All Isn't Lost...

"Please," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Don't leave me… not like this."

Then, a faint sound broke the stillness—a cough.

Adrian's breath caught in his throat as a faint, ragged cough broke the suffocating silence of the chamber. His head snapped up, his tear-streaked face filled with a desperate hope. 

Elena stirred first, her translucent form solidifying into flesh. Her lashes fluttered open, revealing the soft glow of her eyes—just as he remembered.

"Elena," Adrian whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of joy and fear.

She gave him a faint smile, her hand reaching weakly for his. He clasped it tightly, his fingers trembling as he felt her warmth, her life, in his grasp.

"You did it," she murmured, her voice fragile yet filled with a quiet strength. "You made a promise and fulfilled it. You avenged us… me… and our child."