Fate: Abyss of the Heart

Severed Hope

As Artoria lay on the ground, struggling to rise, she coughed violently, blood splattering against the scorched earth beneath her. Each spasm sent fresh waves of agony coursing through her, but she gritted her teeth, determined to stand once more.

"What's wrong, Pendragon?" Vanitas taunted, a cruel smirk stretching across his lips. "Don't tell me that's all you've got. How pathetic!" His laughter echoed around her, chilling her to the bone.

Just then, a radiant light began to emanate from Avalon, her sheath, enveloping her in a warm glow. She felt the soothing energy seep into her wounds, mending the gaping hole in her chest. It was a bittersweet relief; while she was grateful for the healing, it only reminded her of how close she had come to death.

"Lucky you," Vanitas sneered, crossing his arms as he observed her recovery. "If it weren't for that precious sheath, you'd be dead after my first strike, Pendragon." His voice dripped with mockery, a taunt that twisted the knife of her despair further into her heart.

As the healing energy coursed through her, Artoria realized with a chilling clarity that he had purposefully avoided her spirit core. It was a calculated decision meant to prolong her suffering, to torment her further as he relished in her pain. Why? Why was he doing this?

Now fully healed, she stood tall once again, gripping Excalibur tightly. But doubt crept in; the memory of that near-fatal attack echoed in her mind, reminding her of the sheer speed and lethality Vanitas possessed. She needed to be more careful.

Artoria prepared to charge at him once more, steeling herself for the fight ahead. But as she shifted her weight, the world around her seemed to twist unexpectedly. In an instant, she found herself upside down, confusion flooding her senses.

No!

The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning—her head had been severed from her body. Artoria's eyes widened in disbelief as she felt the coldness of the ground beneath her, the last remnants of her vision filled with the bleakness of the wasteland around her.

How? She hadn't even seen him move.

Before she could comprehend her situation, her head tumbled away, crashing against the ground with a sickening thud. The shock of her defeat reverberated in her mind, a cruel twist of fate that left her consciousness fading into darkness.

As the world around her dimmed, the last vestiges of her strength flickered out, and all she could think of was how swiftly everything had unraveled. The one she had fought to save had become her executioner, and now, in this moment of utter despair, the weight of her failure crushed her spirit completely.