A Flame Extinguished

The silence in Iron Hollow was deafening, broken only by the laboured breathing of Lei Chen as he lay in the growing pool of his own blood. Mei Ming knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she channelled every ounce of her qi into him. The faint green glow of the potion she'd forced down his throat flickered weakly, a faint ember against the vast darkness of his injuries.

Lei Yun clutched his brother's hand, tears streaming freely down his face. "Chen, stay with me! You can beat this please. You've always been stronger than me." His voice cracked, desperation thick in every word.

Zhang Wei stood nearby, his sword dangling uselessly at his side, blood dripping from the wound in shoulder. He was pale, both from blood loss and the dawning realization that they were powerless to save their friend.

Lei Chen's eyelids fluttered, his breathing ragged. "Yun," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. "Stop crying... You look... ridiculous."

"Shut up! Stop making silly jokes!" Lei Yun shouted, shaking his brother gently. "Don't talk like that. You're going to be fine. Mei Ming's potion will work, we'll do everything in our power to save you and we'll get out of here together. Just hold on!"

Mei Ming's tears fell silently as she worked, her fingers stained with Lei Chen's blood. "The potion… it's not working," she murmured, her voice breaking. "The damage is too severe. He's slipping away."

"No!" Lei Yun's voice rose, anger and grief blending into a raw, primal sound. "There has to be something else! Another potion, another talisman, something, anything!"

Lei Chen's trembling hand reached up, weakly grasping his brother's. "Yun... don't waste... your energy," he said, each word a struggle. "Listen... to me..."

"Save your strength!" Lei Yun shouted, gripping his brother's hand tighter. "You're not dying! I won't let you! You can't leave me alone out here, nooo, you can't."

But Lei Chen's faint smile told a different story. "I... I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I couldn't... protect you. Protect... everyone." His eyes flickered toward Zhang Wei. "Senior... forgive me."

Zhang Wei stepped closer, his own tears threatening to spill. "Chen, there's nothing to forgive. You've been the heart of this group. You've given everything to protect us."

Lei Chen's gaze softened, a faint flicker of peace in his eyes. "Yun... be strong. Don't let this... break you."

"I can't do this without you!" Lei Yun shouted, shaking his head. "You've always been there for me. You can't leave me alone!"

"You're... not alone," Lei Chen whispered, his voice fading. "You've got them... you've got Li. You've got each other."

"Please...tell Li...I'm sorry. I love you bro..., be….. strong." Lei Chen whispered as more blood poured out of his mouth.

His breathing slowed, each breath shallower than the last. Mei Ming's frantic efforts grew more desperate, but it was clear to everyone that the light in Lei Chen's eyes was fading.

"No, no, no!" Lei Yun cried, his voice breaking. "Chen, please! Stay with me!"

With one final, shuddering breath, Lei Chen's body went still. His faint smile lingered, his hand slipping from Lei Yun's grasp. The green glow of the potion faded entirely, leaving only darkness.

For a moment, no one moved. The weight of the loss was suffocating, a crushing void that settled over the group.

"Chen," Lei Yun whispered, his voice hoarse. "Chen!"

Mei Ming turned away, her shoulders shaking as she clutched her backpack to her chest. Zhang Wei bowed his head, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. The leader who always had a plan now stood helpless, unable to protect one of his own.

Lei Yun collapsed to his knees, cradling his brother's lifeless body. "You can't leave me," he murmured, rocking back and forth. "You can't leave me!"

The cavern seemed to mourn with them, the once flickering light of the moss now dimming, casting the hollow in near darkness. The faint echo of the masked man's laughter still lingered in Zhang Wei's mind, a haunting reminder of their failure.

After what felt like an eternity, Zhang Wei forced himself to speak, his voice heavy with grief. "We... we need to move. We can't stay here. If he comes back..."

"Move?" Lei Yun spat, his voice filled with venom. He glared at Zhang Wei, his eyes red and swollen. "You want to leave him here? Like he's nothing? Like he didn't just die saving us?"

