At the shores of Lake Loknezt, the shimmering lights had faded into memory. The still surface of the water mirrored the clear blue sky above. But within Sophia's heart, the peaceful scene only deepened the emptiness and coldness. This was the tenth time she had plunged herself into the frigid water in vain, each time surfacing with a choked breath and the salty sting of ceaseless tears.
Jacobs, his face etched with worry and exhaustion, gripped Sophia's trembling arm, pulling her back. "Stop, Sophia. This is too much."
Sophia collapsed onto the damp grass, her numb legs devoid of feeling, her fingers bleeding, but she paid it no mind. Her once radiant cheeks were now ashen, her lips tinged blue with cold and utter fatigue.
From the horrifying moment Henry had been struck by the aquatic beast's Aqua Pump and vanished into the murky depths, time seemed to have ceased its flow for her. Each passing second stretched into an eternity, gnawing at her heart with fear and despair.
Immediately after Henry disappeared, Jacobs had urgently contacted Aerion for aid. While awaiting the rescue team with their specialized magical tools, he and Daniel relentlessly dove into the lake, desperately searching for any trace of Henry.
They had found the area of the lake wall shattered by the devastating attack, but it was nothing more than a pile of rubble and rock, blocking any passage. Despite their combined strength, they couldn't clear it to reach what lay beyond.
Sophia, upon learning the location, became like a moth drawn to a flame. She continuously used physical enhancement spells on herself and her comrades, conjuring fragile air bubbles to allow them to operate underwater.
Her small hands dug through the sharp debris until they bled, fueled by a fragile hope of pulling Henry out, even if only to draw one last, weak breath. But time continued its silent march, and the air bubble stones gradually lost their effect. Each passing moment extinguished another flicker of hope in her heart.
Without waiting for support from Aerion, Sophia and Jacobs stubbornly persisted, using their magic to both clear obstacles and try to observe every nook and cranny beneath the lake's surface.
She clung to every fragment, every stray bubble, desperately seeking even the slightest sign of Henry. But the more she searched, the more the eerie silence of the lake's depths became all-encompassing, a grim affirmation of their loss.
The other members of the team grew increasingly silent, their eyes filled with sorrow and helplessness. Deep down, they seemed to have accepted the painful truth of losing a comrade. Only Sophia, still clinging to a hopeless persistence, wouldn't allow herself to relinquish even the faintest glimmer of hope.
She sat motionless on the cold grass, her gaze vacant as she stared at the placid surface of the lake. Only last night, she had rested her head against Henry's chest, feeling his familiar warmth and hearing his teasing words.
Now, only a vast emptiness remained, a bone-chilling cold that seeped into every cell of her being. It wasn't just the cold of the icy lake water, not just the crushing fatigue after her futile efforts, but the cold of loss, the feeling of having lost the one who brought warmth to her heart.
"The rescue team… how much longer, Captain?" Sophia's voice was hoarse, lost in a choked sob, but her eyes remained fixed on the still lake, as if awaiting a miracle.
Jacobs sighed, his voice heavy with sorrow. "About two more hours. They have stronger magical items; the rescue might be more successful…"
"I'll wait here," Sophia whispered, her voice weak but resolute. "If they arrive, I'll go down with them to search. And if… if before then, Henry manages to surface… then I will be the first to find him… and pull him ashore."
A hot tear traced a path down her pale cheek. "I want to hit him… for daring to worry me like this… I want to bring him home… and then tie him up so he can't go anywhere again, always doing such dangerous things."
Sophia's voice broke, and tears flowed freely. In her shattered heart, countless desires now resided. But above all, she yearned to see Henry return, even just his familiar silhouette. She told herself she would scold him severely, punish him greatly for putting her through these terrifying hours. But all of that could only happen if he was still alive, if he was still by her side.
Not far away, on the bank of a small lake hidden amongst dense thickets, Henry lay sprawled on the damp earth. His body ached as if pierced by a thousand needles, crisscrossing wounds adorning his arms, chest, and one leg. His breath was shallow and ragged, but within his chest, a faint pulse still flickered, a miraculous testament to his survival.
"This time… truly insane," Henry mumbled softly, cursing himself. "Injured, nearly died. Now I'm ashore, but I don't have any strength left. Sword's broken, my gear's all ruined. Even if I wanted to call for help, I couldn't…"
A bitter smile flickered across his parched lips.
"Surely, after going through all that… I'm not just going to rot and die here, am I?"
His weary thoughts gradually faded, his eyelids grew heavy, and slowly closed, darkness engulfing his consciousness. He drifted into unconsciousness, his body utterly still on the cold ground.
A while later, amidst the desolate scene, two figures silently appeared near where Henry lay. They carefully observed his condition, then one quickly began administering first aid, while the other activated a small spell, sending out an urgent signal.
Henry was gently lifted onto a simple wooden cart. And a familiar figure, with disheveled auburn hair and eyes swollen from weeping, was given special permission to ride with him, clutching his cold hand tightly throughout the bumpy journey home.
Throughout the journey, warm tears fell ceaselessly onto Henry's hand, and choked sobs echoed in the silent air. After all, he was still alive; she hadn't lost him. In that moment, all the pain and worry seemed to vanish, leaving only a suffocating happiness that he was still here, beside her.
It wasn't until three days later that Henry finally awoke in the quiet room of the military infirmary. A dull ache still lingered throughout his body, but an unusual warmth and safety enveloped him.
