Denial

//CONTENT WARNING: MENTIONS OF BLOOD, AND DEATH. NOT DESCRIBED IN DETAIL. (https://youtu.be/6JeaK_7Owow?si=_OtQGw88wIqiDzh1) The air is knocked out of Nar's lungs as his abdomen slams into the edge of a large piece of stone. He feels himself begin to slide backwards. His arms reach forward, and grab hold of the other edge of the stone, pulling himself up so his chest, and abdomen can rest atop it. As Nar gasps for air, he takes in his surroundings. He's stuck on a piece that's broken off of one of the pillars from the throne room. It's floating through an endless, black void, with other pieces of stone debris, and the occasional crackle of arcane energy. Each breath sends pain shooting through his chest, but it slowly begins to subside after he manages to find a way to rest atop the pillar. "Nar!" Amy's voice cries out from below. Nar inches forward to peer over the edge of the pillar. His eyes widen as he sees Amy hanging on to a small lip at the bottom of the pillar. She dangles above the void, looking up at him with concern in her eyes. Her wings appear to have been mangled so badly that she cannot use them. "Amy!" Nar cries out. "Hold on! I've got some rope in my bag!" He turns his attention away as he leans on his side, and reaches down towards his satchel with one hand. There's a loud crackle, then the sound of an arcane explosion. A shockwave rocks the pillar, and Nar is forced to grab on to the edge of it so he isn't thrown off. He hears Amy cry out in pain from below. When he looks over the edge to see what happened, he sees a deep gash on Amy's right side. A piece of debris must have been launched from the shockwave, and cut her pretty deep. Shit. She's bleeding profusely. If she doesn't get medical attention NOW, she's going to die. Panic begins to set in. Nar frantically searches his satchel, and begins to shout down to Amy. "Amy! J-just hold on! You're going to be okay! I promise!" Amy looks up at him. The worry on her face has washed away. Now replaced with a somber frown. "Nar..." She begins. "It's gonna be okay! I got you!" Nar screams back, interrupting her. "Please..." Amy's voice croaks as she holds back tears. "I'm sorry... You came all this way, and now... Now it's all for nothing." Nar can feel his eyes beginning to water. "Don't say that!" He screams back. "You're going to be okay! We're going to make it out of here!" Deep within the Astral highway System, two figures float through a ceaseless void. One has already accepted what must happen. The other still desperately clings to a fantasy he wishes were real. "I'm sorry Nar... I'm so sorry..." Amy stares up at her lover, tears streaming down her face. Nar can already see her grip beginning to weaken. Her eyes have lost the twinkle they usually have. He needs to find that rope. NOW!

"Please don't do anything rash." Amy begins to plead, while Nar frantically searches his satchel. "You have friends, and family waiting for you to come home... Don't make them go through what you did for 5 years. Don't hurt them like I hurt you." She lets out a soft sob, her eyes now completely filled with tears. Nar can't think of a response. His mind is going a million miles a minute, and yet, he still can't find the rope. "Please... Live! If not for yourself, then for them! If not for them, then FOR ME!" Amy screams/cries her plea up to Nar, who simply stares back at her with a distraught expression. This can't be happening... This can't be happening! (https://youtu.be/0n4ctk3q4rs?si=vjvNDO1NtQhizIXo) Amy's grip falters, and her fingers slip from the lip. Her teary eyes slowly beginning to dull as she stares up at him. "AMYYYYYYY!"

Nar screams in horror, and shock as he watches his first love slowly float away.

Rope!

Rope!

WHERE'S THE FUCKING ROPE?!

"I-..." Amy's eyes spark with life for just moment.

"I love you!"

Nar lets out a long, distraught scream that echoes through the void. Tears stream down his cheeks as he reaches a hand out, as if he could somehow grab hold of Amy, and save her.

Alone, Nar's screams echo through a void that hasn't the ability to care. Nor would it, if it did.