"Willem… thank you so much."
At hearing her heartfelt statement, he could only stare back at her vacantly, the tears stinging at the corners of his eyes as his vision blurred. The sun, which floated lethargically just above the horizon, cast a crimson glow over the barren desert. The quickly dissipating light illuminated Chtholly's features warmly as she thanked Willem and stood ready to depart as her un-focused eyes slid shut.
I should thank her as well.
I should reprimand her for ignoring my advice and fighting my battles for me once again.
I should thank her for all she's done for me.
I should tell her how much she means to me.
I love you Chtholly.
I wanted to make you happy.
I wanted to marry you.
But you've saved me yet again.
You fool.
"You goddamn fool," was all he could manage through a throat strained with the threat of tears.
With his reply, the sun finally dipped beyond the surface of the horizon and the warm crimson glow was replaced by the vast gloom of twilight. And Chtholly, marred by the results of her pyrrhic victory over the beasts and her invocation of the fairy gate, collapsed before him. Her unfocused and clouded eyes shut, her grimaced expression unwinding itself into one calm and serene as she lay before him, completely motionless and still. The dusk had them now both enveloped as he desperately inched closer to her.
He was no longer sure whether his ever blurring vision was a result of tears or his wounds having finally caught up to him, but nevertheless, he reached forward and placed his hand gently over hers.
"Chtholly…"
"Chtholly, say something," he begged.
"Please, Chtholly."
Please, say something. Anything.
He could feel his consciousness escaping him, but he had to hear her speak again, at least once. But as the heat slipped away from the ground beneath him and heralded the night, he could feel the heat slipping away from the girl before him as well. And as the darkness enveloped the land around them, a prevalent darkness likewise enveloped his mind.
Chtholly… your happiness… did you find it?
With that final thought, beneath the palpable and chilling dusk, Willem himself succumbed to his own fatigue.
A.N
Well, that was a small one shot inspired by the ending of episode 12, let me know what you think.
I may decide to continue this, who knows.
also, Chtholly pls come back D: