The Ultimate Sacrifice (2)

Malakai still kneeling in the middle of the scarred battlefield, his trembling hands clutching the medallion Hiller had given him. The faint glow it emitted was a cruel reminder of Hiller's promise, a promise of rebirth, of return.

But at that moment, the weight of that hope couldn't pierce the agony tearing through his chest. His sobs came in uneven gasps, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as he muttered Hiller's name over and over, like a prayer to a god who had abandoned him.

"Hiller…" His voice was hoarse, raw with anguish. "Why? Why did it have to be you?"

Tears continue to streamed down his face, falling onto the scorched earth below. The medallion seemed to pulse faintly in response, as if trying to console him, but it only deepened the hollow ache in his heart. He pressed it against his chest, his fingers tightening around it as if it were the only thing keeping him tethered to reality.