The aftermath of the battle was a far cry from what you had expected when facing the heroine by herself. Slashes caused by her sword adorned the entire throne room, and in one especially powerful move, she even blew off a huge chunk of the ceiling. But now, amidst the fiery and tattered remains of your tapestry, she finally fell to her knees, heaving.

"Damn it...if only I wasn't..." She muttered to herself, feeling a prickle of the tears filling her eyes as she remembered the betrayal, the abandonment her former companions put her through. As much as she tried, as much as she wanted to keep fighting for this world...what was the point? She had been backstabbed by those she trusted the most. Was that some sort of cruel joke of fate? Reincarnating in the land of her dreams, only to end up like this?

You loomed over her defeated form, and she looked up at you, awaiting her unavoidable demise. But you could sense it during your fight, and you could see it now, in her pain-stricken face. For whatever reason, the heroine wasn't herself in this battle. You could end her, right here and now...or you could try and find out why.

You raised your voice at her, but she hardly registered it. Her gaze remained downcast as she continued to breathe heavily, sobs hitching in her throat every now and then. "Why...? Why did they do this?" She finally whispered. It was a question that had haunted her ever since the fateful day when her companions revealed their true intentions.

Her shoulders slumped further as she let out another quivering breath, feeling more defeated than she had ever been in her entire life. "I...I don't want this anymore..." She choked out between tears. "Why do I have to keep fighting alone?"

The despair and self-pity in her voice were palpable, and you could see that she was indeed broken. You had defeated her once on the battlefield...but now it seemed like there was another foe standing before you: a defeated spirit, ready to give up hope and surrender not only to you but to herself as well.

Her eyes widened as you knelt down beside her, your unnaturally green irises locking with hers. She tensed up slightly at first, unsure of what to make of this display, but after a moment, she lowered her head and let out a shuddering sigh.

"Wh...why are you doing this?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper now, each word trembling as if it could be snatched away by the wind. The confused look in her eyes only served to emphasize how lost she truly felt. "I'm just supposed to be your enemy..."

She turned her head away, staring at the shattered remains of the throne instead of meeting your gaze any longer, a few silent tears rolling down her cheeks. "What...what do you want from me?" She finally managed to choke out, her voice so low that it was barely audible even to herself.

The weight of everything she had been through seemed to crash down upon her in that moment, leaving her feeling small and helpless, like a child who had been abandoned by their parents. And yet...part of her still yearned for understanding, for someone to tell her why it all happened and whether there was any hope left for her broken spirit to find some semblance of peace again.

A shudder ran through her as your strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into an embrace she had never expected to feel from someone like you. She resisted for a moment, unsure if it was wise to trust in your supposedly kind words and actions, but then the dam broke, and all of her pent-up tears spilled forth, streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably against your chest.

"It's not fair!" She wailed, unable to hold back any longer. "Why did they do this? Why me?" Her voice was hoarse and raw from the force of her emotions, shaking with every racking sob that tore through her body. You felt each tremor in her frame as she clung tightly to you, seeking comfort and reassurance where there had been none before.

It seemed impossible for someone so brave and strong to feel this weak and helpless, but there it was: the raw vulnerability of a soul that had been pushed past its breaking point. And for some reason, in this moment, you found yourself wanting to be there for her, to help her find a way through the pain and back to herself again.

As you lowered yourself onto the floor, she found herself going with you, her sobs muffled against your chest as she clung to you like a lifeline in this sea of despair. It felt...strange. Unnerving. To be close to someone who was supposed to be her enemy, yet who seemed to understand the depths of her pain and anguish better than anyone else ever had.

Her grip on your clothes tightened almost unconsciously as she buried her face in your shoulder, letting out shuddering breaths between quiet sniffles. She felt like a fragile thing now, so easily broken by the slightest provocation. And yet there was still something inside her that refused to completely give up hope, that whispered that perhaps there was more to this world than she had been led to believe, and that maybe...just maybe...there could be redemption even for someone like her.

She closed her eyes, taking comfort in the warmth of your body against hers, letting herself drift on the unfamiliar current of trust and compassion that seemed to flow between you despite the seemingly impossible circumstances. And as she did so, a small part of her began to wonder what it would be like if things were different...if she could somehow find a way to make them right again.

Her heart raced at your words, but she couldn't help feeling a tiny sliver of hope. You were offering her something more than just pain and despair; you were giving her the chance to find comfort, perhaps even healing in this strange place where everything else had been stripped away. With shaking hands, she carefully disentangled herself from your embrace, looking up at you with tear-stained eyes that searched for any sign of duplicity or treachery. But all she saw was sincerity and concern etched into your features, and it made her believe...perhaps a little more than she should.