Zhang Wei flinched but held his ground. "No," he said firmly. "We'll give him the honour he deserves. But we can't stay here. If the masked man returns, we'll all die, and Chen's sacrifice will mean nothing."

Lei Yun opened his mouth to argue, but Mei Ming placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Yun," she said softly, her voice trembling, "we'll make sure he's remembered. But Zhang Wei's right. We need to move."

The fight drained out of Lei Yun, and he nodded reluctantly, his head bowed. There was a unique cavern inside Iron Hollow. Zhang Wei directed the group to a small alcove within the cavern, a quiet and sheltered spot away from the main pathway. It felt fitting, secluded, safe, and serene, a rare reprieve within the hostile labyrinth. The faint echoes of dripping water added a mournful rhythm to their movements.

Lei Yun refused to let anyone else touch his brother's body, cradling it in his arms with a tenderness that spoke of a bond forged through countless trials. Lei Chen's face, pale and still, seemed almost peaceful in the dim light. Lei Yun knelt beside him, his tears falling silently onto his brother's blood-streaked robes.

"Here," Mei Ming whispered, her voice trembling as she handed Lei Yun a strip of clean white cloth from her pouch. It was one of her last talismans, its inscriptions faint but still glowing softly. "Wrap him with this. It's... it's all I have to offer."

Lei Yun accepted it without a word, his fingers trembling as he began to wrap Lei Chen's body. Each movement was deliberate, as if he were committing every moment to memory. Zhang Wei and Mei Ming stood back, giving him the space he needed, though their own tears glistened in the faint light.

When Lei Yun finished, he laid his brother gently on the cold stone floor. "You deserve better," he whispered, his voice raw. "You deserve to be buried in the sunlight, surrounded by our family. Not... not here." His shoulders shook as a fresh wave of tears overcame him.

Zhang Wei stepped forward, placing a hand on Lei Yun's shoulder. "This isn't the end," he said softly. "He'll always be with us, in our hearts. And when we make it back to the sect, we'll honour his name properly."

Lei Yun nodded slowly, though the pain in his eyes was still raw and unrelenting.

The group worked together to gather stones from the cavern, stacking them carefully to create a cairn over Lei Chen's body. Each stone was placed with care, as though they were constructing a monument rather than a grave. Mei Ming murmured quiet prayers as she worked, her words a blend of hope and sorrow.

When the cairn was complete, Mei Ming reached into her pouch and pulled out a glowing talisman. She placed it at the top of the cairn, the golden light casting a warm glow over the cold stones. The talisman's energy pulsed faintly, a sign that it would protect Lei Chen's resting place from wandering beasts or scavengers.

"This will keep him safe," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "At least until... until we can come back for him."

Lei Yun knelt before the cairn, his forehead pressing against the rough stones. "I'll make them pay," he said softly, his voice trembling but resolute. "I'll make the man who did this suffer for every second of pain you endured. I swear it."

Zhang Wei and Mei Ming stood silently behind him, their heads bowed in respect. After a long moment, Zhang Wei stepped forward, drawing his sword. He drove it into the ground before the cairn, a gesture of honour and a promise of vengeance.

"We'll carry his memory with us," Zhang Wei said, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes. "Lei Chen's sacrifice will not be in vain."

"How do I explain Lei Chen's death to the sect master and to Li if we eventually find him?" Zhang Wei thought silently.

The three of them stood in silence, their grief and resolve intertwining in the cold stillness of the hollow. Then, as one, they turned away, their steps heavy but determined.

The cairn stood behind them, the talisman at its peak casting a faint, warm glow. A shimmer of a figure appeared above the cairn and watched the friends depart despondently, then it slowly dissipated into thin air.

Though their journey continued, each step forward carried the weight of their loss. Lei Chen was gone, but his spirit lingered with them and was also forever etched in their memories.