Henry stirred slightly, realizing his arm, chest, and one leg were carefully bandaged. But the most important thing was that he was still alive. A soft sigh of relief escaped his parched lips.
Then his gaze fell upon a familiar figure slumped beside the bed. Sophia's auburn hair was neatly tied back, but her once beautiful face was now gaunt and haggard. A wave of tenderness and heartache washed over Henry.
He knew what Sophia must have gone through during the days he was missing, the hours he lay unconscious. The worry, the fear, and the fragile hope must have eroded her so much. She had spent all her time here, by his side, tending to him in her despair, until she herself had succumbed to exhaustion.
With his remaining uninjured hand, Henry gently stroked Sophia's soft hair. Sensing the touch, Sophia startled awake. Her swollen eyes widened, staring intently at his face. Then, a weak smile bloomed on Henry's lips.
In that instant, all the suppressed emotions, all the worry and fear within Sophia shattered. Tears welled in her eyes, her small hands gripped his tightly, and choked sobs wracked her body. "You're awake… you're awake… Do you know… how reckless you are? Do you know… how worried I was? Do you know… how scared I was? Do you know…?"
She spoke and wept simultaneously, hot tears streaming down her face like a torrent, making her voice choked and fragmented. He was awake. He had truly returned to her. At this moment, all the pain and fear seemed to dissipate, leaving only boundless happiness that he was still here, still by her side.
"I'm sorry…" Henry said softly, his voice hoarse but filled with affection. "I made you worry so much…"
Henry gently pulled Sophia into his embrace, his uninjured arm holding her tightly. Sophia continued to sob in his arms, releasing all the burdens and fears that had weighed her down over the past days.
Afterward, Henry was examined by the military doctors. His astonishing rate of recovery surprised the medical staff. It seemed as if a strange power was silently healing the wounds on his body.
After the doctors left, Sophia remained by his bedside, nuzzling her head against Henry's chest like a small cat seeking affection from its owner. The private room was quiet, filled only with Henry's steady breathing and Sophia's soft, occasional sobs.
"Are you hungry?" Sophia looked up, her eyes still wet with tears but shining with gentle concern. "I'll bring you some food. You've been unconscious for three days; you need more energy to recover quickly."
"Hmm," Henry nodded softly. "Just some bread and soup will do."
After the light meal, Sophia helped Henry into the infirmary courtyard to breathe in the fresh air. The gentle morning sunlight warmed Henry's body, dispelling the chill of the days he had lain still.
"That day… how did everyone find me?" Henry asked softly, his gaze drifting towards the rustling green trees.
"The rescue team arrived," Sophia replied gently. "They quickly cleared the landslide at the lake wall and found a small underwater cave on the other side. They searched around that area but couldn't find you, so they guessed you had been swept away by the current, possibly in the surrounding areas. So they divided into a team to swim along the underwater cave and another team to search the nearby areas… and they found you unconscious by a small lake."
"Truly remarkable efficiency…" Henry silently assessed the rescue team's capabilities.
"I'm sorry," Henry took Sophia's hand gently, his voice full of remorse. "This time, it was my fault."
"If you hadn't rushed in to save me, you wouldn't have been attacked by that aquatic beast," Sophia squeezed his hand gently, her eyes filled with sadness. "This is my fault too. Now, nothing else matters to me, as long as you're here with me." She took his hand with both of hers, brought it to her cheek, and gently caressed his warm skin.
Sophia continued, her voice choked with emotion, "That day… I was so scared… I was afraid of finding your body… or signs proving you were gone… I only hoped to find you alive… or not find anything at all… because then I could still hope… that you weren't dead… no matter how far-fetched it was… as long as it wasn't confirmed that you were dead… I would always have hope…"
"Hope…" Henry repeated softly, his eyes tenderly gazing at Sophia. "You're such an idiot. If I had disappeared, how long would you have held onto that hope?"
"Until the day I found your body or had definitive proof you were dead," Sophia's voice was firm, without a trace of hesitation. "Otherwise, I would go out there and look for you. I would keep going until I found you."
"What if you found me… but I was just a vegetable… or some kind of cripple?" Henry asked softly, his heart heavy.
"Then you would still be alive," Sophia replied immediately, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears. "Still by my side. Then I would take care of you every day, until you could move, walk, and function like a normal person… Then I would be your protector. As long as it was you, as long as you were by my side, that's all that matters…"
"How can you be so foolish…" Henry sighed softly, gently stroking Sophia's soft hair. "Sophia… you are a very intelligent girl."
"And that girl… only needs to be by your side," Sophia leaned her head gently on Henry's shoulder, feeling his familiar warmth spread through her body, dispelling the coldness of the days apart. Dawn had broken, bringing light and hope, chasing away the darkness that had enveloped the past days. Henry had returned, and that was all Sophia needed.
Henry had not anticipated that his deepest fears would come true. He had worried about Aerion being attacked; less than three months later, all of Aerion was engulfed in a sea of blood and fire.
He had worried about what would happen to Sophia if he disappeared or something happened to him. And Sophia had kept her word. Later, Henry would truly understand that when he went missing, she was willing to risk everything to search for him everywhere, even if it meant risking her own life. When he lay bedridden for ten years, she dedicated all her love to caring for the person in that hospital bed every day.
Even when she learned of Henry's death, Sophia buried her feelings along with that death. She dedicated her entire life to the church. Then, in her final days, she returned to their shared home and quietly passed away there.