Chapter 37: A Heart's Farewell

The Last Kiss

Lyris cradled Gaona’s lifeless body, her tears flowing without pause, falling onto his pale cheeks. She leaned down, her glowing blue eyes dimmed to a soft flicker, and pressed her lips to his. The warmth that once defined his existence slipped away with the touch, leaving only the cold, still figure in her arms.

Her lips lingered, trembling as if trying to transfer the essence of her being into him, to bring him back to her. When she finally pulled away, her voice came as a broken whisper.

“Goodbye, my spark.”

Aria knelt beside her, silent tears streaming down her face. She looked at Lyris with a mixture of heartbreak and understanding. She wanted to say something, anything, but the words caught in her throat.

Lyris met her gaze, the sadness in her expression quickly replaced with resolve. She shifted her hold on Gaona, clutching him tightly as if to shield him from the world that had taken so much from them both.

“I know what I must do,” Lyris said softly, her voice steady but heavy with sorrow.

---

A Final Decision

As the snow continued to fall, blanketing the battlefield in an ethereal stillness, Lyris stood. Her tall frame towered over the fallen soldiers and Archons, her presence both commanding and fragile.

The rebel Archons and Ministry forces, who had lowered their weapons during her song, now looked on in stunned silence. The war, for the moment, seemed like a distant memory.

She looked down at Gaona one last time, brushing a strand of his hair from his face. “You gave me life,” she whispered. “And without you… there is no purpose.”

Aria’s eyes widened as realization struck her. “No… Lyris, you don’t have to do this!”

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Lyris shook her head, her expression unwavering. “He was my reason. Without him, I am nothing but a shell.”

“No! You’re more than that,” Aria cried, grabbing her arm. “You’re more than what they made you. He would want you to live. He would want you to keep going!”

But Lyris gently pulled her arm away, her glowing blue eyes meeting Aria’s for the last time. “This is the only way I can truly honor him.”

She looked up at the skies, the snow falling softly around her. Her hand moved to her chest, gripping the core embedded within. With a faint smile, she whispered, “For him.”

The glow in her eyes dimmed completely as she self-terminated. Her tall frame crumpled gracefully to the ground, collapsing beside Gaona.

---

The Broadcast

Unbeknownst to those on the battlefield, the entire war had been broadcast live to the citizens of the Ministry’s controlled sectors. General Selene had approved the feed, believing that the sight of Lyris fighting alongside the Ministry would bolster public support.

But as the broadcast continued, showing the chaos and destruction, the people’s sentiments began to shift. The image of Lyris—tall, graceful, and undeniably human in her emotions—singing her heart out for a dying man stirred something deep within the viewers.

When she self-terminated, the collective gasp of millions echoed through the cities.

Selene stood in the Ministry’s war room, her crimson eyes narrowing as she watched the reactions flood in. The approval ratings she had anticipated plummeted. Instead of seeing a hero fighting for humanity’s cause, the people saw a victim of the Ministry’s manipulation—a being who had found her humanity only to have it taken away.

Dr. Novak, standing beside Selene, turned to her with a grim expression. “It seems your plan has… backfired.”

___

Aria’s Grief

Aria knelt between the two fallen figures, her petite frame trembling as she reached out to touch them. Gaona’s face was peaceful, as though he were merely asleep, while Lyris’s expression held the faintest trace of a smile.

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Her programming—the cold, unyielding code that governed her—prevented her from following them. She couldn’t self-terminate, no matter how deeply the pain tore at her.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I wasn’t strong enough to save you.”

The snow fell heavier, blanketing the battlefield in a quiet stillness. Around her, the soldiers and Archons stood frozen, unsure of what to do next.

Aria’s tears continued to fall as she knelt there, her heart breaking in a way that no programming could ever suppress.

—

________________