AN: This takes place during the 14th novel, Hatred in Sellentia. Here, have some tissues.

She was dying.

That morning she had awoken as strong and whole as ever. But now poison seeped through her veins and sapped her strength to the point where she could not even stand anymore. After searching fruitlessly to find someone who could cast a Resurrection spell to save her, she'd gotten so weak that they'd had no choice but to return to the North Temple and hope that someone there knew how to cast it.

Yet when they got there, High Priest Kereth sadly informed them that neither he nor anyone else in the North Temple had the power to cure her. "You're lying!" Luke yelled. Millina could not blame him. It was obvious the people at the previous temple were lying. But she did not sense that deception from Kereth.

"I don't think she has much strength left." Gourry said softly.

"I guess we could leave her here and then go out and try to find someone?" Lina suggested.

I don't think I can hold on much longer, Millina thought to herself as Kereth started to usher her to a room. It was strange to watch. Surreal. Millina could tell that Kereth's demeanor was calm and compassionate. The calm should have been reassuring. Except that Kereth should have been panicking. They should all be panicking even if they did not know it yet. It was bad enough that she would die. What would come next would undoubtably be worse.

Kereth opened the door to the room that she would die in. It was a simple room with a bed and a window with a lovely, verdant tree outside. Millina had never expected much else, other than to be older when it happened. Luke carried her inside, and she felt the warmth leave her body as he lowered her onto the bed. Her death bed.

How had this happened? How was it that they couldn't find anyone in Sellentia, land of temples and priests, who could cast a Resurrection spell? Why would no one help them? How could someone who had the power to help stand by as someone else died? She couldn't understand…

Her eyes felt so heavy. But she could not rest. It would be an eternal one, and it couldn't end here! She'd sacrificed so much to keep Luke grounded and stable. And she'd gotten so far with him. When he went into a rage you could no longer see Shabranigdo peaking beneath the surface. Millina was sure that not even Lina suspected. It was more than Millina had ever hoped for him. But if she died like this, murdered…

If he did what he did to avenge a boy who meant nothing to him, what would he do when she was dead?

Her vision started to become blurry as it became more difficult to breath as her body felt so heavy. She didn't have much time left. But still she couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that there was nothing anyone could do. That there was no one at the North Temple who could heal her. Did people not realize that there was more than one life at stake? "Is there anything…they can do for us?"

Had she spoken it outloud? She wasn't sure anymore. Luke turned to High Priest Kereth and started berating him for doing nothing. Yet unlike the previous temple, Kereth look agonized as he tried to explain to Luke that there was nothing he could do and no one at the North Temple who could help them.

She had to do something! But what? Warn Lina and Gourry? They had defeated Shabranigdo once. They could do it again. Millina was certain that their paths had crossed for that reason. She could warn them about what was coming. But then…

Lina, despite being so accomplished, was still so young yet already haunted by her deeds. And though she and Luke liked to press each other's buttons, a camaraderie had developed between the two of them. It was apparent that Lina considered Luke a friend, an annoying brother type perhaps, but a friend nonetheless. At the same time, Lina had Gourry's support, both physical and emotional. Gourry, the man who gave Millina comfort that kind men like her father still existed and were not a myth. Yet while Millina was certain that even if Lina did have to kill Luke to stop him that Gourry would help her through it, if she could spare them that pain, she had to try.

Surely Luke had made progress. Surely if Millina could get through to him that she would not want him to hurt anyone that perhaps it would be enough to stop him.

Using the remains of her strength she lifted her arm up to touch Luke's cheek, stopping his tirade. He turned to look at her in surprise as High Priest Kereth ushered Lina and Gourry out of the room and closed the door behind them. Tears started to leak from Luke's eyes. She had never touched in that way before. But even now, even with all this, she wasn't going to lie about her feelings. "Luke…" talking was hard. Her mouth was so dry and lifting her tongue to form the sounds was exhausting, "You mustn't hate anyone…"

"Millina…"

"You mustn't…" her arm fell back to the bed as she could no longer get the words out. Her strength had abandoned her as the world started to go dark.

"This is your life that's…" but he couldn't get the words out as he choked.

There was more she wanted to say! There was more that she had to do to convince him! She must have some more strength left somewhere. After all she had done, it couldn't end like this!

"Millina, no!" he hissed as he grabbed her and held her as she realized that she had failed, that she was dying in the arms of a man she did not love for nothing. As the life slipped from her body she lost awareness as she went limp, and within minutes she was unaware of even Luke's cries.

AN: Millina's quote about whether there was anyone who could help them and not hating anyone are from the 14th and 15th novel on the Chaos Words site, translated by AMildCaseofRaughnutRushavna. I have no idea how this will change or stay the same in the J-Novel translation. And I actually wrote this chapter before I wrote the previous one, it just came to me quickly morbid person that I am. Ready to complete this to move on to some happier stories.