(On Hiatus For Revision) Before "Genesis": Honkai Impact 3rd

(Azure Waters Finale) Chapter 6: Our Final Promise

The room was quite and dark, the only sounds being of the heavy rain from outside and the occasional crash of lightning and booms of thunder. Ryu and Bronya were seated on the floor, pressed against the door. Bronya was seated directly in front of him, a bit closer than usual. They both clasped onto something tightly in their hands which was the headpiece that was left behind by Seele. They both clutched onto it tightly, staying within each other's arms to help comfort each other.

Neither had said anything to each other, but there really wasn't any need to. Just the deathly silence spoke enough. Bronya, who head was still buried into Ryu's chest, slowly looked up at him, seeing the shadow over his now dull golden eyes. Slowly, his eyes glanced down to her, watching as she had slowly sat up on her knees so they were completely leveled. Once again, no words was exchanged between them. Bronya's hands trailed upwards and lightly cupped Ryu's cheeks before the closed their eyes and just leaned their foreheads against each other. It was another act of comfort, but had a deeper meaning as well.

The somber silence however was interrupted from the sound of the doorknob turning, but Ryu applied pressure to the door, keeping it shut. Both had already figured out who was on the other side of it... It definitely wasn't Seele... much to their disappointment.. but rather it was...

Ryu: "Matushka..."

Bronya: "...Matushka... Seele's gone missing again..." The blonde woman on the other side of the door could hear just the tones of depression and hopelessness in their voice, which pained her heart. She bit her lip before answering.

Cocolia: "Ryu? Bronya? Good. I need to tell you both about the X-10 Test-"

Ryu: "Seele took it in my place... didn't she...?" Cocolia slightly clenched her fists before relaxing.

Cocolia: "Listen, we tried breaching the Sub-Atomic barrier. And then she's gone. Her physical integrity collapsed in an instant. We could not find her. We failed." At this point, Bronya yelled out.

Bronya: "NYET! Seele's still alive! I know it... WE know she's alive!"

Cocolia: "Even if Seele's alive, she would be in a Quantum State. It is far beyond our reach. We must accept this... we won't see her again." There was a brief silence, with the young girl lowering her head. Then, Ryu opened his mouth...

Ryu: "It's all my fault..." Bronya looked back at him.

Bronya: "Nyet, Ryu! Don't say-"

Ryu: "She took the test in my place... and now she's gone because of that... It's all my fault..."

He muttered as in his mind flashed two specific memories. The first one was of a pink-haired young woman with fox ears on the top of her head. She was lying against a wall, a blade lying next to her. Her eyes were closed and a sad smile was on her face, with multiple wounds filled with blood all over her body. The next was also of a pink-haired woman, however, she had no form of animal ears. Rather she had elf ears and was lying down on someone's lap, a happy smile on her face as she was covered in blood and with icicles embedded in her with a broken bow next to her. But the most noticeable thing was that next to her was large sword with blood staining its blade and a large wound where the blood seeped out of.

Ryu: "She's gone because of me... Seele's gone because of me.. What kind of.. monster am I...?

Bronya: "Stop talking like that!!" She immediately latched to him, burying her head into the crook of his neck. "Stop... It's not your fault Ryu... It's not.. You couldn't predict that this would happen.. none of us could have... Seele... she doesn't want to see you like this, especially when we see her again... so please..."

She looked directly into his eyes, with a bit of desperation. She just couldn't bear to hear someone she cared so deeply about blame themselves. She was angry that about Seele too, but the last thing she wanted was to hear him try to take all responsibility for it.