A voice so familiar shook her heart. However, she took a step back and eyed the being who was in front of her. Dark scales, and a shadowy form, and a black skull.

“A Revenant?” She said. “How come there’s a Revenant inside this space?”

She added, “And not to mention a sigil of the bleak?”

“Who are you?”

The Deadman didn’t listen to her words. His right hand turned into a blade while his left arm became a shield. She saw that he meant to kill. Having no choice she returned the favor with a sharp strike targeting the chest area pf the Deadman. The Deadman blocked with his left arm’s shield and thrusts with his blade which turned into a spear.

The Bleak Walking Maiden leaped back. However, the right arm of the Deadman stretched towards her. She raised her sword and brought it down. The shockwave it cause came to him. The Deadman slapped the shockwave away and landed on the ground. His left arm fidgeted back to normal despite the blow.

“You, to think that I’d see you again, and we are at each other’s throat. Can we stop? I know you can recognize me. You can don’t you? The only reason why a Revenant is here can only mean that you are here.”

“I’ve been with you for years and if I cannot recognize you in one glance. Then I’m a blind man. But, Ciara, right now, I have nothing but hate towards you. You are my cursed. No matter what I do you always keep appearing before. How many of my beloved children are you going to take before you leave me alone? Why do you have to appear here when I finally found an oasis? Tell me, Ciara, why can’t you die right now? Let me kill you! Let me slaughter you!”

“Nolan,” her voice trailed.

The Deadman, no, Nolan Salvatore strikes, “Don’t say my name! What is with you!? Why do you have to appear now? Why do you have to barge inside my oasis!? And don’t fucking say that it is your duty or that it is your role! This isn’t your world any longer! This isn’t the world that we fought for too long! So tell me, Ciara! Why are you here!? Why are you here in this fucking world now!”

“I was looking for you,” she said bitterly. “I was searching for you.”

“Bullshit!” He raged. “You? When did you care about me? Huh? Did you care when I had my head cut down? Did you cry when you had me betrayed over those timelines? Did you even give me an ounce of anything during all that time? No, did you even hesitate to kill our child? Now you kill another one! How dare you! You never saw me as anything other than something you own! You cared about your duty more than I did! No matter what timeline it is you has never put me on top of the pedestal! I finally found something worth protecting after walking such a bleak path! Now you ruin it! You have ruined the happiness that I tried to protect! You murdered my son!”

He charged in and threw a punch. Ciara blocked with her forearm and pushed him away with her palm. She clicked her tongue and took a distance.

“Let me kill you!”

“Let’s stop.”

“Stop?” He laughed maniacally. “You murdered my son!”

“I didn’t know!” She shouted. “How would I know? They all attacked me and you expect me to just lie down and die? I simply didn’t know!”

“Ignorance isn’t an excuse!” Nolan carved runes on his right arm. His skull-like face distorted in madness. “You killed my son and that’s all that matters to me now! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you and I swear it!”

“I didn’t mean it! I would never have done it! How do you expect me to stay calm after seeing another wraith!? I didn’t do anything wrong! I just defended myself!”

“Tell me then!” He pointed at the men groaning on the ground. “Why are they still alive while my son is dead? Tell me, Ciara, you are the strongest woman that I know. You could have defeated them without killing them. So tell me, why is my son dead and why are they alive? I was inside him! Why haven’t you killed me as well! He was only fifteen damn it! And you took him away from me and this world!”

He lashed out his bladed arm at her. She calmly blocks the attack and countered in reflex. Her sword breaking the skull mask of Nolan. Underneath the mask, she saw Nolan’s face wet with tears. He had a younger look and yet his face was crumpled in despair. He had anger in his tone but beneath the skull mask. All she could see was the face of a man who lost his child again. It was the same face of the man who had no choice but to kill his stillborn child for the sake of a world that didn’t even bless him.

Ciara knew that he was a man who hides his weakness. He keeps to himself yet he moves forward. There were only a few times that he saw Nolan cry. She could still remember the way his face crumbled. It was her biggest mistake and regret and once against she had done it.

“I, I’m sorry. That’s all I could say. Killing me won’t bring him back. But it pleases you then kill me then. I’m done fighting and besides, I found you again. That’s all that matters to me. I told you that I did. I wish we met differently. I’m done with fighting. I’ve seen enough of this life. Now that I murdered your son. You have right. That’s right, just kill me now.”

Ciara Alician threw her sword on the ground. A bitter smile hung on her face as she looks at the dirt. She never despairs and never gives in. Her reason for fighting so long was to at least see him again. She had done what she had said.

“I told you I’d find you again. Now, I offer you my head.”

Nolan didn’t hesitate. With anger, he lashed his bladed arm against her neck.

His bladed arm made her stagger. She kneeled on both legs and offered her neck. She wore a bitter smile but she still accepted it. No, the light on her rose-like eyes grew dark, and she was biting her lip.

