Zetius scrambled back, unable to gauge the extent of his injuries as blood dripped from his wounded arm. He lay on the cold floor, his breath ragged and shallow. As Aurelia rushed to his side, tears of guilt and regret welled in her red-rimmed eyes.
"I'm sorry, Zeta! I'm so sorry!" She cried, her hands trembling above him. She was sobbing uncontrollably but fought to steady herself so she could cast a healing spell.
He swept his gaze over her, quickly assessing her condition, then reached out to clasp her quivering hands. "Aurelia... I'm glad you're okay," Zetius murmured, a faint smile gracing his lips.
Sniffing and wiping her teary eyes, she asked, "It's my fault. How could you not hate me?"
"I~I ignored Ignius's warning. I thought I could take on the beast alone and save the town," She babbled, her voice thick with self-loathing. "I was foolish... so foolish! Every time I try to do the right thing, I end up hurting the people I care about most. Just like today."
Instead of answering, Zetius lifted his bloodied palm to her damp cheek. "I could never hate you. You know that, right?" He reassured her.
His gentle words ignited a spark of determination in Aurelia. She swallowed down her weakness, forcing herself to focus. Taking a deep breath, she recited the incantation, "Iasis!"
A soft green glow illuminated the hall just as Friederich arrived, his footsteps echoing with urgency. He took in the sight before him — Zetius and Aurelia on the ground, the corpse of the monstrous beast beside them, its flesh gruesomely torn away.
Aurelia gently ran her fingers along Zetius's cheek as his silver head rested on her lap. She was so lost in the moment that she failed to notice their visitor until he spoke.
"Friederich! You're late!" Zetius greeted, waving weakly with his tattered sleeve.
Friederich gave a slow nod, but his gaze quickly snapped to Aurelia. "Aurelia! Your back, it's bleeding!" He exclaimed, rushing forward.
She glanced over her shoulder, chuckling. "Oh, this? It's just a scratch. You should've seen Zeta's arm earlier."
Zetius let out a soft laugh. "Aurelia, you should patch up," He said, his tone both teasing and firm.
With a deep exhale, Friederich performed a healing spell, and the wound on Aurelia's back slowly sealed, leaving behind smooth, pale skin. He averted his eyes slightly, the sight of her exposed back bringing a faint blush to his cheeks.
"Thanks, Fried!" She said cheerfully, though the redness of her eyes and nose still betrayed her earlier sobbing.
The three of them rose to their feet, and before long, they managed to find their way out of the dungeon.
A quiet sob stirred her awake. Aurelia's eyes fluttered open to meet a pair of dark green irises gazing at her.
Triss Mercie, the Novicius mage and clairvoyant, knelt beside her, hands clasped in prayer, her face streaked with tears.
"What's going on!?" Aurelia blurted, disoriented and confused. She quickly realised she was inside a small room within the defence tower.
"Please forgive me, Princess Aurelia," Triss murmured, sniffing softly. "I was going to wake you, but... your vision was so moving," She explained, her voice velvety yet solemn.
"My vision? You saw that too!?" Aurelia gasped, horror creeping into her expression.
Triss nodded. "Yes... I witnessed how Prince Zetius fought valiantly, despite his depleted mana. His courage was boundless as he protected you with his flesh and blood," She said with admiration.
"W-Woah! That's so embarrassing! You saw me crying too!?" Aurelia wailed, covering her crimson-stained face with her hands.
Triss gave a small, knowing smile. "Yes. Just as I weep now. But yours was more... petulant," she teased lightly. "I didn't just see your vision, I felt everything you did at that moment."
"Stop! Stop! Don't say another word, or I'll bury my face in the sand!" Aurelia shouted, mortified beyond reason.
Triss chuckled but relented. "As you wish, Princess." Rising gracefully, she added, "Please join us for breakfast when you're ready. I've left fresh clothes and towels by your bedside." With that, she strode to the door and exited, closing it gently behind her.
Silence settled over the room. As Aurelia sat there, her thoughts drifted unwillingly to the past.
Why am I thinking about this now? She wondered.
Why Zetius... why did you leave me?
Her body trembled as the weight of memory pressed down on her. Tears streamed down her face, and before she knew it, she had buried herself in the pillow, muffling her sobs. The guilt and regret from that fateful day came rushing back, suffocating her.
"Pathetic," She muttered bitterly.
Not only had those feelings resurfaced, but so had her self-loathing. The realisation struck her like a dagger — she hadn't changed at all in the past four years. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
Aurelia was still the same spoiled princess who once believed she could mend this broken world.
And without Zetius Zel Celerius, Aurelia Sol Solara was so much less.