A drop of blood landed on Lunafreya's curved lips and she let out a broken sob at the sight of the dying girl above her. "Oh, Iris. Why would you sacrifice yourself for me?"

Iris' arms gave way and she fell into Luna's embrace.

"The world needs you, big sis," the flower breathed, a hand falling to touch the knife stuck in her stomach. "Rae needs you."

The Oracle whimpered a little when her healing magic did nothing to help her savior. "He has never loved someone as he loved you."

Iris was looking at the distance. "Love isn't meant to last, is it?" Her smile was stained with blood. "Love should be remembered, and cherished. I hope Ravus remembers me…"

Iris' lover had finally arrived, but he was too late: the last thing the young girl saw was Ravus' face crack like porcelain.

A moment passed, and... "He will, sweet sister," Lunafreya breathed, closing Iris' eyelids with a gentle touch. "Sleep now."


Ravus was holding Iris' corpse close to his chest, kissing her face as if that might wake her.

But this was no fairytale.

Gladiolus had fallen to his knees, useless since his sister's killer had long since flown away. The blonde was crying and Ignis was tending to the prince, the prince who had done nothing but lay there.

Lunafreya was trying to soothe her stricken sibling. "You were in her thoughts, brother. Your name was the last word from her lips."

Gladiolus flinched.

Ravus was stroking sweet Iris' hair, and did not answer.

Grief tasted of bile...or was bile a byproduct of grief? Either way, his throat was full of something bitter.

How could he call the others useless when he himself had done nothing to protect his lover? Iris should have never been anywhere but at his side.

"I will perish without her," was Ravus' dramatic declaration.

Ignis - blinded both by Ardyn's hand and his own sorrow - could see that it wasn't dramatic at all.