Bela got closer and closer to Miranda.
And while she was running, she could clearly feel all kinds of pain litter her body.
She doesn't know why everything hurts now, but she knows she doesn't need to think about that when her chance at getting free is right in front of her.
Her current goal is to kill the woman she is so close to already.
She gritted her teeth as a mold root almost made her trip. It's a bad time to fall now.
She glances at the dagger with the Dimitrescu crest on it.
She knows the dagger won't do much, mostly because of her healing abilities, but it's her best bet to atleast damage the woman.
She grits her teeth as she saw a wing from Miranda covering her side of the attack.
She glanced at Ethan and saw he was still shooting. He seemed tired already, but he knows just as well as Bela that Rosemary is the priority.
She knows he's trying his best, and that's just another reason to fuel her desire for beating the woman who started it all.
She gulped one last time before finally plunging the dagger deep into the woman's abdomen.
Bela closed her eyes when she did it but she can just feel the lower body of Miranda tense when the dagger went through her.
Bela didn't let go of the dagger, even when Ethan's bullets finally went through her wings.
Bela looked up and saw that Miranda's eyes were both now filled with black, both streaming down and inside. She was screaming in agony.
She would heal, she knew that well, but it doesn't mean that she won't feel the pain.
Miranda, out of impulse and the pain, made her wings stretch, allowing Ethan to shoot her directly from where he stayed.
"You!"
Miranda shouted, voice cracking and inhuman as she lifted her hand, directing it at Bela.
And then suddenly, Bela flew back meters away from Miranda.
Her hand almost slipped from the dagger, but luckily her grip was tight enough that the dagger didn't stray from her hand or slipped from her when she was thrown across the open space.
When Bela hit the ground, once again, she was surprised none of her bones broke, especially now that she basically can't transform back into her flies.
She tightly closed her eyes but opened it minutes after she was thrown and saw Miranda, still screaming, with black liquid for blood spurting from where the dagger was implanted earlier.
Ethan kept on shooting until he threw the rifle and got the pistol he threw earlier and instead shot it at Miranda.
Bela tried standing up again and while she tried, she saw Miranda's wings flex and its feathers started falling off.
Her color was changing and her body was cracking.
The mold started infesting everywhere, and it was also starting to create a dome-like structure with its massive roots.
Bela while watching Miranda also felt something crack within her, but she ignores it as she stands up carefully.
"My... Eva...!"
Miranda shouted lastly as Bela saw the sun peeking out from the former darkness of the night.
Miranda's body started to discolour and crack more and more like Bela did three years ago and finally, her screams died down and she turned into nothing else but ashes.
Inside of her ashes, Bela saw a small figure form on a small pile of mold roots.
Bela watched as Ethan approached the roots and immediately ran to it as soon as he saw what was laying there.
Bela also approached him as he cradled what he took from the roots.
-----
"Ethan! " Bela shouted to him as she ran.
Ethan shushed her as she finally saw what he was cradling.
"Rosemary?" she asked as she saw the blonde baby raise both its arm towards her and babble incoherent things with a small, toothy grin on its puffy pink cheeks.
Ethan felt himself smile as his baby girl was already happy just at the sight of the other blonde.
The mold roots holding the baby earlier crumbled and turned to dust.
Ethan was celebrating his hold and vistory over Rosemary for a bit more.
Bela smiled, "She seems really-" she paused. Rosemary suddenly started fussing uncomfortably.
He raised a brow in confusion as to why she stopped talking suddenly as he turned around to face her, "Bela? Why did you-"
Bela fell to her knees.
Ethan saw it in slow-motion.
He ran almost immediately to Bela as he also kneeled beside her. He nudged her shoulder as he saw her hands turn gray and ash-like.
His mouth hung open for awhile as he thought about what to do before using his free hand to nudge Bela awake, if she ever suddenly blacked out.
He looked down to see her eyes and saw that they were empty, like she was awake but asleep at the same time.
He slapped her back and she flinched. It was a sign that she was finally back to the present.
