Light pink lips covered in the crimson of blood smiled slightly, taking most of their host's strength to complete the action. On the other side of the body, a slim hand pushed and slid their fingers through a mop of pure white hair, which was cut short. A child's haircut. And a child it was. A child dressed in blacks and purples covering his entire body. Being in his adult form would weigh the dying body down too much and take too much out of him. As much as he didn't like being dirty, this was one of his friends, laying here, dying.
Beside the child, standing up, was another man. With long gray hair drawn up in a ponytail and a black crown holding it all back. Blue and black ribbons decorate his body, covering where his limbs could not be seen. This man's eyes were focused on the ground, decidedly not looking at the two on the ground. He had tried his hand and fate denied him. No potion could heal a wound gaping like that. None of the child's sciences could put the dying person back together.
The dying body's magic was still put together, but fading. Purple splotches could be seen soaking up the pink that was there otherwise. A white uniform was dirtied with blood, dirt and other undesirable things that would be hard to wash out. But they wouldn't live long enough to wash it out. The uniform wasn't torn, only because magic was holding it together. The man with gray hair figured it would look strange. The uniform in perfect shape, perhaps a little dirty, but underneath, a dead body of the group's friend. One of the people who had been there since the beginning and is now dead at the end. While the group of three hadn't made contact with the rest, they could guess that this person was the only casualty.
Her eyes fluttered closed and the boy sucked in a deep breath, "Aisha. Aisha. You'll be fine. I'm sure Elsword will be here soon. Don't close your eyes. Please don't."
In turn, the dying girl huffed, "But Add-" she cut herself off, "Edward. I'm so tired and it's...dark." Her voice was breathy and held that drawl that people who were tired held.
"Aisha, I've been where you're going. It's not what you expect it to be." The man with gray hair huffed out, his voice holding no tone.
"Is it really? I always thought it would be..." She trailed off and her eyes relaxed. Edward, who was still on her lap, could feel her breathing and her heart pumping. He raised a small hand and lightly slapped her face. "Hey now, stay awake. Elsword will come for us."
Beside him the other man sighed, "The chances of him coming are slim, Edward. Don't fortify your hope."
Aisha let out a breathy laugh, "Come now, Ain. It's not a bad thing to hold your hope." After this sentence, she flinched in pain and groaned, leaning back against the wall. At her sound of distress, Edward leaped up, "Are you okay?!"
He couldn't lose her now. Aisha still had so much to teach him about controlling and accessing the powers of dimensional rifts and time manipulation. Waving him down, she sent him a small, but weak smile, "I'm fine. Just lay down, the Eljerk will be here soon for you, just rest until then."
Ain glanced at her, "You shouldn't be talking, it will sap your strength faster."
She stuck her tongue out at him, "I'm going to die anyway." She sighed and relaxed. After stating the elephant in room, they all quieted down.
The sun peeked over the buildings and Aisha tilted her head up so her face would take in more of the sun. "It's warm..." She sighed and relaxed all her muscles. "Take me anytime, Ishmael." Edward wrapped his arms around the too-skinny girl and held on to her. "Not yet, Aisha. Elsword will be here." He whispered.
Ain squatted down next to the two. Aisha opened one of her eyes and glanced at Ain, and smiled at him. "Think I can find the old you in there?"
He tilted his head, gray hair swaying and falling towards her as he leaned in towards her. The question was obvious. "You abandoned Ishmael, did she take back her power?"
Testing what he was going to say, he slightly nodded, "No, I just choose not to use it as much, the Void is much more fitted to my use."
She hummed, "Then perhaps I'll meet a different version of you, yeah? If you could delve this far…Maybe one of you turned into a god. Or, perhaps, you deny both Ishmael and the Void and become a human..." She hummed again and laughed, "I wonder which one."
Just barely, a smile splintered across his face, then disappeared, "If you meet the 'god' version of me, give him a good slap across his face."
Laughing, Aisha looked down at Edward, whose face was buried into her stomach. Taking a piece of Edward's hair into her hand, she rubbed it, feeling the smooth texture. "Have a good life, you two."
Ain scoffed, "Well, of course. If you can, approach Henir. I'll see if I can get you out."
After nodding, her eye's lights seemed to fade away and her slim hand stopped it's comforting track in Edward's hair. Ain sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Come on, Mr Time Traveler, we have to leave."
Though it was muffled, Ain heard the quiet 'no' that Edward whispered. The only thing Ain could feel currently, was pity. He reached around Edward's waist and hoisted him up onto his feet. "Being in a child's body isn't to your liking, is it?"
Shaking his head, Edward tried to rub away the tear tracks and redness of his eyes and cheeks, "Of course it's not you creep." Ain shook his head, then reached under Aisha and hoisted her body into his arms.
"We should take her back to the rest of the gang. I should also escort you back. Ishmael knows you aren't in the mental state to fight."
Avoiding his gaze, Edward leaned up towards the young adult in Ain's arms and closed her still open eyes. "I guess you're right."
After that, they began the trek towards Elrianode. It wasn't too long of a walk, only an hour and a half.
Of course, when they arrived, Elsword held Conwell up to Ain's chin, his eyebrows drawn down and his lips drawn back to reveal his demonic canines. Demanding why he was holding the body of his girlfriend and why he looked like Hennon. Edward easily cleared up every single one of his questions, and after Ain placed down the body near Ariel, he disappeared.
After all, he had a soul to bargain for.