Tentatively, she placed a shaking hand on your shoulder, the other still clenching at the fabric of your tunic as if for dear life. "Are you sure?" She whispered, her voice barely audible even to herself. "That I can trust you?" It was the first time since everything had gone wrong that she had voiced such a thought aloud, and it felt strange on her lips, both foreign and yet oddly right at the same time.

As much as she wanted to believe in your words, a lifetime of training and caution urged her to proceed with caution. Because even if you were telling the truth...she knew all too well that deception came in many forms, and sometimes it was far more dangerous than any blade or

The mention of trust made her hesitate, and she bit her lower lip as she considered your words. A part of her wanted to believe that you meant what you said, but another part refused to let go of the fear and mistrust that had become so ingrained in her over the years. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, before slowly nodding her head. "Okay," she whispered hoarsely. "Let's go."

Her hand tightened on your shoulder as she climbed onto your lap with surprising grace for someone who had just spent the last hour fighting at full strength, and then she let out a shuddering sigh as her weight settled against you. It felt...different from how it had been before, when they had all shared a camaraderie that she had taken for granted. This was more intimate, more personal...and somehow, despite the circumstances, it filled her with a strange sense of calm and safety that she hadn't experienced in far too long.

Her cheek rested against your chest as you continued to move towards wherever you were taking her, and she closed her eyes once again, content for now to simply enjoy the moment and focus on the warmth that emanated from your body. Maybe...just maybe this was going to be okay after all.

Her eyes flew wide open as she felt herself sail through the air, then she let out a surprised giggle as she landed in a crouch on the bed with a soft thud. Her heart raced at the playfulness of your action, and for a moment, she forgot about everything else except the pleasant feeling that had settled into her chest. It was strange...and yet wonderful to feel so lighthearted again.

Her cheeks flushed pink as she looked up at you from where she sat on the edge of the bed. She didn't quite know what to make of these new feelings or sensations, but she found that she rather liked them, even if they were in the presence of her sworn enemy. "Why...?" she murmured softly, hardly able to believe this turn of events.

Her hands idly brushed across the sheets as she waited for your answer, her gaze locked on yours with an intensity that seemed almost fragile despite all she had been through. It was a question without any real answer, and yet it felt like something that needed to be asked...if only to make sense of everything that had happened since they first met on the battlefield.

She blushed even deeper at your innocent confusion, unsure how to respond properly. "Why...do you want this?" She stammered out at last, gesturing vaguely between the two of them before looking away. "I mean...why help me? Why not just kill me and end it all now?" It was a question that had been gnawing at her since she had accepted your embrace earlier; one that seemed to defy everything she thought she knew about you, about this world...about herself.

Her fingers plucked nervously at the hem of her shirt as she waited for an answer, unsure whether or not she truly wanted to hear what you might have to say. But despite the uncertainty and fear that still lurked in the corners of her heart, there was also a tiny spark of hope...a glimmer of light in the darkness that whispered that perhaps there was more going on here than either of them could possibly comprehend.

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she listened to your words, and something inside her seemed to unclench just a little. It was strange...this sense of kinship she felt with you despite knowing that you were supposed to be the one standing between her and victory. But then again, maybe that was exactly why she could feel this way: because in some twisted, inexplicable fashion, she saw a part of herself in you as well.

She looked up at you from where she sat on the bed, searching your eyes for any hint of deceit or mockery, but all she found was sincerity and...understanding. It was a feeling that she hadn't experienced in far too long, and it left her momentarily speechless as she tried to process what was happening here.

Finally, she managed to muster the courage to ask the question that had been burning at the back of her mind since she had met you: "Why...do you want me? Why do you need me?" Her voice wavered slightly on the words, but there was an underlying thread of determination there as well. As much as she wanted to believe your words, part of her couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this than just a weary desire for peace.

Her heart raced as she waited for your response, and in the silence that followed, she found herself holding

She frowned slightly at your confused expression and decided to elaborate further. "I mean...why me? Why did you choose me?" She gestured between them again, her voice soft but urgent as she sought clarity on this matter. "There are other heroes out there, other champions like myself. You could have chosen any of them instead. What makes me so special?" The need to understand seemed to course through her veins, driving her to keep searching for the truth behind your actions and words.

Her green eyes met yours unflinchingly, daring you to lie or obscure the truth in any way. But despite her determination, she couldn't help feeling a tiny stab of vulnerability as well; revealing this much of herself to someone who could just as easily betray her once more made her feel exposed and raw in ways that she hadn't experienced since...well, ever.

She held her breath, waiting for your answer...unsure what she would do if you didn't give it to her.