as an icy wave of fear coursed through her.

The auburn-haired healer, who had been tending to Hovan days before, looked up, her expression etched with quiet sorrow. "The wound itself was not severe," she began, her voice soft but unyielding. She held up the dagger that had struck Corix, its blackened blade gleaming faintly in the light. "But this weapon was coated with poison—infused with dark magic."

"Poison?" Raelyn whispered, her voice catching. Her trembling hands gripped the edge of the cot as she sank to her knees beside Corix. "But you can heal him, right? You're elves! Your knowledge, your magic—it's supposed to be unmatched."

The healer's shoulders sagged, her eyes dropping to the floor as though the admission pained her. "We have tried every remedy, every spell in our arsenal," she said. "But nothing we do can halt the poison's spread. It is dark magic of the cruelest kind, corrupting even the most potent of our methods. We've done all we can."

"There must be something else!" Raelyn pleaded, her voice breaking. Her fingers hovered over Corix's hand, too afraid to touch him and feel how frail he'd become. "You can't just give up!"

The healer's lips pressed into a thin line, her green eyes clouded with regret. "He has hours... perhaps a day at most. I am sorry. I think you should take this time to say your farewell"

Raelyn's knees buckled, and her vision blurred with tears as she clutched the cot for support. Hovan, standing silently behind her, reached out to steady her, his strong arms wrapping around her shoulders. His usual stoic demeanor had cracked, the tension in his face betraying his emotions.

"Leave us," Corix rasped suddenly, his voice barely audible but commanding. His eyelids fluttered open, revealing tired eyes that had lost much of their sharpness. He tried to lift a hand, but it trembled before falling weakly to his side. "Please... let me speak to them."

The healer hesitated, glancing between Raelyn and Corix, but eventually gave a solemn nod. She gestured for the elves standing at the door to follow her, and they left without a word, the room falling silent but for the faint, uneven rhythm of Corix's breathing.

Raelyn knelt beside him, her tears flowing freely now. "I'm sorry," she choked out, her voice trembling. "This is my fault. It's all my fault. If I were stronger—if I were better—if I—"

"Stop," Corix interrupted, his voice soft but firm, cutting through her spiraling thoughts. His eyes, though weary, were steady as they met hers. "This... was my choice. I knew the risks. None of this is on you."

"I don't want to lose you," Raelyn whispered, her tears dripping onto the blanket covering him.

Corix's gaze grew distant, and a wistful smile replaced his usual stern expression. "You remind me of Sonea," he said, his voice quieter now, each word drawn out as though it cost him effort. "My wife."

Raelyn's breath caught, surprised by the revelation. Corix rarely spoke of himself, let alone his past.

"She was kind," Corix continued, his eyes unfocused as if seeing someone far away. "Strong. Brave. A magus like me. We married in Ardesco, back when the school still felt like home. She was... everything good in my life."

Raelyn remained silent, her tears flowing freely as Corix's voice wavered.

"Sonea went to Bromaric," he said, his expression darkening. "She was searching for new students to bring back to Ardesco when the demons began their attacks. I waited for her, prayed for her return. But..." He swallowed hard, the words catching in his throat. "I received a raven. She never made it back."

Raelyn's heart broke at the pain in his voice. He paused, as though summoning the strength to continue.

"I hated the gods," he said bitterly, his voice tinged with a sorrow that cut deeper than anger. "For taking her from me. For leaving me alone. When I saw you, Raelyn... your kindness, your determination... but most of all, your eyes. They reminded me of her. And I hated you for it."

Raelyn sobbed, shaking her head. "Corix..."

"I was cruel to you," Corix said, his voice weighted with regret. Each word seemed to sap his dwindling strength. "I took my pain out on you. For that, I am sorry."

Raelyn shook her head, her tears falling freely now. "I don't care about that," she choked out, her voice trembling with raw emotion. "I just... I want you to stay. Please, don't leave us. Don't leave me. I can't do this without you."

Her words came out in a rush, her hands trembling as she clung to his. "You're the one who knows what to do. You've always known. I'm not ready—I don't have your strength, your skill. I don't even have the courage you do. How am I supposed to keep going without you?"

Her voice broke as guilt surged through her. "You sacrificed yourself for me," she whispered. "For me. And I don't deserve it. I'm not worth it. I—"

"Stop," Corix interrupted, his tone surprisingly firm for someone so weak. His eyes opened, dull but steady, locking onto hers. "Don't you dare say that."

Raelyn froze, her breath catching as his words cut through her despair.

"You're worth it," Corix continued, his voice softening but no less resolute. "Every ounce of pain, every risk. You think I made this choice lightly? I knew what I was doing. I'd make the same decision again a hundred times over."

