Rin slumped against a scorched, twisted tree, her violet hair sticky with blood and ash, her body covered in bruises, cuts, and burns. Her torn robes hung in shreds, her broken staff in pieces at her feet.
She'd fought with everything, all her strength—to stop the shadow Valtharion. Her fight let all the students escape, but left her empty, no mana, no energy.
Her pink, bloodshot eyes shimmered with exhaustion as she slid down the tree, barely awake.
Shadow Valtharion loomed, its greatsword lifted, ready to cut her down. Rin's lips trembled, forming a small, defiant smile. "I kept my promise, Leonhardt… don't break yours," she whispered, voice soft as a breeze.
She closed her eyes, ready for the end, her heart calm.
Then shadow Valtharion froze, its blade stopping mid-air. Its body quivered, then broke apart into swirling black fog, gone. Rin's eyes flew open, a gasp escaping her cracked lips. A weak, happy laugh spilled out, her voice shaky but full of relief.
