Chapter 422: Grief

3rd Person POV

"Leave us," Lynda instructed, her voice laced with a weariness that cut through the air.

Rosa hesitated after freeing them from their bonds, torn between the urgency of the situation and her great-grandparents' plea for solitude.

"Please," Rosa's voice, barely above a whisper, echoed in the corridor. "You don't have to face this alone. Let me help you."

In response, Lynda's worn eyes met Rosa's gaze.

"Child, we've lived long enough," she uttered her voice a mixture of resignation and determination.

"There comes a time when one must accept the inevitable. We've had our share of battles and victories. Now, it's time to let go." Wager added

"What do you mean?" Rosa responded, "I don't understand, you have a wedding to attend, you-"

"I'm a watcher, kid." Wager replied and took some circular objects from his pocket, "You seriously think I came here without a plan?

"No, I can't let you do this."

"Nah, you're not." Wager scoffs, "I'm doing this of my own will, Lynda's going to last a couple more months at this rate, I was planning to die by poison right after...but this...this is how a watcher should die, taking down his enemies and the fortress with it, these may be small, but...chief Aminu invented these to use for himself, took quite a while to convince that bat to hand it over."

Rosa's heart sank, but a spark of defiance ignited within her.

"You've fought for what's right your entire lives. You've inspired generations, including me. I won't accept that this is the end for you." she argued

"It's an honorable death." Lynda replied, "This is the best way to go, and...we'll at least be of some use to the end, Perseus and Vince are already carrying our legacy, we have nothing to regret...besides, I've handed Rylee and Nyra all my secret recipes, my legacy will live on."

As the weight of her great-grandparents' words hung in the air, Rosa struggled with a sense of helplessness. She couldn't bear the thought of losing them, not after all they had endured. Ignoring Lynda's instruction to leave, Rosa hesitated for only a moment before pushing open the chamber door.

"Please, you can't give up like this," Rosa implored, her voice edged with desperation.

The dim light revealed the weariness etched across Lynda and Wager's faces. Despite the bloodied and bruised exterior, their eyes reflected a deep resolve.

"We've lived long enough, Rosa. Sometimes, the greatest act of heroism is knowing when to let go." Wager met Rosa's gaze, his expression a mix of sorrow and determination.

"Our time has come, and we can't let our existence become a burden for the ones we love." Lynda's voice, though strained, cut through the tension.

Rosa tried her best, but nothing worked, her pleas fell on deaf ears, and with a heavy heart, she acquiesced to their wishes. Reluctantly, she retreated into the shadows, casting a final, longing glance at the chamber where her great-grandparents chose their destiny.

As the heavy door closed behind her, a sense of isolation settled over her. The fortress continued to groan and creak, mirroring the turmoil within Rosa's heart. In the silence that followed, Rosa couldn't shake the feeling of impending loss.

The weight of her great-grandparents' sacrifice pressed down on her shoulders. With a heavy heart, she turned toward the entrance of the fortress just in time to witness the culmination of their final act.

She asked the others to retreat and told them what happened, and to honor the couple's wishes, they helped place some explosives as well, to make it more destructive and effective, to help the couple.

To honor them, they also stayed till they could sense or see the explosion. They stayed nearby and after a while...A blinding light erupted from the chamber, casting long shadows down the corridor. The explosion, a tumultuous symphony of destruction, sent shockwaves through the fortress.

Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring Rosa's vision, and the air crackled with the aftermath of the sacrifice. As the echoes of the explosion subsided, Rosa's gaze fell upon the remains of the fortress. Crumbled walls and fallen stones painted a scene of devastation. The once imposing structure now lay in ruins.

Tears welled in Rosa's eyes as she grappled with the weight of the moment. She had hoped against hope that there would be another way, a path that didn't demand the ultimate sacrifice from those she loved. But fate had different plans, and Rosa was left to bear witness to the sacrifice.

The night seemed to mourn alongside her, the stars hidden behind a shroud of dust. Rosa's shoulders sagged under the burden of grief, but within her, a spark of determination flickered. She clenched her fists, vowing to carry the legacy of her great-grandparents forward, to honor their sacrifice by continuing the fight to protect her village.

Fate has given her a second chance, a chance to be useful, and she will not waste it. With one last, lingering look at the remnants of the fortress, Rosa turned away. The path ahead was uncertain, but the strength imparted by her great-grandparents would guide her through the darkness that lay beyond.

*****

Leilah POV

No...something's happening, this isn't good. I marked everyone in the Silver family, and I felt as if a thread...no...2 strand of threads has been cut off, that of Wager and Lynda...at the same time?

Something's happening in the village, because...they've died...the other threads aren't weakening though, not even a slight shake..., but at the same time and yet so abruptly? Earlier, the threads were on the verge of snapping...did they get captured?

I don't know, but I ran to get Perseus and told him what happened...that his grandparents were dead and the others were otherwise okay...

"If you want, I can go check if your family is okay." Eislyn the sword offered, "I can also rescue them if they're in any trouble."

"Yeah, that would be good...thanks." Perseus replied while having a very stressed look on his face.

The gauntlet was still attacked to him, and even though he used his illusion powers to lower its glowing brightness for the rest of us, he still couldn't go back...and...to not be there for their final moments, I needed to stop him from eating himself alive.