The air grew cold.

Dust swirled slowly as the battlefield fell silent — the aftermath of Lucian’s first attack still lingering. The sky, torn open like paper, bled faint threads of galactic light.

Emily stood frozen. Her lips trembled as she stared at something behind Aiden.  

"A… Aiden… behind you…"

Aiden turned.

There — Coward Aiden knelt, his body trembling.  

A dark blade — dripping with a black mist — pierced through his side, sticking out from his back. The sound of blood hitting the ground echoed louder than any scream.

Time slowed.

No one moved.

Coward Aiden blinked slowly, as if trying to process what just happened. His wide, terrified eyes locked onto Aiden. "Ah… I…"

Aiden took a shaky step forward. "Coward…?"

Coward Aiden’s lips quivered. "I… d-didn’t… run…"

The words were barely audible.

Emily gasped, covering her mouth as tears welled up. "No…"

Protector Aiden, Cold Aiden, and Ruthless Aiden stood rooted — their expressions unreadable, but their fists clenched tightly.

"You—" Ruthless growled, but Aiden raised a hand — silencing him.

Aiden slowly knelt in front of him.

Coward Aiden’s breathing grew shallow. "Lucian… said I was… easy… prey… I… I knew it was coming… but… I stayed…"  

He coughed — a spatter of blood staining his pale lips.

Aiden’s throat tightened. Still, he forced a soft smile. "You did good… You stayed…"

Coward Aiden laughed weakly — a sound so fragile it barely existed. "Funny… huh…? I… was always the one… screaming… running… But today… I stood still…"  

His fingers twitched, reaching toward Aiden. "I… was scared… but… I didn’t move…"

Aiden gently took his hand, squeezing it. "Yeah… You were brave."

The others slowly gathered around — Kind Aiden kneeling beside them, biting his lip to keep from sobbing.

"See…?" Coward Aiden smiled faintly. "Even if… I’m a coward… I can… protect… sometimes…"

Emily couldn’t hold it anymore. She crawled closer, her voice trembling. "Let me… try to heal—"

Coward Aiden stopped her with a shaky head shake. "No… this is… right… I… did what I had to…"

Tears streamed down Emily’s face.

"I don’t want… to disappear… afraid…" Coward Aiden whispered. "I… want to disappear… like this… surrounded… by all of you…"

His gaze turned skyward, at the swirling galaxy above. "Beautiful… isn’t it…? Like… home…"

His body trembled harder. "Don’t… forget me… okay…?"

"You’re part of me," Aiden whispered. "I can’t forget you."

Coward Aiden smiled… for real, this time. "Good… Then… take me home…"

A moment later — his body turned into soft golden particles, rising slowly. His mask cracked, then shattered into light — absorbed into Aiden’s chest.

No loud cries.

No rage-filled screams.

Just… silence.

Aiden lowered his head. His shoulders trembled once — not from anger, but grief.

Ruthless Aiden wiped his face roughly. "That bastard Lucian…"

Protector Aiden finally spoke. "Coward wasn’t weak. He was… the bravest of us all…"

Kind Aiden nodded, eyes full of tears. "He faced it head-on…"

Aiden stood slowly, clenching his fists.

Emily wiped her tears. "Aiden… what now?"

Aiden stared at the sky — voice soft, but firm. "We finish this."

The others nodded, a silent vow forming between them.

From afar, Lucian smirked, watching the scene. "See? I told you… you all break the same way."

But none of them responded.

Because for the first time… they weren’t breaking.

They were becoming whole.