Nolan said no words and swung his arm again. His bladed arm barely scratching her neck.

“I trained my body so it might take a while,” she said flatly.

Nolan didn’t bother. He took her sword and noticed how rusted it was. It was antique and it hasn’t been repaired to the point that it was falling apart. He smashes it against her neck with enough force to break a tree. She felt the force pounded her neck. Still, she only staggered again and fell on the ground.

“I’m sorry. I’ve achieved a level of the body that surpasses even the mightiest dragon. It should go through as long as you try. No one shall disturb us here.”

Nolan gritted his teeth. He lashed out her sword against her neck violently. Pulling his sword back, gathering power on it, he swung the sword against her neck. When she was down on the ground he continued doing so. He looked like a woodcutter using a sword to break a log made of steel. She didn’t’ react. Her eyes only go hollow as she quietly let Nolan bear her sword against her. Dirt smeared her pale face. Yet, no matter how many times she fell, she would kneel back and quietly accept Nolan’s attack.

“Fight me damn it!” Nolan couldn’t hold it in. “Fight me!”

“I am done with fighting.”

Her sword was lashed out against her skin. Nolan was hitting the same spot yet her neck wasn’t being damaged. There were scratches but it was the same as scratches on a stone. Ciara didn’t look at anything. She was staring blankly like a puppet without no purpose.

How many worlds has she traveled ever since that day?
How many years has she spent on saving worlds and using her body as a sword and shield?
How many comrades has she lost during that time?

Her heart of steel was yearning for something. She has reached the place where she wanted to be. The little girl that was inside of her wanted to see Nolan. That was her honest and selfish wish. But, she messed up. They met but she murdered his son. How can she be forgiven? She has taken another precious thing to him. She had dreamed of a fateful meeting. But now it cannot simply be.

The man trying to cut her neck has rage on his eyes. He was looking at her desperately wanting to kill her. She was strong and she felt cursed. She had no excuse. She had no regrets. Ciara Alician lived her life through the sword. The hellish landscapes and words of endless snow didn’t break her spirit. Not once did she surrender against the fate against her.

“I messed,” she thought.

Nolan’s swing clanged against her steel-like skin. She could only feel a bit of strength pushing against her skin. Her pale skin was dirtied. Blood and dirt mixed. Without her astral cloak, she had the appearance of a woman wearing torn and ragged robes, worn out through the journeys.

“I found him,” she convinced herself. “That’s all that matters now. At least he’s the one who would do it.”

Nolan desperately tried to cut her neck. He used the runes he knew and sharped Ciara’s sword. Yet he only met the same resistance as ever. His lips were bleeding and despite that, he didn’t care. He didn’t give a damn as he bulks up his right arm intending to behead her. Obsidian muscles gathered strength and smash his sword against her neck again.

She fell. Pushing her palms against the ground. She presented her neck without any complaint. She looked like she was recalling something.

“Say something damn it!” He said.

“I’m tired, Nolan. There’s nothing for me to do here. I already reached you, right? I know what I did even though I made excuses.”

“Fight me.”

“No. I won’t point my blade against you. I’ve wronged you.”

“Don’t make me fucking laugh. If you are trying to make me feel bad then don’t bother!”

“I do not intend to do that. I see no point. In fact, you’re doing me a favor.”

Nolan smacked Ciara’s sword in front of her. “Then do it1 Kill yourself in front of me.”

“I refuse. Nolan, you should know that a maiden of throes doesn’t point her sword. Doing so would be an insult to my sisters.”

“Don’t make excuses!” He took her on and forced it on her hand.

Ciara lets go of the sword and didn’t speak. She offered her neck again.

Nolan glared. He picked up her sword and slashed it against her beck. He targeted the same spot. Used all of his powers to behead her. He was desperately swinging the sword against her neck. His rage didn’t subside and his heart was set on beheading her.

But she was strong. She was hopelessly strong that he couldn’t chip her neck. He looked at the darkening sky. Those who joined the battle to defeat the being were scurrying away. Nolan was panting. Ciara was silent. No matter how many times he swung her sword against her. No matter what power he clad his sword. In the time that he had not met her. Ciara Alician only grew stronger.

His hands were shaking and bleeding swinging against her neck. Ciara showed remorse and only bowed her head. She said no words and did nothing. She has surrendered her neck to Nolan. The War Maiden traveled on to reach this point. It was a despairing distance yet she managed. She was the War Maiden who saved worlds. But right now, she was just waiting for her execution.

Her executioner was shaking. He was wearing a desperate face. Behind her was the sun falling asleep. Her executioner could barely hold his sword as it rested on her neck.

“Why can’t I reach you damn it!”

“Why are you so overwhelmingly strong! Hey, Ciara! Tell me why can’t I harm you even though I am trying so hard!? Tell me why damn it!”

