1521 AD - Tenochtitlan

Ayaz leans against the cool, ancient stone wall, his heart racing as he watches Thena lie motionless on the stone table, still unconscious. A feeling of dread settles in the pit of his stomach. "I thought Mah'd W'yry was just a myth," he murmurs to himself, anxiety threading through his voice.

"There is no cure. So no one really talks about it," Phastos responds, his tone laced with resignation as he stands a few paces away, worry etched across his features.

Just then, Thena gasps awake, confusion swirling in her beautiful green eyes. "What happened?" she breathes, her voice trembling.

"Thena, you attacked everyone. Wounded Phastos, Makkari... you nearly killed Ayaz," Ajak explains, her voice steady yet full of concern.

"I don’t remember," Thena whispers, desperation creeping into her tone as she searches their faces for answers.

"You have Mah's W'yry. Your mind is fracturing under the weight of your memories," Ajak continues, her words heavy with finality. Ayaz's heart sinks at the thought. He frowns, feeling the urgency of the moment, knowing their options are painfully limited.

"We have to inform Arishem and take you back to the ship where we have the technology to help," Ajak insists, her gaze intense.

"But it won't be Thena anymore," Hestia adds sadly, her voice soft as she takes in the gravity of the situation.

"What if it happens again? She could have killed you. She could have killed all of us," Kingo interjects, his voice rising in alarm.

"Please, I want to remember. I want to remember my life," Thena pleads, her voice a haunting echo of vulnerability.

"Thena, I love you, but listen to me," Ajak says gently. "It's not important that you remember or not. Your spirit will remain. You will always be Thena deep inside. Trust me."

"Why should she trust you? You are asking her to let you erase who she is," Druig retorts, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

Ayaz steps forward, glaring at Druig, feeling an instinctive protectiveness flare within him. "Watch your tone with her. Will you?" he warns, his voice low and firm.

Druig chuckles dryly, but there's an edge of frustration in his laughter. "You always have been the secret mama's little boy—"

"Shut the fuck up!" Ayaz snaps, his patience evaporating.

"Druig, I know you are upset," Ajak tries to reason.

"Upset? We have trusted you for 7000 years, and look where it got us," Druig seethes, his voice rising. He strides to the entrance of the temple, his eyes locking onto the chaos unfolding outside. "I've watched humans destroy each other when I could stop it all in a heartbeat. Do you know what that does to someone after centuries? Could our mission have been a mistake? Are we really helping these people build a better world, huh?"

The fighting below ceases, a hushed silence falling over the battlefield as Druig's power grips the humans in thrall.

Ikaris shoves Druig against the wall. "Let them go."

"You’re gonna have to make me," Druig replies, his tone dismissive.

"Stop."

"If you want to stop, you're gonna have to kill me," Druig retorts, his voice flat as he turns away, making his way down the temple steps without so much as a glance at Ayaz.

Ayaz's heart sinks, an icy dread wrapping around it. He bites down hard on his cheek, the taste of blood grounding him in the moment. He knows Druig is furious at him for not taking his side. Would he ever forgive him? The thought spirals through Ayaz’s mind like a dark cloud.

"I will watch over Thena. Let her keep her memories," Gilgamesh offers, his tone resolute.

"One day, when she attacks you, you might have to kill her," Ajak warns, her voice stern.

"I'll take that chance," Gilgamesh replies.

"You may all go. The Deviants are gone. There’s no reason for you to stay with me," Ajak informs the group.

"Shouldn't you ask Arishem first? We are a team. We should stay together," Ikaris counters, concern etched on his face.

"I didn't ask you for your advice, Ikaris. Do not forget your place," Ajak shoots back, her authority reasserted. She turns to the rest of the Eternals. "This is where we say goodbye. You are free to go. I want you to go out there and live a life for yourself. Not as soldiers. Not with the purpose you were given. Find your own purpose, and one day, when we see each other again, I want you to tell me what you found."

Without a moment's hesitation, Ayaz teleports out of the temple, urgency coursing through him. He appears on the road, darting from one spot to another, desperately trying to locate Druig. Finally, he finds him walking amidst the humans, a solitary figure against the chaos.

"Ayaz?" Druig's voice is cold as he turns, his expression unreadable.

Ayaz materializes beside him, forcing a lightness he doesn’t feel. "That was heavenly dramatic. Where are we leaving with these humans?"

Druig’s gaze hardens. "I."

Ayaz’s heart plummets. "What?"

"There’s no ‘we.’ It’s just ‘I,’" Druig states flatly.

"What do you mean?" Ayaz presses, stepping closer, dread gnawing at him. "You’re not leaving me behind, are you?"

"I am," Druig replies, his tone final as he resumes walking.

"Is this a joke? If yes, it's not funny at all," Ayaz laughs nervously, determination fueling him as he refuses to give up. "You can’t bloody leave me!"

"I can, and I will," Druig shoots back, irritation flickering across his features.

"Druig, please," Ayaz whispers, placing a trembling hand on Druig’s shoulder, hoping for a shift in his heart. The contact feels electric yet painfully cold, the heartache swirling in Ayaz's chest.

Druig shrugs off his hand as if it burns him. "It’s sickening how desperate you are for affection. I don’t want you, and I never will. Take that into your thick head."

Ayaz feels his heart shatter at those words, shock and disbelief sweeping over him. Tears well in his golden eyes as he processes the cruel truth. "You’ll regret this, and when you do, it’ll be too late!" he hisses, desperation clawing at him before he teleports away, far from the man who has torn his heart apart.

He lands in the dark woods, falling to his knees as agony floods his senses. His golden blond hair floats around him like a halo, and his eyes glow fiercely with the heat of his emotions—sadness, anger, frustration coiling together into a tempest. A primal scream escapes his lips, echoing through the trees, releasing the pent-up energy that freezes the air around him and blankets the forest floor in ice.

As the last of his tears fall, he wonders what comes next. A life without Druig feels unbearable, and regret washes over him like icy water. If only someone had warned him about this moment, he would have laughed, brushed it off as absurd. But now, faced with the emptiness of losing the love of his life, he feels utterly lost. He fell for someone who seems to care so little for his feelings.

But there’s one person who can understand—one person who might help him heal.

Ayaz teleports back to the temple, frantically searching for Ajak. "Ajak! Ajak!" he calls out, desperation spilling from his lips. "Please be here. I need you."

"Ayaz?" Ajak's voice breaks through the silence, and he turns to find her approaching, her expression shifting to one of concern as she takes in the tears streaming down his cheeks. "What happened?"

"He doesn’t want me," Ayaz confesses, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. "It hurts."

"Oh, Ayaz." Ajak envelops him in her arms, and he sinks into her embrace, the warmth of her presence offering a fleeting comfort. "It’s okay," she murmurs softly.

Wiping his face, Ayaz sniffs loudly, feeling vulnerable. "I hate him."

"Forgive him one day. But don’t forget," Ajak advises gently, cupping his cheek with a concerned expression. "There are so many wonders in this universe, and love is only one of them. I want you to seek them out and enjoy your life. Don’t let anyone or anything break you. You’re stronger than you believe."

A small smile breaks through Ayaz’s sorrow as he nods, feeling a flicker of hope. "Thank you, mother."

END OF ACT 1