She shook her head, her tears spilling onto his blanket. "But why? Why would you give so much for someone like me? I'm not strong enough, not smart enough—"

"Enough," he said, his voice growing quieter but no less firm. "You're more than enough. Do you hear me, Raelyn? You are more than enough."

She stared at him, her vision blurred by tears, her lips trembling as she tried to speak but found no words.

"I've watched you grow," Corix continued, his voice slowing as though every word was an effort, but his gaze remained steady. "You've faced things no one should have to. You've stood your ground, even when the odds were stacked against you. And you've done it with a strength you don't even realize you have."

"But I'm scared," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm terrified. Of failing, of losing everyone, of being alone."

"I know," Corix said softly, his lips curving into a faint smile. "That fear? It's what makes you human. What makes you stronger than you think. Because you'll fight through it. You'll keep going, not for yourself, but for the people who need you. For Unevia."

Raelyn pressed his hand to her heart, her sobs wracking her frame as the weight of his words settled over her. "I don't know if I can," she whispered. "I don't know if I'll ever be as good as you."

"You'll be better," Corix said, his tone gentle but filled with conviction. "Take my spellbook. Continue your training. Become the best magus you can be. Don't hide behind a shield, Raelyn. Don't be like the others who waited for safety while the world burned. Be better."

Her chest ached with the force of her emotions, her tears falling faster. "I'll make you proud," she promised, her voice trembling but resolute. "I swear I will."

Corix smiled weakly, his eyes beginning to flutter shut. "You already have," he murmured.

Raelyn clung to his hand as if her grip could tether him to life a little longer. For the first time in her life, someone had seen her for more than her fears and shortcomings—for her potential, her strength. But the thought of continuing without Corix still felt like a mountain too steep to climb.

His breathing slowed, each rise and fall of his chest growing more shallow. "Promise me," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible now. "You'll trust yourself, Raelyn. The world... needs you."

"I promise," she whispered back, her tears soaking the fabric beneath her hands. "I'll keep going. I'll make you proud."

Corix turned his gaze to Hovan, who stood silently beside Raelyn, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The stoic warrior's face was a mask of control, but his eyes betrayed the turmoil within.

"Protect her," Corix rasped, his voice growing weaker with every word, though his tone carried an unyielding resolve. "Never leave her side. Trust her. She... will lead us to the light."

Hovan swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he struggled to speak. Finally, his voice, thick with emotion, broke the silence. "I swear it," he said, his words steady despite the tremor in his jaw. "With my life."

A faint smile curved Corix's pale lips, a glimmer of peace in his weary expression. "Good," he whispered, the word barely audible. "I'm grateful... for the time I had with both of you. Even if I won't see the world you'll create..." His voice faltered, but he pushed on, each word a fragile thread of determination. "I'm glad... to have played my part."

Corix's eyes, heavy with exhaustion, fluttered shut. His breathing slowed, each rise and fall of his chest more shallow than the last. "I need... some rest," he murmured, the faintest trace of a smile lingering on his lips.

Raelyn gripped his hand tighter, her tears falling freely now, unbidden and unstoppable. She leaned closer, her voice trembling as she whispered, "We're not going to leave you, Corix. We're right here. Always."

Hovan sat down beside her, his broad shoulders sagging under the weight of his grief. He rested a hand on Raelyn's back, offering what little comfort he could as the room fell into a heavy silence.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly as they sat there, the only sound the faint, unsteady rhythm of Corix's breathing. Raelyn's fingers curled around his hand, her thumb brushing lightly over his knuckles, desperate to hold onto him for as long as possible.

Eventually, exhaustion claimed them both. Raelyn's head rested on the edge of the cot, her hand still entwined with Corix's, while Hovan leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed protectively over his chest. Sleep did not come easily, but it came nonetheless—a restless, uneasy escape from their grief.

The first light of dawn filtered through the cracks in the wooden walls of the healer's hut, soft and golden, but it did nothing to warm the cold that had settled in Raelyn's chest. She woke with a start, her heart pounding as though trying to shake off the remnants of a nightmare. For a fleeting moment, she thought perhaps the nightmare was over, that she might hear Corix's voice again.

But as her gaze fell to his face, her breath hitched. His expression was peaceful, his features softened in a way she had rarely seen in life. But his hand in hers was cold, his chest still.

Raelyn froze, her mind struggling to process what her heart already knew. "No," she whispered, her voice trembling. "No, no, no..."

Hovan stirred beside her, his sleep-heavy eyes snapping open at the sound of her voice. He looked to Corix, then to Raelyn, and the truth hit him like a physical blow. His broad shoulders slumped, and for a moment, he said nothing, the weight of his own grief stealing his voice.

Hovan placed a hand on her shoulder, his own grief evident in his gaze. Together, they sat in silence, the enormity of their mission pressing down on them more heavily than ever before.