The battlefield fell into a moment of haunting silence.
Everyone-watched in stunned awe.
Patrick and Grace held onto each other, refusing to let go. The swirling dark energy from the guardians' weapons reached its peak, and then-
A blinding explosion.
The energy engulfed them completely, annihilating everything in its path.
The impact sent a shockwave across the battlefield, making the ground tremble. Dust and debris filled the air, momentarily shrouding the battlefield in an eerie fog.
Then... silence.
They were gone.
Zack, who had been desperately healing the wounded, froze. His small hands trembled, his energy flickering as the reality of what had just happened hit him all at once.
"N-No... No, no, no-!"
Tears streamed down his face. His energy wavered, and for the first time since the battle started, he couldn't focus on healing.
Jen stood beside him, frozen in place. She had seen the explosion from afar-seen them clinging to each other before the end.
"I don't know... I don't know what they said to each other before they died..." her voice shook, barely a whisper. "But... they weren't alone."
She wiped at her eyes, but it was no use. Her tears kept falling.
They all knew.
There was no saving them.
And yet, the pain of it cut deeper than any wound.
Tyra, Darry, Vera, Gorin, Blaine, and the other prisoners continued fighting, but their hearts were burning with suppressed grief. They had seen so many deaths before, had fought countless battles-but this?
This was different.
They had fought alongside Patrick and Grace.
They had shared struggles.
Even though it was for a few moments.
And now... they were gone.
Tyra clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm. Darry wiped at his face angrily. Vera's hands trembled as she gripped her weapon.
Then-something snapped.
The grief turned to fury.
"DIE!" Tyra roared, swinging a massive axe she had picked up from a fallen guard before. With one powerful swing, she cleaved through a guardian's torso.
Darry, Vera, and Blaine let out war cries of rage, throwing themselves at the enemy with a savage intensity.
They weren't fighting just to survive anymore.
They were avenging them.
Ian, still filming, had zoomed in on Patrick and Grace at the very last moment.
He had captured everything-
The way they held each other.
The way they accepted their fate together.
The explosion.
And then... nothing.
His hands shook.
He had documented battles but he had never filmed death before.
"This... this is the most tragic documentary of my life," he sobbed, unable to stop himself.
Olive, standing beside him, was silent.
Her usual sharp focus was gone. Her gun lowered as she stared at the empty space where Patrick and Grace had once been.
She wasn't the type to show emotions. But right now?
Tears slid down her face.
The remaining warriors, despite their grief, fought harder than ever.
Their attacks became faster, stronger, more ruthless.
The guardians-who had once seemed unbeatable-now found themselves overwhelmed.
The prisoners were overwhelming them-
Fueled by pain.
Fueled by vengeance.
Fueled by the memory of two comrades who should never have had to die like that.
The battle had shifted.
The once merciless guardians were now desperate, overwhelmed by the sheer fury and grief of the prisoners.
Every strike, every blast, every attack carried the weight of Patrick and Grace's sacrifice.
The two guardians responsible for their deaths-who had once stood proud, unchallenged-were now swarmed.
The prisoners, those who had been watching in silence before, had finally snapped.
They charged in without fear, without hesitation.
"YOU TOOK THEM FROM US!" a prisoner roared.
"DIE, YOU BASTARDS!" another screamed.
Even Ian, who normally kept a level head while documenting, was seething.
"This is what happens to murderers!" he spat, his voice trembling with raw emotion. "This is justice for Patrick and Grace!"
For the first time, his documentary wasn't just a record of history.
It was a curse.
Soon, all of the guardians were cornered, backed against a crumbling wall.
They had nowhere left to run.
The prisoners closed in, weapons raised.
But just before they could-
"ENOUGH."
A powerful voice echoed through their minds.
God Legend.
He spoke through telepathy, his voice commanding and absolute.
"Get out of the way."
At first, the prisoners were too emotional to listen.
"WHY?!" someone shouted, tears streaming down their face.
"They need to pay for what they've done!"
Even Ian and his family were shaken.
But Legend's voice remained steady.
"If you don't move, I won't be able to finish them off. You beings won't be able to finish them off."
"Step back, or you shall all be caught in my wrath."
There was a moment of resistance.
A moment where their rage fought against reason.
But then-one by one-the prisoners stepped away.
They understood.
This was beyond them now.
This was divine judgment.
With the prisoners safely distanced, Legend raised his hand.
A blinding golden light erupted from above, like a crack in the heavens.
The guardians looked up-and for the first time, fear crossed their faces.
"NO-WAIT-"
But it was too late.
BOOM.
A pillar of divine energy descended upon them, swallowing them whole.
The prison shook violently.
The sheer power of the attack cracked the walls, shattered the ground, and obliterated the guardians completely.
When the light faded, nothing remained.
The floor was clear.
"Floor clear," Legend's voice echoed in their minds. "Make your way out of the prison."
The prisoners-those who had spent years, even decades trapped in this place- were finally free.
But not all of them.
As they began their ascent, Ian and his family walked in silence.
Tears still ran down Zack's face.
Jen's hands clutched her chest, as if trying to hold in her emotions.
Even Olive, who rarely showed her heart, walked with a clenched jaw, her eyes still red from crying.
The other prisoners-hardened warriors, survivors of countless horrors- were sobbing.
Even in their happiest moment, there was a shadow hanging over them.
They had saved so many...
But they hadn't been able to save two.
Patrick and Grace were supposed to be here too.
And yet...
They weren't.
"They weren't alone when they died," Jen whispered, as if trying to convince herself. "At least... they weren't alone."
Ian, still filming, wiped his eyes. "We move forward... but we never forget."
And with that, the survivors took their first steps toward freedom.