~~~~~~~~~Third Person POV~~~~~~~~~

Sage and Aiden walked down the halls of the underground ruins, Sage keeping an arm around him as he was still quite weak.

However, Aiden kept his head down, his bangs covering his face.

Sage kept glancing at him from time to time, worried. She took a deep breath, speaking soon after. "What happened in there...?"

He stayed quiet for a few seconds, placing a hand over his chest. "I... I thought I could reach out to him... try and save him..." He looked at Sage, who could see the pain clear in his eyes. "There's no saving him now... he's gone too far inside the darkness..."

She stared at him, her chest aching. Through the times they'd spent together, she had learn he was pure at heart, someone who only wanted to help as much people as he could.

But not everyone can be saved. He knew this, but it still hurt him to know he failed someone else.

"Aiden, I-... I'm sorry..."

His usual smile grew on his face, but it was around this time she realized it was a forced one. This one didn't reach his eyes. "It's okay... it wasn't your fault..."

Footsteps were heard nearby, making them tense up, but soon relaxed. Noah and Iv, along with Alyse behind them, came running over, stopping once they noticed them.

Aiden kneeled down as his little sister ran over to him, both hugging each other. Alyse pulled away, looking at him in worry. "Your aura... it's cold... What happened...?"

Aiden stayed quiet. He stood up as he gently gripped both of his sleeves, taking a deep breath. "I thought I could talk things through with Ryan... It was a false hope..."

Aiden looked up, seeing his twin nod over to a corner before walking away. He glanced at Sage, soon following Iv.

"That was a risky move, you know what he's capable of." She said, her tone serious.

Aiden let out a sigh. "Believe me, I know... I nearly just lost my life if it hadn't been for Sage..."

Iv stayed silent, crossing her arms in thought. "... there's only one way to save him..."

He stared at his sister, confused at her sentence. However, his eyes widened a bit at the realization of her words.

In order to save him...

Then had to set him free from everything...

...

They had to kill him...

He knew she was right, this was their only option... And as much as it hurt to think of someone he used to love and care for being gone forever, it was what they had to do in order to stop him from hurting himself and everyone else...

"That's impossible, though." They turned to Sage who was walking over. "Ryan's skin is like armor, physical attacks don't work on him."

"Difficult, yeah. But not impossible." Iv replied. "In an average human, the skin on their necks is the thinnest one, meaning the most vulnerable part. Even if he's not as weak as humans, it could still be of use to us."

"So we aim for the neck...?" Aiden said, his gaze glued to the ground as he spoke.

Iv nodded. "It would be the best option. The more blood he losses, the weaker he becomes."

"I can do it." Sage said with a determined tone.

Aiden looked at her, growing worried. "No, it's too dangerous."

She looked at her boyfriend, her gaze serious. "I have to."

"No! I can't risk putting you in any danger! You should know better than anyone the things he can do, and I-!"

She grabbed his face, pressing her lips against his. He stared a bit shocked at her action as she soon pulled away.

"I'll be okay, Aiden... I know you're afraid, but I assure you that nothing will happen to me..." She grabbed his hand, tangling her fingers with his. "I promise..."

He remained silent for a few seconds. He wasn't on board with this. However, he took a deep breath, gently gripping her hand. "O-okay..."

As Sage pulled away, Iv placed a hand on his shoulder. "We need to plan this perfectly."

"We can't afford to lose.."

Thanks for reading!!! 'Till next time!!!

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