Chapter Text
Thursday, November 12th, 1319
“ Recordari Per Aetatem .”
Callum had uttered those words only minutes before, his very last of many ‘last resorts’. The quasar diamond crumbled in his hand, but that didn’t matter anymore. The spell did nothing. The air had glowed, humming with some sort of energy, before returning to how it was just before. It should have done something! He had researched as much as he could before it all went to hell. From Callum's understanding it should have put his mind into a 'different place'. Even if it was just for some time to think, that would have helped. How effective that had been.
Callum stared up at the ‘Knight of Aaravos’ that stood before him. It gave him no recognition before hoisting up the glowing sword in its hands.
It was over in half a second.
He could feel it.
Everything he had ever lived for, everything he had learned and experienced, would be gone.
But worst of all, everyone he had fought to protect wouldn’t have him there. He wouldn’t be able to save anyone.
Callum slumped onto a boulder, no longer having the strength to move, and looked down at the ever-spreading red stain on the front of his clothes. He tasted the blood in his mouth, and smelled something burnt. He felt his insides boiling, but he didn’t have the strength to scream. He couldn’t even gasp, only breathe.
He looked up, and the rusted metal Knight that had stabbed him turned without a word. He didn’t know if it even could speak, being one of Aaravos’ mindless puppets and all.
He thought it would work, he really did. He didn’t expect the Nova blade to be one of many, used by these monsters, useless in the fight against the horrid non-living beasts.
Aaravos was freed before they even got their hands on their Nova blade. Freed by Claudia . That was only the start of this never-ending battle. Months straight of fighting and hiding. So many people, lost or killed. Soren, Terry, Zubeia, and anyone else he had lost contact with weeks ago.
He had a feeling Ezran was still alive, but he just didn’t know. He didn’t know anything.
Aaravos was turning out to be far worse than he ever imagined. He sent out his Knights by the thousands, all wielding Nova blades and immune to all but the strongest spells, or a Nova blade itself.
But worst of all, Aaravos held power that Callum had never experienced nor expected. He obliterated what remained of Katolis and went on a rampage, destroying the Breach and practically half of Xadia.
Fortunately, he and Rayla had managed to remain together for the most part, only separated when she brought Runaan back to the Silvergrove. However, they had been separated hours ago by the Knights, and he prayed to whoever was listening that she was okay.
After a couple minutes Callum could tell something was approaching, but he knew he didn’t have the strength to fight it off.
“Callum? Oh my- Callum!” Rayla. She was still alive. She didn’t have Stella with her either, he noticed.
She was bleeding from her cheek, and was covered in scrapes and bruises. Her hair was partly matted, a consequence of being on the run with little time to spare for themselves. Most of her right horn was gone, but clearly not because of a Knight, seeing as she was still alive. Despite it all, she was still so beautiful. Callum couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her.
“Rayla…” He looked at her weakly. “It isn’t safe. Please, you have to-”
“No Callum! I-I can’t leave you like this. Y-you really… Just, just please! I can’t lose you like this!” She was crying, he realized. It was getting hard to see in the dark. Wait, was it dark? No, it was supposed to be the middle of the day.
He was getting paler by the second. “Rayla, I’m sorry. There’s no use, you know that. I’m… It’s over for me. I can’t…”
“No Callum! I won’t let you die! Use a s-spell or something! It-it’s still fresh!” She frantically tried covering the wound, anything to keep him alive.
Callum used his left arm to touch her face. He had lost the other one several weeks ago, fortunately not to one of the Knights. Not that it mattered anymore. “Rayla… it’s too late for me. You know how it works. When something gets hit by a Nova blade, it-” he coughed horribly, “it loses its magic. I can’t do anything about this.”
Rayla wasn’t having it, despite the blood continuing to flow out of him. “I won’t accept this! I need you! E-Ez needs you! We need you to live! Please!”
“Rayla… I-I can’t move, I can barely speak. It’s over.” He was so tired, he couldn’t even feel the pain anymore. Everything just seemed so trivial. Why was she so concerned about this? He just wanted to close his eyes and…
“NO! Callum please! You have to stay! Please!”
Why was she crying? Callum didn’t like it when she cried. She held him tighter. “Rayla… don’t cry. I don’t like w-when you cry.”
“Callum, please…”
“What’s wrong? Did something happen to y-you?” Callum tried looking around, but he was getting weaker by the second.
Her eyes widened and she started shaking her head wildly. “Callum… you…” His head slumped, and he noticed the hole in his chest. Oh. Oh. He was dying. Really dying. And there was nothing he could do about it.
He pulled her face to his and kissed her on the lips, passionately and deeply. Her lips tasted salty from tears, and he felt her quivering. She was not doing okay, and likely won’t be for a while. But she was alive, and that’s what mattered.
“Rayla, go. Go to Ezran. Keep him safe, a-and hide. I can’t do anything now. But you still can!” He looked at her with everything he had, before he felt his strength collapsing.
She was saying something, but he couldn’t hear her anymore. His vision clouded, and everything became truly numb. He let go of her face, but she held his hand up with both of hers. He closed his eyes and whispered, “I love you.”
It felt like his head was swirling, spinning around in a strangely calm sensation. Then, as if he fell asleep, everything went away, and it became truly dark.