"Run."
Noctis's voice cut through the throne room like a blade through silk—quiet, absolute, leaving no room for argument.
Alyssa's head snapped up. "What?"
"Run," Noctis said again, and this time their voice was steel wrapped in darkness. They pulled away from Alyssa's embrace, standing despite the exhaustion that made their legs tremble. Their eyes—those beautiful eyes that had held stars just hours ago—were cold now. Determined. Resolved.
"Noc, no—" Alyssa tried to reach for them, but Noctis stepped back.
"Take them and go," Noctis said, not looking at her. Looking only at the Entity, at Silas's broken body that housed something ancient and terrible. "Get them out of here. Now."
"We don't leave each other," Alyssa said, and her voice cracked. "That's the rule. That's our rule—"
"The rule changes when one of us can buy time for the others to survive." Noctis finally looked at her, and Alyssa saw something in their expression that made her blood turn to ice. Not fear. Not desperation.
Acceptance.
"No," Alyssa whispered. "No, you can't—"
"Isabella," Noctis said, their voice cutting across Alyssa's protest. "Get her out of here. All of them. There has to be another way out of these ruins. Find it."
Isabella's face was pale, her shadows flickering uncertainly. "Noctis—"
"Now."
The command in Noctis's voice was absolute. Divine. Like night itself had spoken and would not be denied.
Caleb moved first, his young face twisted with anguish but understanding what Noctis was doing. What they were choosing to do. He grabbed Lani's hand, pulling the eight-year-old toward the far end of the throne room where another passage led deeper into the ruins.
"No!" Lani struggled against his grip, tears streaming down her face. "We can't leave them! We can't—"
"We have to," Caleb said, and his voice broke. "We have to."
Isabella's hands closed around Alyssa's shoulders, trying to pull her up, trying to drag her away from Noctis. But Alyssa fought—fought with everything she had left, her broken foot screaming in agony, her shadows lashing out wildly.
"I won't leave you," Alyssa said, and she was crying now, tears hot against her cheeks. "I won't—"
Noctis looked at her one last time, and their expression softened. Just for a moment. Just long enough for Alyssa to see the love there—the absolute, unwavering love that transcended prophecy and destiny and everything else.
"I know," Noctis said softly. "But you have to anyway."
The Entity laughed, watching this display with something like amusement. "How touching. The child of Night, making a heroic sacrifice. Do you really think it will matter?"
"It will buy them time," Noctis said, turning back to face the Entity. "That's all that matters."
Isabella finally succeeded in pulling Alyssa to her feet, dragging her backward even as Alyssa reached for Noctis with desperate, grasping hands. The bond between them stretched taut, singing with pain and love and terrible, terrible fear.
"I love you," Alyssa choked out. "I love you, I love you—"
"I know," Noctis said again. "I love you too. Now go."
Isabella pulled harder, and Caleb was there too, helping to drag Alyssa away. Lani ran ahead, her small body shaking with sobs. They moved toward the passage, toward escape, toward survival.
