“Hey, Aiden…” A gentle, nostalgic voice echoed in his mind.

“Do you think I can be a hero? Someone strong and dependable…?”

That warm voice cut through his pain.

“Of course you can, Serena,” he replied, somewhat absent, his gaze far away. “You have the heart for it, but maybe not the strength or reliability…”

“Hmph... I’m serious, Aiden!” she pouted, playfully tugging at his cheeks. “You’re being mean…”

“I meant it,” he smiled softly, pulling her hands away. “You already are.”

The roar of the titan, though voiceless, shattered the memory. Its colossal arm came crashing down, and Aiden barely dodged it, his sword steadying him against the tremors.

Breathing heavily, he rolled and dashed away from the incoming chaotic black shards raining down, which shattered on impact, filling the air with dust and shaking the desolate world.

“Chains, up!”

Golden, burning chains erupted from the ground, binding the colossal beast. It thrashed violently, trying to break free.

Aiden stood in the dissipating smoke—broken yet resolute—running along the titan's massive arm, the chains buying him precious moments. With one final leap, a single blazing wing of fire unfurled, lifting him skyward with his sword raised high.

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“RAAARGH!”

His fiery strike pierced the titan’s skull, splitting it in half. The monster’s corrupted body crumbled to ashes, scattering into the void.

But the wing faded, the chains disappeared, and Aiden fell.

He hit the ground, his body finally giving in, blood flowing from his wounds. Yet the tree was so close he could almost touch it. He reached out for its radiant roots—

Until coldness enveloped him.

A sharp, twisted spear—dark and jagged—impaled his chest. His breath stalled. More spears pierced him from the headless titan’s rotting corpse, an ambush from beyond.

His vision blurred—darkness closing in.

“Aiden…” her voice, faint yet clear. “Will you be a hero… in my place?”

His heart, barely flickering, flared one last time. His body screamed, but his spirit roared louder.

“Serena…” he whispered, a single tear rolling down his burning cheek. “Of course... I will.”

Fire erupted from his soul—an inferno that defied death. He shattered the dark spears, his veins igniting, each step searing the earth as he limped forward.

The radiant tree—dying yet waiting—stood before him. His scarred hand pressed gently against its ancient bark.

“Please…” His voice, raw with pain and hope. “Let there be… a second chance.”

A warm, forgiving embrace enveloped him. His broken body crumbled, the fire dimmed to embers, the divine sword slipping from his grasp as he closed his eyes—

Light.