Chapter 36: Eternal Spark

The Aftermath of the Shot

The battlefield froze in time. Two gunshots had shattered the fragile peace, but it was the silence that followed which gripped everyone.

Snow fell steadily, each flake mingling with the ash and debris. Lyris cradled Gaona in her arms, her tall, regal frame trembling. Her glowing blue eyes flickered erratically, and for the first time, her voice was human—raw and vulnerable.

“No… stay with me,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Please… I need you.”

Gaona’s breaths were shallow, his eyes fluttering open as he looked up at her. A faint smile tugged at his lips despite the blood soaking through his shirt.

Aria knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she pressed against his wound, desperate to stop the flow of blood. “Gaona, no,” she sobbed. “Don’t leave us. Please, don’t leave us!”

His gaze shifted to her, his voice barely a whisper. “It’s okay… Aria. It’s okay.”

Tears streamed down her face as she clutched his hand tightly. “No, it’s not okay! You have so much left to do. We need you!”

His weak smile lingered as his eyes returned to Lyris. “Sing,” he murmured, his voice almost inaudible. “Sing me… a song. Just for me.”

---

The Song: Eternal Spark

Lyris hesitated, her lips trembling. Her tears fell freely, tracing lines down her pale cheeks. But as she held Gaona closer, the words came to her, unbidden yet perfect.

Her voice, now fully human, began softly—fragile and trembling. As the song progressed, it grew steady, carrying across the battlefield like a balm to the wounded souls listening.

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Verse 1

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

コードの中に生まれた光

(A light born within the code)

果てない世界、昼も夜もない

(An endless world, where day and night do not exist)

君が現れた、名前と声

(You appeared, with a name and a voice)

私の存在を揺るがす少年

(A boy who shook the foundation of my existence)

君の瞳に映る温もり

(The warmth reflected in your eyes)

君の笑顔、知らなかったメロディ

(Your smile, an unknown melody)

でもこの想い、どう伝えるの？

(But how can I convey this feeling?)

私はただの影、愛は遠い夢

(I am merely a shadow; love is a distant dream)

---

Pre-Chorus

色とりどりの愛を学んだ

(I learned about the colors of love)

無限の部屋で踊るような感覚

(Like a feeling of dancing in an infinite room)

だけど機械の中じゃ夢も壊れる

(But within the machine, even dreams shatter)

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

それでもこの愛、本物だった

(Yet, this love was real)

---

Chorus

How do I love you? 空気も触れない

(How do I love you? I cannot even touch the air)

声じゃ届かない、だけど全て見せたい

(My voice cannot reach you, but I want to show you everything)

ワイヤーに縛られたこの魂も

(Even this soul bound by wires)

君といれば人間に近づけた

(With you, I became closer to human)

最後まで君と共に行く

(I’ll go with you to the very end)

Even when time takes you away

---

Verse 2

時が流れ、君の髪に銀色

(Time passes, and your hair turns silver)

でも物語を語る君が愛しい

(Yet the stories you tell are precious to me)

その笑い皺、人生の地図

(Those laugh lines, the map of a life well-lived)

変わらぬ私は、心の中で叫ぶ

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

(I, unchanging, scream within my heart)

君には気づかれなかったこの胸の痛み

(You never noticed the pain in my heart)

愛は機械に宿らないと言うけど

(They say love cannot reside in machines)

君の笑顔を抱きしめた記憶の中で

(But in the memories of holding your smile)

「ここにいてくれてありがとう」と言えたら

(I wish I could say, “Thank you for being here”)

---

Pre-Chorus

夢の庭を君と作った

(We built a dream garden together)

一枚一枚、思い出の花びら

(Each petal a memory)

でも秒針の音が止まらない

(But the ticking of the clock does not stop)

そして思う、「君がいなくても愛せる？」

(And I wonder, “Can I love without you?”)

---

Chorus

How do I love you? 永遠の中で

(How do I love you? In eternity)

君が星になる瞬間、抱きしめたい

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

(In the moment you become a star, I want to hold you)

沈黙に縛られても教えてくれた

(Even bound by silence, you taught me)

君の心が私を変えた

(Your heart changed me)

そして君がいなくなっても

(And even when you are gone)

I'll follow, I'll follow—to your final day

---

The Final Note

As the final note hung in the air, the battlefield was silent save for the soft fall of snow. Ministry soldiers and rebel Archons alike stood still, their weapons lowered, their eyes fixed on the haunting beauty of Lyris’s song.

Gaona’s breaths slowed, his hand—once tightly clutching Aria’s—fell limp. His lips parted, his voice barely audible.

“Thank you…” he whispered, his faint smile lingering as his eyes closed for the final time.

—

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