Ah.

Am I dead?

It hurt so much. I couldn't think.

I heard a high-pitched ringing sound in the distance as my vision faded in and out.

My limbs felt numb and heavy. I couldn't move.

Whatever the masked woman had hit me with, it was crippling. I was probably done.

My aura felt like it had a holes poked through it, leaving my body open and vulnerable to the cold of the atmosphere.

The biting wind seemed to penetrate my very bones, freezing me to my heart.

Maybe it was for the better.

I was such a screwup, after all.

It was a short life, but I guess I did my best.

I'd tried so hard.

Was it a waste?

How had I gotten here?

I should have known better.

I should have cherished my loved ones more.

Maybe then I wouldn't feel like such a failure.

I couldn't help but wonder.

What if I hadn't showboated that day?

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

What if I hadn't said I'd save them all?

Would I have failed anyway, and they'd still be alive, happy, safe?

But what good would dwelling on my failures do me now?

My life was over.

Maybe there'd be some solace in death.

I was only fifteen, freshly making my way into adulthood, but I was already so tired.

Even the music I made was starting to feel stale. I wasn't as interesting as I used to be.

Back when the Lustrous Valiants and I were a team at least, everything was more carefree.

What if I'd already lost my charm?

My fans would forget me eventually, right? Little ol' me?

Right?

Right.

Just like the promising Magical Girls of generations past. Another tragedy. A waste. A star that burned out early. Forgotten and buried beneath time. I would be just a fleeting memory at the end.

And yet, despite all my fear and dread, I found myself... frustrated.

I'd fought so hard, honed my skills and grinded my way to the top, and now this?

Taken out by some mysterious lady riding a chaos beast in the middle of nowhere?

Really?

Was it really that easy? Just go into the night?

I felt hollow and meaningless.

Was this what I would be at the end?

A disappointment and a failure?

I swallowed hard, fighting back tears as the ringing in my ears grew louder.

Everything hurt.

A shout in the distance. What were they saying?

I felt a warmth in my chest. Why?

That's right...

I didn't want to die.

Not yet.

Not without doing more, saving more people. Atoning for all the mistakes I'd made.

The distorted shout echoed again.

Somehow, I felt a spark light in my chest.

Of course.

They had to make sure they finished me. The monsters.

There were still people counting on me.

I couldn't give up.

Not yet.

Why had I thought it was hopeless?

It was never hopeless.

Fighting against the pain, I snapped my fingers.

Numbly, I felt my Signature activate, unleashing a wave that swept over the fields below.

I had stopped something. What had I stopped?

I couldn't tell. That took nearly all of my reserves.

All I knew was that I was alive.

I didn't know how I knew.

I wasn't alone.

So alone.

People below were alive.

I could work with that.

The wind rushed past me, causing my dress to flutter in the night sky.

My fall stopped faster than I coul have believed, and I felt my world tilt and spin. A crash and explosion that sent me reeling as dust from my crater filled the air.

Pain throbbed in my head, and a distant ringing screamed in my ears.

What... happened?

I felt my fingers rake across dirt.

And then, everything went dark.