The battlefield was a cacophony of chaos and anguish. Blood stained the ground, and the once-proud figure of Tedric lay broken, his upper body barely intact. Solis's breath hitched as he caught sight of him, and without thinking, he sprinted toward his fallen instructor.
"Tedric!" Solis cried, his voice cracking. The axe fell from his grasp, forgotten, as his feet carried him to the one man who had believed in him so fiercely.
---
Meanwhile, Tiara's enraged roar pierced the air. Her brown aura erupted like a wildfire, her war hammer raised high. With a strength fueled by fury, she charged at the Omega Dire Wolf.
The beast snarled, its dark magic pulsating violently as it met Tiara head-on. Her war hammer struck the wolf's side with a resounding crack, sending it skidding across the battlefield.
But the beast recovered swiftly, its berserk state dulling any pain. It lunged at Tiara, claws extended, and the two clashed in a brutal, bloody exchange.
---
Tiara's hammer came down in a powerful arc, but the wolf dodged, swiping its claws across her shoulder. She staggered but didn't falter, spinning to deliver another blow to its jaw. The sound of bone breaking echoed as the wolf howled in pain, blood dripping from its muzzle.
The beast retaliated with savage ferocity, its jaws snapping at her legs. Tiara barely leapt back in time, but not before its claws raked across her thigh, tearing through armor and flesh.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Tiara gripped her hammer tighter. "I'll kill you," she growled, her voice trembling with rage and sorrow. "For Tedric, for everyone you've hurt… I'll end you!"
She charged again, her hammer glowing faintly with her aura. Each swing was calculated and forceful, but the wolf's berserk state made it faster and more relentless.
It lunged, biting down on her arm, and Tiara screamed as blood poured from the wound. With her free hand, she grabbed the beast's neck, slamming her hammer into its ribs with all her might. The wolf yelped, releasing her arm, but it quickly countered, ramming its head into her chest and sending her sprawling.
---
As Tiara fought for her life, Solis knelt beside Tedric.
The older man's breathing was shallow, his face pale, but his eyes were still sharp, filled with pain and an unyielding determination.
"Instructor…" Solis whispered, his voice breaking as he saw the gruesome state of Tedric's body. Tears streamed down his face.
Tedric's trembling hand reached up, resting on Solis's head. His touch was weak but steady. "Solis…" he began, his voice rasping with effort. "I'm… sorry… I couldn't… keep my promise…"
"No! Don't say that!" Solis choked out. "We can still—someone can help! Just hold on!"
Tedric's lips curved into a faint, pained smile. "You… have to be strong… stronger than this…" His breath hitched, and he coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Promise me… Solis… be a good Postknight. A person… who helps others… in need."
Solis shook his head violently, his tears falling onto Tedric's armor. "Don't leave us! I still need you!"
"I… believe in you," Tedric whispered, his voice barely audible now. "You'll be… a great… Postknight…"
His hand fell limp, his head tilting to the side as his chest stilled.
---
Solis sat frozen, staring at Tedric's lifeless form. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.
"No…" he whispered, his voice trembling. "Not again…"
Tedric's final words echoed in his mind, a haunting mirror of his father's last moments. The same plea, the same belief, the same loss.
Solis's vision blurred as his tears mixed with the blood on the ground. His body felt heavy, his thoughts spiraling into an abyss of pain and despair.
The sounds of Tiara's desperate battle in the background barely registered. In that moment, all Solis could feel was the unbearable weight of his mentor's sacrifice and the hollowness that consumed him.
The battlefield, the fight, the world—it all faded into silence in Solis's mind.