The wind still tore through the air, and the storm continued to roar above us, as if the fury of the world had been unleashed. Each gust of wind felt like it was slicing through my skin, but the pain consuming my soul was even sharper, more relentless. I was there, holding Melissa’s body in my arms, with my soul completely shattered.

The weight of loss was crushing, like a ton of iron pressing against my chest. There were no more words. Nothing else could be said. The sound of the sea, the thunder, the wind—all of it seemed irrelevant, distant, as if the chaos of the world had been swallowed by the depth of my grief and the loneliness surrounding me.

I gazed at her, desperately searching for any sign of life. Her eyes were closed, as if she had retreated from me forever, leaving me alone in a world that no longer made sense. Her lips, once red and full of life, were now cold and pale. The smile she used to give me—the one I loved so much—was gone, fading into the darkness that now consumed everything around me.

All that remained were the echoes of a love that, in a matter of minutes, had been torn apart. My mind could only repeat the same thought: I lost her. Why her? Why did the only person who completed me have to be taken away in such a cruel and inexplicable way?

The feeling of helplessness was a prison. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t reverse what had happened.

“Why?” I asked in a whisper, not expecting an answer. “Why am I so weak? If I were stronger, I could have stopped this. I could have done something...” My voice broke, the words dissolving into a meaningless lament.

I held her tighter, hoping—praying—to feel any trace of life in her body, but all I felt was the cold stillness of death. She was gone. Not in a way I could accept. Her heartbeat was fading, her body unresponsive. Everything I held dear was slipping away right in front of me.

But I couldn’t accept it. I wouldn’t accept it. The pain burning in my chest was unbearable, and the feeling of being completely alone in the world crushed any rational thought. I felt hollow—useless—as if my entire being were consumed by an unforgiving darkness.

Nothing else mattered. Nothing else made sense. Melissa—the only person who loved me, the only one who truly understood me—was dying, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.

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But then, something changed.

The air around me shifted. It was subtle at first, an unnatural stillness settling over the chaos. It was as if the very fabric of reality had begun to tear apart, warping in ways I couldn’t comprehend. Something far beyond human understanding was unfolding—something I was not prepared to face.

I felt it before I heard it.

The wind stopped. The storm faded, growing distant, as though the world itself had paused for a fleeting moment. And then, a voice—soft and cold—broke the silence. It wasn’t loud, but it pierced through the noise, cutting straight into my mind.

"Do you want to be stronger?"

The question echoed inside me, intertwining with my grief and despair. It wasn’t just a sound—it was a presence, vast and unfathomable, reaching out from a place I couldn’t see. The pain, the hopelessness—all of it faded beneath the weight of that question, a question that carried both promise and danger.

My eyes widened as I scanned the darkness, searching for the source of the voice. But there was no one. Only me and Melissa—on the edge of an abyss in a world that no longer felt real.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and desperation. “If you can give me power… make me stronger! I’ll accept anything! I want to save her! I want to change this!”

The silence that followed was suffocating. The storm returned with a vengeance, howling louder, as if the world itself responded to my plea. The air grew heavy—thick with an unseen force—and the seconds stretched into eternity. I needed an answer. I didn’t care what it cost.

And then, the voice returned—calm, but laced with a chilling undertone, as if savoring my anguish.

"I can give you what you desire. But in return, you must give me what I want."

The weight of those words crashed down on me—heavier than anything I had ever felt. Whatever was speaking to me was not human. It was no voice of comfort or mercy. It was something else—something ancient and beyond my comprehension. And its offer, though filled with danger, was the only hope I had left.

I didn’t understand it. I couldn’t. But the thought of losing Melissa forever was more unbearable than any price I might have to pay. There was no hesitation left. No room for doubt. My desperation had become the only thing keeping me from breaking completely.

“I accept!” I shouted, my voice trembling with raw, desperate determination. “I’ll give whatever it takes! Just give me the power to save her! I won’t lose her!”

I felt it then—a shift deep inside me. The voice… it was pleased. I couldn’t see it smile, but I felt it. The cold, once threatening, now seemed familiar—inevitable.

"A wise decision, Zarte. Now… prepare yourself for the power you seek. But remember—every power comes with a price. A price you may not yet understand... but will pay nonetheless."