Truths in the Shadows

Chapter 6: The Aftermath

"Mira..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her body trembled as she tried to comprehend what had just happened—how it had happened. She was moving and reacting at speeds that no one should have been able to match.

Her legs buckled, and she dropped to her knees. The sound of her body hitting the stone floor was deafening in the silence that followed.

Mira stood behind her, her eyes cold and expressionless, her hand still gripping the handle of the scythe as it protruded from Lyra's back. She yanked the blade free, blood spraying onto the stone floor as Lyra collapsed fully.

Everyone froze, stunned, too shocked to speak or even move. Asha's mind raced, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might tear through her chest. She couldn't process what had just happened, her eyes locked on Lyra's motionless form.

Jarek, still groaning in pain from his injuries, stared wide-eyed, his mouth slightly open in disbelief. Thorn, bloodied and barely conscious, could only watch in horror. Korran, lying on the floor, bleeding but alert, blinked rapidly, his body too broken to move but his mind racing to comprehend.

No one moved. No one spoke.

Lyra coughed weakly, blood trickling from her lips as she looked up at Mira, her glowing eyes dimming with every passing second. "Why?" she croaked, her voice shaking. "Why would you...?"

Mira looked down at her, the coldness in her gaze unrelenting. She knelt beside Lyra, brushing a lock of hair from her face with an eerie tenderness. "Killing the Reaper wasn't your purpose," Mira whispered, her voice soft, almost gentle.

Lyra's body twitched, her breaths becoming shallow and ragged. She tried to speak, but no words came out—only weak, choking sounds as the blood filled her lungs. Her wide eyes fixed on Mira's face, filled with confusion and betrayal.

Mira turned her gaze away from Lyra, looking toward Asha, her expression distant and unreadable. "It wasn't yours either," she said, her voice echoing in the chamber. The words lingered in the air, and though they were directed at Asha, Mira seemed to be speaking more to herself.

Asha's heart sank, a deep sense of dread washing over her. She took a shaky step back, her hands trembling as she tried to wrap her mind around the situation. Mira... the one who had fought alongside them, who had seemed so focused—had betrayed them.

Mira took her scythe, still dripping with Lyra's blood, and walked toward the edge of the chamber. She sat down, her back to the group, staring into the darkness. "This was never about the Reaper," she said quietly, her voice void of emotion. "Some things... are simply bigger."

Asha's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor, her mind spinning. She couldn't process it. Lyra was gone. Mira had betrayed them. The Reaper, though temporarily beaten, was still a threat. Everything felt like it was crashing down around her.

Asha let out a choked sob, pressing her hands against her face. Despair clawed at her chest, the weight of everything bearing down on her all at once. The battle, the losses, Mira's betrayal—it was too much. Too much to handle. Too much to understand.

"Asha..." Korran's voice, weak but firm, cut through her thoughts.

She looked up to see him, still on the ground. His face was bloodied, his body bruised, but his eyes were sharp with resolve. "You have to finish it," he said, his voice strained but urgent.

"I... I can't," Asha whispered, shaking her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I don't have the strength... I—"

"You do," Korran interrupted, his voice more insistent. "That thing... it's still healing. You have to kill it, Asha. For all of us. For Lyra."