A SAD FAREWELL

Saland and his companions sprinted towards Sharon's lab, the downpour a relentless curtain obscuring everything. Upon arrival, the entrance was a mangled wreck. Undeterred, our heroes pressed onward, emerging into a ravaged clearing. The signs of a fierce struggle were evident – churned earth and unnatural divots marked the ground as if some immense force had deliberately struck it. Amidst the devastation, Saland's gaze fell upon a still figure. They rushed forward, their hearts sinking as they found Sharon, her lifeblood ebbing away before their very eyes. The rain hammered down, and a sudden flash of lightning illuminated the gruesome extent of her injury.

With a weak turn of her head, Sharon's eyes, already glazed, found theirs. A trickle of crimson stained her lips as she whispered, "Is… it you?"

Saland's voice caught in his throat. "Y-yes, it's us, Sharon." A wave of grief washed over them, tears mingling with the torrential rain.

"I fought Null," Sharon managed, her voice barely a breath. "It's not your fault… I was foolish to challenge him alone."

Despair and fury warred within Saland. "If we had just arrived sooner…"

Sharon's hand, cold and frail, reached out to stop him. "My time… is short. But I have something… important… to give you all." With a final effort, she pressed a small USB drive into Saland's left palm. "As I promised… here you go. Do what I couldn't… become stronger… better… and kick those damned glitches to hell." With those last words, her head lolled to the side, her eyes losing their light.

"Sharon! Sharon!" Saland's cry was raw with anguish.

Haytham placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, turning him away from the heartbreaking sight. Saland's control shattered, and he wept openly.

Shimmon's voice, thick with sorrow, broke the heavy silence. "Even her beauty… extinguished. But her sacrifice… it wasn't in vain. Just like Benamoth's… and Paul's. It's because of them… that we are stronger." Tears streamed down Shimmon's face as well, joining the collective sorrow that blurred their vision.

In a final, ethereal moment, Sharon's body dissolved into shimmering azure particles, fading into the storm. Deeply shaken and burdened by their loss, they turned back towards Valley, the weight of their fallen comrade fueling a grim determination to forge a plan against Null and his encroaching darkness.