Defeated… by a Tarnished, it's a strange feeling after a lifetime of victory after victory. For so long she remained undefeated, fearing the day of her defeat, but now that it arrived… she feels… relieved in a way. Like a heavy weight on her shoulders removed.

Death by the blade of a lowly Tarnished… A fitting end to her regretful life. All of the pain and suffering she caused, all of the bodies that fell in her wake, she deserves it.

"Your strength… Extraordinary… the mark of a true lord…" Malenia regards the approaching Tarnished, blade in hand, ready to finish her off.

"O, Miquella… My dear brother…" She muttered under her breath, preparing to face her end. "I'm sorry… I've finally met my match." Perhaps she might be reborn, a second chance in life. Perhaps she may meet her dear brother in the afterlife, or whatever lies beyond the Erdtree.

Malenia's train of thought stopped when she noticed the armored feet of the Tarnished in front of her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the death blow that is to come.

"I'm sorry…" The Tarnished whispered solemnly, before lifting her blade and bringing it down Malenia's head. Everything went black.

Malenia feels a familiar sensation. She felt the familiar sensation of leaves, and the rough sensation of grass creeping on her back. Malenia spent a long time confined in the roots of the Haligtree, doing whatever to pass the time while she waited for her brother. She spent some time laying in the bed of flowers that dotted the chamber, or sometimes sleeping in them.

It's strange, the sensation confused her. She should have been dead, or at least dying on the ground after the Tarnished struck the final blow, but she threw out the idea. Because the feeling of pain is absent…

She also no longer feels the pain of the rot that writhes within her.

At this thought, her eyes fluttered open, using her remaining hand to block the blinding light of the sun. This alone shook Malenia, because, for as long as she could remember, the rot took her sight long ago, after taking her three other limbs as well.

But now… how is that she can see the clear blue sky so clearly? She also noticed that her hand was clear of the rot, like it has left her body entirely. Her hand rubbed against her face, feeling smooth, untainted skin. This revelation is enough to deduce that the rot has left her body completely, or at least, that's what she hoped for.

"How…"

This is impossible. Miquella was the only person who could treat the Scarlet Rot. Unless it was her brother who've done this.

Malenia gets up to a seating position, and then she scans the rest of her body. Noticing she is still wearing her garb even though it was lost when she embraced the scarlet bloom that came out of her after being injured by the tarnished. She remembers the last time that it bloomed, it consumed Radahn and Infected the entirety of Caelid.

Her unalloyed prosthetic that has her sword still attached, was detached from her body, laying several feet away from her. Her helmet was found on her lap, unalloyed gold shining from the light of the sun.

"Where am I…?" She whispered, "Am I… Alive?"

Without the rot infesting her mind, her thoughts grow clearer every second. She was supposed to be dead… But here she is.

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, alive and well.

Without a second thought, Malenia donned her winged helm and crawled to her detached legs, and reattached it to her stumps.

Standing up to her full height, she never felt better in her life. Without the scarlet rot plaguing her body, weakening her day by day she never felt healthier.

Content, she walked towards her remaining prosthetic, her arm, with her blade still attached to it. Attaching it was still painful, spikes of unalloyed gold bites into her stump. It was necessary so she could gain absolute control of her prosthetic. She swung her blade several times, testing her golden arm if it was still in condition.

Malenia took this time to scan her surroundings, her scarlett long hair and cape blowing against the wind. Finding that she was in a forest that is all red. The lush vegetation around her was in different shades of red. It was… strange. She had never seen anything like this in the Lands Between. It couldn't be Caelid because the scarlet rot spreads into the soil, making it unable to grow and sustain life.

Then again, it was a long time since she had stepped foot in the Lands Between. Then, where is she?

To prove her concerns, she looked up at the sky again. Only to find the light of the Erdtree, or the Erdtree itself… was gone!

"Impossible" She thought that the Tarnished have something to do with it. A warrior like them has a huge chance to claim the throne as Elden Lord. She stamped out these thoughts, as the stinging feeling of her defeat came back to burn her pride. The loss of her great rune wounds it even more.

If the Erdtree was gone, it means she is in another realm… Or another region that is unknown to the Lands Between. If the Erdtree and her great rune is gone, that means she is no longer immortal. Should she die, she can never get another chance.

With nowhere to go, trying to get her bearings, she walked into a random direction hoping to bump into a landmark or road, to lead her somewhere. With this thought, she remembers that she has no other purpose, with the Erdtree gone and stuck in another realm. What should she do?

She should find shelter or a settlement first, hopefully people in this land aren't mad like the remaining human's in the Lands Between. Not everybody went mad though, most of her cleanrot knights and soldiers that guard the Haligtree are still sane to a degree.

It was heartwarming to learn that they are still loyal even after the horrible deeds she has done. But their loyalty is misplaced… She doesn't deserve their loyalty.

Malenia walked for a while navigating her way through the thick vegetation, while also thinking about her predicament. She truly has nowhere to go, no purpose, without her brother, she is nothing. It is truly amusing how things can turn this way.

Her train of thought was halted when she heard a cry for help in the distance, alongside a cacophony of roars not far from her whereabouts. Without another moment, she quickly rushed towards the noise hoping to reach there in time to assist them.

She knows she could never redeem herself for her sins, but she has been given a second chance. She will not waste it.

AN: Hello, this is my first fic. After finishing Elden Ring I knew I had to write something about it. This is my first ever entry. This fic is actually for me, so i don't mind if i get little attention, i would still continue writing if i have time. Please write a review because it would really help my writing skills if you point out my mistakes.

Chapters from now on will be 4-8k words long. I will update frequently if i can.

PS: English is my second language so forgive me if i spelt anything wrong or my grammar is incorrect.