Adrian knelt in the dirt, his body trembling as he cradled Alannah's lifeless form in his arms. She used to have bright, warm skin, but now it was pale, and her lips had a blue tint that made his heart twitch.

Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the blood and ash staining the ground. His cry of anguish echoed through the silent chamber, raw and unrelenting.

The goddesses stood around him, their expressions heavy with sorrow. Hera stepped forward first, her spear dissipating into a faint shimmer of light as she knelt beside him.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, her grip firm yet gentle. "Adrian..." she began, her voice steady but filled with a quiet grief.

"Bring her back," Adrian said, his voice a desperate whisper as he looked up at Hera. His eyes, red and puffy from tears, burned with pleading. "You're goddesses. You can heal her. The link with Marcus is gone. She doesn't have to stay dead!"

Hera's lips parted, but no words came. She glanced back at the others. Lilith and Medea exchanged a pained look, while Abyss's ever-stoic expression softened for the first time.

"It's not that simple," Medea said, stepping closer. Her crimson eyes glimmered with regret. "Alannah's soul… it's already passed on. Her body is here, yes, but she is gone."

Adrian shook his head vehemently, clutching Alannah tighter as if afraid she would slip away completely. "No," he said hoarsely. "You promised to bring Elena back and she's been dead for months. She's only dead for minutes now. You've healed wounds that no mortal could survive. You have the power! Don't tell me you can't fix this!"

Lilith crouched beside him, her whip coiling back into her hand as she reached out to touch his face. "Adrian," she said softly, her voice uncharacteristically tender. "Elena's case is different. Since we signed the contract, she has not passed through the veil."

Adrian's breath hitched as he looked back down at Alannah's peaceful face. "Then what was it all for?" he demanded, his voice cracking under the weight of his grief. "I fought. I bled. I sacrificed everything—everything—for this moment! And now… now you're telling me I have to sacrifice her too?"

None of the goddesses replied as they looked at each other; like they were communicating with each other telepathically.

"Adrian," Abyss called. She stepped forward, her shadowy form melting into the dim light of the chamber. "There's only one thing we can do. But the choice is up to you."

Adrian's tear-streaked face turned toward her, his brows furrowed in confusion. "A choice?" he echoed, his voice raw. "What choice?"

Abyss extended her hand, and the air around her grew cold, heavy with a power that made even Adrian shift uneasily, the hair on his back standing.

A swirling purple mist coalesced in the air, taking shape before them. Slowly, the form of a woman emerged—a phantom of translucent light and shadow. Her long hair floated around her, her delicate features glowing faintly in the dimness.

Adrian gasped as recognition dawned. "Elena…" he whispered.

Adrian's breath hitched as he stared at Elena's phantom, her ethereal form glowing faintly in the dim chamber.

Her memories came flooding back to him, unbidden and unrelenting. The curve of her smile, the way her laughter had lit up even the darkest days.

He remembered the first time he met her in the bustling marketplace, her hands clutching a basket of flowers, her hair cascading down her back in loose waves.

She had turned to him with a raised brow and a quirk of her lips, calling him out for bumping into her.

"You should watch where you're going," she had teased.

"Maybe you should try not standing in the middle of the road," he had shot back, grinning despite himself.

She had laughed then, a sound like the chiming of bells, and something in him shifted irreversibly.

From that moment, their paths had intertwined.

He remembered the long evenings they spent talking beneath the stars, sharing dreams and fears. The way she had encouraged him, believed in him when no one else did.

How she had stolen his heart with a simple touch and had become his anchor, his reason to keep fighting.

Adrian blinked away the tears as the memory shifted again. He saw their wedding day, her radiant face framed by a veil, her eyes filled with a love that seemed to encompass the entire world.

He saw their first night together, the hesitant yet passionate exploration of one another, the way she had whispered his name like a sacred vow.

She had been everything to him.

And then she was taken.

His grip on Alannah's lifeless body tightened as his heart twisted in agony. How could he be asked to choose between them?

Alannah, who had accepted him when he was in darkness, consumed by guilt and revenge, helped and fought by his side. And Elena, the woman who had been the very reason for this mission of vengeance.

"This is insane," he said, his voice trembling as he looked at Abyss. "I can't choose. Don't ask me to choose. There has to be another way."

"There isn't," Hera said gently, her golden eyes filled with sympathy. "To bring one back, you must let the other go."

Adrian shook his head, his tears falling freely now. "I can't lose her again," he choked out, his gaze flicking to Elena's phantom. "I can't lose either of them."

Abyss's voice softened, almost tender. "The choice is yours, Adrian. But it must be made now."

Adrian closed his eyes, his mind awash with images of Elena—her laugh, her touch, her fierce determination. He saw the way she had looked at him on their last day together, her hand resting on his chest as she whispered, "I love you, Adrian."

The memory was too much. His heart felt as though it might shatter under the weight of it. He opened his eyes, his jaw tightening with resolve. "Elena," he said, his voice breaking. "I choose Elena."

The goddesses exchanged glances, each silently acknowledging the gravity of his decision. "Are you sure?" Hera asked, her voice almost a whisper.

Adrian nodded, his gaze unwavering. "I'm sure."

The seven goddesses formed a circle, their hands raised as they began to channel their energy. The air in the chamber grew thick with magic, the faint hum of power building until it became a roar.

Streams of light, each a different color, converged in the center of the circle, forming a brilliant sphere of pure energy—the Ember of the Gods.

The light was almost blinding as it pulsed with life, its warmth filling the room. Abyss stepped forward, holding the Ember carefully in her hands. "Take it," she said, her voice reverent. "And fulfill your choice."

Adrian reached out with trembling hands, the Ember's warmth seeping into his skin as he held it. It pulsed against his palm, filling him with equal parts hope and fear.

He closed his eyes, whispering a prayer to whatever force might be listening.

Then, to the shock of everyone in the room, he split the Ember.

The light fractured into two uneven shards, one glowing brighter than the other.

"Adrian, what are you doing?" Lilith cried, her voice sharp with alarm.

"Stop! You might lose them both!" Medea added, her crimson eyes wide with panic.

Ignoring them, Adrian pressed one shard into Alannah's chest. The light sank into her still body, its glow fading as it disappeared. Then, he turned to Elena's phantom and did the same, the shard dissolving into her form.

Both women began to glow faintly, their bodies shimmering as though caught between worlds. Adrian knelt back, his breath hitching as he watched them intently.

"Come on," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Please… wake up."

Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity. The chamber was silent except for the faint crackle of fading magic. Neither Alannah nor Elena stirred.

Adrian's chest tightened, his hope faltering. He turned to Hera, his voice breaking. "Why aren't they waking up? Hera, what's wrong?"

Lilith knelt beside him, her hand resting on his arm. "Adrian," she said softly, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. "You did everything you could."

Adrian's hands clenched into fists, his nails biting into his palms. "No," he said, his voice rising. "No, this can't be it. This can't be how it ends."

The room was silent, the weight of Adrian's despair almost suffocating. He knelt there, his head bowed, as tears fell freely from his eyes. "Please," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Don't leave me… not like this."

Then, a faint sound broke the stillness—a cough.

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