Eclipse Requiem

The battlefield was silent.

The raging storm of energy had vanished. The echoes of clashing swords, the screams of warriors—**all of it had faded into nothing.**

Kael stood over Orin's unconscious body, his chest rising and falling with slow, controlled breaths. His abyssal aura had finally receded, though traces of its darkness still clung to him.

Saren, barely able to stand, **stumbled forward.** Her body was weak, her vision blurred, but she had seen everything.

Kael had spared Orin.

And in doing so—**he had won.**

But something was wrong.

Kael's **eyes were still abyssal.**

Even though the fight was over, the power inside him **refused to let go.**

---

### **Kael's Struggle**

Kael could feel it—**the abyss whispering to him.**

*More… you need more.*

*You saw how easy it was… just one more step, and you could have ended him completely.*

*You could have ended everything.*

Kael clenched his fists.

"No," he muttered under his breath. "Not like this."

He tried to suppress it. **Tried to force the abyss away.**

But it clung to him.

**Like chains.**

Like it had been waiting for this moment all along.

His breath grew unsteady. His hands **shook.**

Then—

A soft hand touched his shoulder.

Kael's eyes widened.

Saren was **right beside him.**

Her expression was tired, pained—but **her gaze was steady.**

"Come back, Kael." Her voice was soft, pleading. "You're still here. **I know you are.**"

Kael's heartbeat pounded in his ears. The abyss screamed at him—**told him to ignore her.**

But he didn't.

He closed his eyes.

And took a **deep breath.**

The darkness **recoiled.**

Kael **felt control returning.** The whispers faded. The suffocating weight of the abyss lifted, even if only slightly.

And then—

His eyes turned back **to normal.**

Saren exhaled in relief.

Kael staggered, exhausted. **She caught him before he could fall.**

"It's over," she whispered.

But Kael knew—**it wasn't.**

Not yet.

---

### **The Fate of Orin**

Kael turned toward Orin's unconscious form. His golden-crimson aura had completely vanished, leaving him looking **far weaker than before.**

His breathing was **shallow.**

He was alive.

But for how long?

Saren glanced at Kael. "What do we do with him?"

Kael didn't answer immediately.

He **stared at Orin's broken form.**

The man who had once been his closest friend. The warrior who had fought beside him, saved his life countless times.

And yet—

The same man who had betrayed them.

Kael's fists tightened. **The memories of battle still burned in his mind.**

But even after everything—

He couldn't bring himself to end Orin's life.

"…We take him with us," Kael said finally.

Saren's eyes widened. "Are you sure? After everything—"

"I don't know if he can be saved," Kael admitted. **His voice was tired, but resolute.** "But if I kill him now… then I really will lose myself."

Saren was silent for a moment.

Then she nodded.

Together, they lifted Orin's unconscious body and **began walking away from the battlefield.**

---

### **A War Not Yet Over**

Far in the distance, **hidden in the shadows,** a pair of cold eyes watched them.

A figure cloaked in darkness stood atop the ruins, his presence masked by a sinister energy that even Kael couldn't sense.

He had seen everything.

And he was **not pleased.**

"So, you chose to spare him…" the figure muttered. His voice was deep, laced with quiet amusement.

"…Interesting."

The shadow **turned away, vanishing into the night.**

This war was far from over.

If anything—

It was just beginning.

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