Biting her lip, Elissa tucked the Clavis under her arm and began walking through the fire-damaged ruins. The crumbled buildings and burnt roads were empty, devoid even of spirits and demons, making for a cold, lonely trek. An eerie quiet settled, and Elissa licked her lips, her footfalls almost deafening. She could only hope her friends had managed to return to Skyhold safely. However, finding her own way back would prove tricky, as there was no obvious trail she could re-tread. It was also impossible to gauge both distance and time in the Fade, so she had no idea how much longer she had left before the end.
"Damn you," Elissa cursed under her breath, the image of Solas staring with pure blood-lust etched in her mind. No—he was Fen'Harel, no mere elf apostate but the trickster god himself. And on that basis alone Elissa knew she should have never trusted him. Yet on the same level, he had been betrayed just as she—as Etro—had. And by the very same being. The Maker had desperately wanted the goddess to be brought back, and it would make sense that the Dread Wolf would have tried to stop that out of vengeance, no matter the consequences. At the very least, he may have wanted to seize control of Etro's power to bring back his own goddess, the rest of Thedas be damned.
Whatever the case, Elissa realised the Clavis was a trap. And with that came the realisation that there was truly no way to save Leliana's soul. The thought burned a deep hole in Elissa's heart, and she swallowed back the tears threatening to spill. It was her fault; she'd given Leliana a part of herself out of love, out of the deep trust they had forged together, and now that single piece of shared feeling was the bard's death sentence. And even though they had lost each other once, now there would be no hope of finding each other again. Everyone else would get their fresh start, every mistake and error cleansed, except the one who deserved it the most.
"I'm so sorry," Elissa muttered, coming to the silver river. Her hands shook, and she tore her teeth into her quivering lip. The deepest fear she had taught herself to forget, that her love only harmed and never healed, had come true after all. Her love had failed to save her family, her future, and so she had kept it buried inside, sealed within the permafrost of her heart, never to be found. But Leliana had chipped away, fearless, and had settled in a place Elissa had vowed would remain empty. And for those moments stolen before the battle of Denerim, Elissa had been happy. Had even dared to dream of the future again, until fate had decided otherwise.
Yet even though they had been reunited, forced to push past pain greater than Elissa had ever known, it was still Elissa's love that left Leliana trapped. And it was a guilt she was going to carry for the rest of eternity.
The river seemed to respond to Elissa's feelings, growing rougher and frothier with each of her thoughts. Elissa watched the raging foam, then closed her eyes. She could not move forward with this chain snaring her heart. The very same chain that, long ago, had led to her murder. That chain was that of loneliness, the empty echoes of her heart that yearned to be completed by another. Knowing that perfect piece was going to be lost forever, that she would never find anything even remotely its equal, left her cold. Yet if she let herself continue to feel like that, there was all the chance it would destroy her again.
I have…to let Leliana go.
I have to face that I'll…be alone from now on.
Or the new world may meet the same fate as the old.
Sighing, Elissa opened her eyes, before dropping the Clavis in the river. The current soon swallowed the silver box up, the runes losing their power, and at the same time, the waters stilled. The wave of feelings within Elissa followed suit, and she gritted her teeth.
It was time to face the end.
"Elissa!"
Elissa stumbled, yanked into an embrace before her foot had even touched the ground of Skyhold. Leliana pressed herself close, but before Elissa could return the embrace, a tremor rocked through the fortress. She instinctively pulled Leliana into her chest, dropping to a crouch. The grunts and cries of her friends resounded around her, they too trying to brace themselves. The quake continued, sending shuddering ripples through earth and metal and stone.
Finally it ended, leaving the world in dusty stillness. Elissa helped Leliana to stand, glancing around. Skyhold was almost unrecognisable, thanks to the damage of what must have been a great number of quakes. Huge fissures had formed in Skyhold's seemingly impenetrable walls, barely a single turret was left standing, and even the Well was filled with cracked and jilted rock.