He swung his sword again. The sword smashed against her neck. The rusted sword of Ciara broke and shattered into pieces.

He threw the handle of the sword and swings his arms around, “Damn it! I can’t even fucking kill you! And you won’t even take justice! Do you enjoy this, huh? Do you enjoy watching a helpless man swing a sword against your neck? You’re laughing inside, aren’t you? Your laughing how much of a pathetic warrior I am! Damn you!”

He changed his right arm into a blade. The obsidian arm was stopped the moment it met Ciara’s forehead.

“I can’t even do anything! The obsidian blood! The runes! The phasing blade of the wraith! I can’t fucking do anything against you, you monster!”

He pulled out the dagger on his waist, unwrapped Ciara’s fingers and forced the handle of the sword on her palm. “Do it! I dare you!”

“I will not.”

“Do it damn it! I can’t kill you! I can’t harm you! Just die here!”

“I refuse. I will not allow my sisters of throes beliefs to be trampled.”

“Then let me trample on it! Then fight me! Kill me if you must!”

He forced the blade against her throat. Ciara stared at the dagger and grabbed the flat of the blade. She clenched the dagger and bent it.

Nolan laughed hollowly. “You fucking monster”

He clawed his right arm on her neck. Ciara staggered on the dirt floor and supported herself with her elbows. Again, she presented her neck.

“What’s wrong with you? You want to be killed by me but you won’t take your life! Don’t joke with me!”

Nolan felt helpless. “Sisters? They’re already dead! They don’t exist anymore! Your beliefs? I spit on your beliefs!”

She glared at him.

“Are you angry!?” He spat on her face. “Then kill me! Don’t fucking pretend that you care! You never cared about anything other than your fucking duty! Don’t screw with me!”

Ciara kept her lips sealed. She turned her glare away.

“Don’t look away!”

He grabbed her chin. She glared at him for a second before her eyes turned flat.

Nolan clenched his hand yet he only felt a soft sensation. Her skin was hard as steel but it was soft at the same time. Nolan lets go of her chin and exhaled cold air. He wrote runes on his obsidian blade and turned it into a jet-cutter. He placed the sword yet nothing happened. He only heard the sound of steel grinding against another. His obsidian arm not even denting the neck of Ciara.

Nolan felt like his soul was being worn. The woman who murdered his son was in front of him, offering her neck. She was an unreasonable woman who wanted to die but won’t ever turn her sword against her.

“I swore an oath that I will never turn my blade against myself ever again.”

“Tell me,” Nolan’s voice was wary.

“Do you remember the first timeline we met? I didn’t die back then. When I saved yours from the monster of pale pass mountain. I didn’t die. I was thrown into a void where I spent fighting wraiths. I was able to get out but you were long dead. So, I turned my blade against my body. It was a disgrace but I do not regret it. I would never do it again. Never.”

Nolan conjured a sword made of obsidian and swung it against her neck with all the force he could muster. The obsidian blade then broke two seconds after it met Ciara’s neck.

The stars appeared and the chaos that surrounded the tower was gone. The myriad of stars appeared above the two. Nolan’s obsidian dragon scales molted. The rage on his face was gone. He stared blankly at the ground without thought or any word.

“He was my purpose. I wanted to treasure that child like mine. Now, I stole his body and molded my own image on it. How can I face his father and mother? He was happy seeing his little sister. I was happy as well. But, he’s gone. Killing you won’t undo it. He won’t see the light of the day again and reincarnation is impossible. None of it as left. Do you know what you’ve done? You stole the future of a child. I stole his future as well. You murdered him and I stole his body in order to kill you for doing so.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It won’t bring him back. Even if I take my life now it's meaningless. I can’t do it. I can’t harm his body. I can’t even bring justice to my son. I’m a failure of a father and a warrior. This always happens to me, I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve lived long enough to witness this for so many times. And yet it doesn’t hurt less.”

The dam on his eyes fell. The feelings of helplessness flooded in. Body shaking sobs came wave after wave, he hunched over, lifted his lips, letting his tears fall on the ground. He let out hollow laughs with no life in his voice. Ciara stared at Nolan. She stared at him without saying any word. What could she say? She could only lower her head.

All she could hear was the wretched sobs of Nolan. He was laughing and crying while staring blankly at space Nolan couldn’t find any strength left on his body. His tireless swings made no effort against her. No matter what power he mustered he could not harm the woman who had only become stronger as time passed on. She was beyond anything that Nolan could harm. His strength wasn’t enough and she has left him behind again.

“I couldn’t do anything. I can’t save anything again. I can’t protect those who I cherish again. I don’t even have the right to take my life. Damn it, what did I do to deserve this. Ciara, tell me, what did we do to deserve this?”

“I don’t know either.”