The Elgang made their way through a dungeon. This dungeon was like a castle for one of the demon's masters, but not just any master: this was where Ran, Ara's brother was. The Elgang split into groups to find out Rans location faster. Chung and Elesis, Raven and Eve, Aisha and Ara and Elsword and Rena, these were the four groups to search the dungeon. Each group walked into different directions and cleared the way from monsters.
Rena and Elsword were the ones who found Ran. "Let's go back to the others! We need their help to defeat Ran.", Rena whispered. Elsword nodded and replied: "I know we need their help, but I guess we won't have time to find them all in time ... Ran has already seen us!" Just then the young knight blocked the attack of a shadow-Ran. The Night Watcher jumped back and prepared for an attack pf another shadow. The one thing she wasn't prepared for was an attack from behind and that was what Ran used for his advantage and let one of the shadows attack the elf from behind. The green-haired screames in pain. She flew towards Elsword from the hard hit of a sword. The boy caught her and put her down. "Are you able to stand?", he asked worried. Rena nodded and replied: "Don't worry ... I can still fight." The red-haired blocked another attack, then he said: "Rena, run to the others ... I'll buy you some time!" The elf shook her head and protested: "No way I am going to leave you here alone!" She shot some magic arrows towards Ran but he blocked them with his sword.
Elsword tried to protect Rena no matter what, even if he'd die, as long as he knew the elf was safe he was fine with that. But here, Rena would not be safe here; he had to defeat Ran to protect here.
The two were a couple ever since the group left Feita. All of them knew that Rena would die to keep Elsword safe and Elsword would do the same. Since they left Velder the boy grew stronger than ever before. Elesis wasn't strong enough anymore to defeat Elsword in a simply sparrings battle. Yet the Lord Knight wasn't able to protect his love.
The demon lord wasn't even fighting on his own, he just used his shadows so far. Now Elsword had had enough and charged at Ran. He attacked the demon with his sword as fast and as strong as he could. The boy hit him several times but the man didn't even flinch on single time, his evil grin didn't vanish. Elsword tried to hit him once more, but Ran stopped the blade with his hand. "Hehehe ... no use boy, you cannot defeat me!", the demon lord laughed and pushed Elsword away. A few feet away the boy landed on his knees. The red-haired was coughing up blood; Ran had used some of his powers on him as he pushed the boy away.
Elsword slowly got up, he was in terrible pain. "I can't give up now ... I gotta defeat him ...!", he murmured as he readied himself to charge at Ran again. But the red-haired didn't move at all, his vision went all blurry for a moment. As he was able to see normally again, Ran was about to hit him with his sword. "It's over now ...", Elsword thought and closed his eyes, waiting for the sword to hit him. He heard the sword cut through the air, then flesh, but he didn't feel any pain, except the pain from the wounds he already had.
The boy opened his eyes. In front of him he only saw green hair with some red spots on the left side. "No ... Nooo!", was the first the boy shouted out loud. He knew Rena had jumped in front of him just in time to protect him. The elf stumbled backwards, then she fell. Elsword caught her and fell to his knees with her in his arms. There was a huge and deep cut across her chest and it was bleeding a lot.
"Rena, no ... why did you ...?", the boy said fast. "I'm sorry ... but at least ... you're ... safe ...", the elf whispered weakly; pain, sorrow and fear in her voice. "Rena ... You should've let him hit me ... I ... I wanted to protect you ... I wanted you to be safe!", the red-haired said as tears welled up in his eyes. The green-haired lifted her right hand up and stroke Elswords cheek. "I ... love you ...", she whispred. After that her eyes closed and her hand fell down. One single tear slowly rolled down her cheek.
"No! Rena, no! Please ... please open your eyes ... Wake up, please! Don't die ...!", Elsword cried. He laid his forehead and hers and continued: "Don't leave me ... please, Rena ... Wake up again ... I love you ... I need you ..."
Ran stood in front of the two, he had watched them and started to laugh loud and evil. But all of a sudden he stopped. Elsword didn't care why, he just held Rena close to him and cried. He felt her warm blood running over his hands and arm. His mind went blank; the woman he loved had died, the reason he kept fighting, he was getting stronger, his will died with her.
Elsword lifted his head and opened his eyes. He saw all the others fight Ran, but he himself had no motivation to move at all. He looked at Rena again, brushed away her tear and didn't stop crying. "You are everything for me ... yet I let you die ... What should I do now ...", he thought and held her closer again. "Please come back again ... Please be alive again ... I love you. I need you. You are everything for me, Rena ... I ...", he continued thinking.
Suddenly the boy felt a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't bother to look up. "Elsword ... Ran is defeated now ...", the voice was Elesis'. "Don't tell me ... Rena ... she isn't ... is she?", that voice belonged to Aisha. The red-haired lifted his head up again. "She died ... because she protected me ...", Elsword said.
"Let me take care of her! Maybe I can help her with my magic!", Aisha said fast. Carefully the boy laid Rena on the floor. The purple-haired looked at the wound, then she started to use her magic. "I don't know if it still works ... but I hope it does ...", she said.