"That's the fourth earthquake in as many hours," Leliana reported, her hand never leaving Elissa's. "Thedas has lost the battle, we need to act."
"Where are Merrill and Solas?" Alistair asked.
"And the Clavis?" Morrigan added.
Elissa bowed her head.
"They're not coming back," she reported. "And the Clavis was a trap. I've destroyed it."
Morrigan sucked in a sharp breath. "You were absolutely sure that was the truth?"
"Yes, Morrigan," Elissa stated. "It wasn't easy to discern, but I found out what I needed to. Merrill did a very brave thing. I can only pray her soul can still be saved."
Dorian winced.
"That…hurts," he said. "Solas has given us so much, only to turn his back at the final moment. What compelled him to do such a thing?"
"There's more to him than we could have known," Elissa said. "He was betrayed, like I was, and wanted revenge. Even if that revenge would doom us all." She stood tall, facing the Well. "But we need no more tools or traps. It's time."
The group nodded, stepping towards the edge of the Well. The waters gleamed, reflecting the silver sheen of the stones that had constructed it. For a moment all stood still, when the earth gave another shudder. Leliana leant closer into Elissa, locking their hands together. This tremor was short-lived, and as the last rumbles faded, Elissa reluctantly let Leliana go. She held the bard's shoulder, tracing her thumb over Leliana's cheek, her eyes sorrowful.
"Thank you for everything, my love," Elissa murmured, stealing a tender kiss. "I'm sorry it has to be this way. I promise I will never forget you. I love you."
Leliana nodded, her own tears starting to spill, knowing what she was about to sacrifice.
"I love you too, Elissa," she answered, pulling her love closer for a final, passionate kiss. Her tears streamed across her cheeks, and she forced a brave smile. "Live well, for me."
With that, Leliana withdrew, squaring her jaw, then knelt before the Well. Elissa sat behind her, her arms wrapped around the bard's shoulders. At least nothing could tear them apart in this final hour. The others also gathered closer, holding each other, and not at all sure what was going to happen.
Closing her eyes, Leliana took a breath and began to sing. The words were alien and unknown, but beautiful, and Elissa could feel its sense of pull. As the melody rang out, small particles of light started to float through. First only a few, and then more, and more. Soft voices whispered, and Elissa held Leliana tighter, acknowledging the call of the dead. The Well began to swell, its waters becoming brighter and more brilliant. It wasn't long before the torrent began, flooding the enchanted stones. Leliana shuddered, and Elissa could feel her heart-beat slowing. She pressed her cheek to Leliana's back, surrendering to the tears that now could not be stopped.
Dorian groaned, suddenly slumping to the ground. A light particle escaped his chest, adding to the waterfall of brightness that continued to fill the Well. Soon Josephine and Cassandra met the same fate, their bodies falling limp. Alistair grimaced, another earthquake tearing through. At the same moment, the chime of a bell rang out from above. Bethany shivered, holding her arms around herself.
"This is the final curtain," Alistair murmured, casting his eyes above. "When that last bell rings…"
"…time will cease, and all that once was, will no longer be," Bethany finished. She turned to Elissa, managing a final smile. "I'll see you soon, sis."
Her words had barely escaped her lips when her eyes rolled upwards and she collapsed onto her back. The light particle danced out of her chest, funnelling into the Well, and shortly after Alistair followed. Leliana kept singing, though she was starting to badly shake, no matter how tight Elissa held. It was just the two of them now, the only souls left in a broken world.
"I love you," Elissa whispered, over and over, burying her face into the back of Leliana's neck. Leliana clasped her hand over Elissa's, squeezing as tight as she dared. Still she sang, focusing all her feeling into every note. Eventually, though, the song reached its climax. Leliana held her final note, her heart-beat slowing yet further. Her final breath escaped, the air fell to silence, and Elissa felt the bard's heart beat no more.
