Do you think a life like this is better than death, Ragnar?

Do you think a life like this is better than death, Ragnar? Is this still called living if you're not here? Every day I wake up with a deep, aching pain knowing that in this life, I am not with you.

— Sophia

~~~

The once lively and determined Sophia was no longer the same person.

Sophia's will to live seemed to have been extinguished.

She had lost all enthusiasm for life, her previous strength and resolve dissipated. Even the proposals arranged by King Reinald for her, meant to secure her future and the kingdom's stability, were met with outright refusal. Sophia turned away each suitor with a cold detachment, her heart heavy and unwilling to embrace a future that seemed void of hope.

The woman who had once fought valiantly and with unyielding resolve had been replaced by a hollow figure.

She stood amidst the chaos, her eyes empty and distant, watching the frantic departure of the people.