Before Leliana would fall into the Well, Elissa cradled her in her lap, shivering and unable to see for her weeping. She kissed her lover's cheek, inhaling her scent, knowing it would be the last time they would ever be together. Her heart was broken, each shard like glass digging deeper into a wound that would never heal. Every choked breath was brimming with grief, the only language Elissa could muster to speak her final farewell to the woman she loved.
At the same time, however, a flicker of light appeared. Elissa blinked, dazzled, when a hand came to her shoulder. She froze, as another hand came to Leliana's forehead. A dark, olive-skinned hand bearing a deep scar that ran up to the wrist.
"Phew, I am just in time." Zevran spoke, and for the first time, Elissa did not sense the presence of power that had always followed him. "He has released me from His service, Elissa. It is high time I atoned for all the ill I have caused you."
He pressed his finger to Leliana's temple, and she suddenly drew a single, sharp breath. In that breath, the white light of her soul emerged. Black cracks were running through it, but a touch from Zevran made it beautiful and brilliant again. Elissa gasped, staring in dumbfounded awe, as her lover's soul danced in the air, before joining the pool that had formed in the Well.
Zevran smiled, before a white light emerged from his chest, too. Now his own soul bore the cracks Leliana's had, and they were spreading.
"Zevran!" Elissa made to grasp his arm, but her hand passed through, as if she had touched smoke. "What's going on?"
"I am no longer the Maker's slave," Zevran said, his voice growing faint. "So I will do something of my own choice. I will take Leliana's place, and let the sin of Thedas take my soul, not hers. She will get her chance for rebirth, like everyone else."
The tears renewed in Elissa's eyes.
"Zevran…" she croaked, "you…you can't…"
"I'm afraid I already have." Zevran chuckled. "I hold no regrets, Elissa. Especially as this final moment is one I can choose, and not one imposed upon me." He sighed. "It has been far too long, and I have missed the taste of freedom, however fleeting." His form grew even weaker, and he flashed a smile. "Live well, Elissa. Be with the one you love in ways this world could not allow." He closed his eyes. "I can only hope this may make up for all the horrors I was made to commit against you."
"Zevran!" Elissa reached for him, but her fingers grasped at nothing. Instead her hand touched the waters of the Well, now over-flowing with the souls of the world. Another quake began, followed by a dull clang. The walls of Skyhold began to sink, and Elissa gritted her teeth. Her task was not yet done.
Rising to her feet, she slammed her hands into the Eluvian, summoning all her power. The mirror crackled into life, and its frame turned to obsidian. New runes ran up its side, and a portal straight to the Unseen Realm was forced open.
"Souls of Thedas, your new life begins here!" Elissa called. "Follow me to the rising dawn, and be born anew!"
The Well of Souls flashed, acknowledging her, before it began to stream through the Eluvian. Elissa was held in silent awe, as if she were watching the heavens themselves empty of stars. As the last light fragment disappeared into the mirror, Elissa followed. Mere moments after had she dived through, the Eluvian shattered, and the remains of Skyhold were swallowed into darkness.
Elissa entered the Unseen Realm, face to face with the crystal throne. But the Black City had changed. Now it was teeming with light particles, all eager and waiting. The city itself appeared to have been repaired, its ruinous appearance now long gone. The most striking change, however, was the small colourful orb that hung on the horizon. It shimmered with light and hues Elissa could barely name, and her eyes widened.
The new world!
She ventured closer, passing the throne, and it was there at the edge of the cityscape she found a tall silhouette. While the figure sported elven ears and olive-skin, she knew the body was a mask to the true entity that had stolen it. She frowned, clenching her fists.
I'll make sure you'll be remembered, Zevran.
As she approached, the figure turned around. Eyes of brilliant azure flecked with silver stared back, and broke into a chilling smile.
"So, my goddess returns at last," the Maker beamed, turning to face her. "Welcome home, darling Etro!"