He changed Rosemary's position in his arms, putting his baby on his left arm as he tried to make Bela stand up with the other.
"Come on, Bela, we're free. We did it. We killed Miranda. Now get up, don't be like that with me." Ethan said, his voice serious, trying to make Bela stand.
"...Ethan... We... Did it..." Ethan perked up as Bela spoke, voice rusty.
"Yeah, it's over. We won. And it's all thanks to you." Ethan said back with truth in his voice as he heard the mold roots break and snap loudly.
"The... Mold..." Bela coughed dryly at that
He turned to the source and saw the megamycete stand and tower over all the mold accumulated by Miranda up until now.
"...come on, Bela, we have to go. We'll meet with Chris soon. Come on!" Ethan shouted as Bela finally stood up with his help.
Ethan draped one of her arms over his shoulder and he put his hand on her back, just to steady her walking. She didn't seem to mind his movements.
Ethan found it hard to support another while his baby was on his other arm, but he knows he can do it from all the things he's went through.
The megamycete only grew in size as they were finally on the bridge, away from the Ritual sight and half of the forest.
"We can do this, Bela. Just a few more steps."
"Take care... Of my family..."
Bela coughed air as she said that. Ethan doesn't acknowledge her words. He knows that those words mean she would never meet them again.
"Don't say that. You'll meet them soon."
She doesn't answer.
The megamycete started to grow black, slimy mold and put it all around the place, even almost near the bridge. It was only a matter of time before the substance reached even Chris' aircraft.
Ethan huffed as he felt Bela start to fall out of his hold. "Bela, calm down. Everyone's waiting for us!"
Bela didn't answer. She did not speak.
"Just... walk a little longer, Bela. We can make it. Just keep on walking..." Ethan trailed off as he heard Chris' voice in the distance.
"Ethan!"
Ethan craned his neck around to face the man now running towards them.
Chris panted, "I tried looking for you back there," he said, pointing to where they had killed Miranda as he finally saw Bela.
He straightened his back as Ethan had a relieved look on his face.
Chris then pointed to what he was holding, "Look, this thing can blow the village sky-high. We just have to go back to the aircraft. The 'lords' are to be evacuated."
Chris saw that Ethan was holding Bela straight.
"Bela? Miranda did a level on you, didn't she..." Chris sighed.
He patted Ethan's shoulder in reassurance as he nodded, signalling that it was his turn to carry the injured.
Rosemary kept on babbling but there was a sad tone to her squeaks. None of the adults paid the child any mind.
But right as Ethan was about to hand Bela over, the blonde pushed off Ethan's arm and slipped the detonator from Chris' hand to hers.
Ethan stumbled back from the push but Chris was fast enough to grab him from the back.
Bela watched as Ethan and Chris' eyes widened.
"Bela... What are you-" Chris was cut off.
"I'm sorry."
Ethan saw Bela's hand fall from her right sleeve. As it hit the ground, it shattered and turned to dust.
He saw her other hand grip the detonator hard, her remaining hand.
She looked up at the duo and the baby one last time as she smiled, sad and soft.
"Hey... Hey, hey-" Ethan tried to bring Bela back but the black mold went into their way. The mold, as if on cue, barricaded Bela and the both of them from going on each other's sides.
From the visible cracks of the black goo, Ethan could see the smile falter to regret.
"I'm sorry." her voice cracked.
Ethan was held by Chris as he tried to force his way to Bela.
"No, no! Don't do this, Bela!" Ethan shouted as he kept on trying to budge his way out of Chris' iron grip.
"We can-we can still leave! Come on! You can still live! You can see Rosemary grow up!"
Ethan was persistent. But Bela didn't answer his pleas. She knew better than to indulge in something she definitely knew she would get to experience.
Chris held him back, his posture screaming sadness at his comrade's inevitable demise, but he knew better, compared to the man he was trying to hold back.
"Ethan, no." Chris said firmly, a sad tinge in his voice as the megamycete only grew.
Ethan was about to shout something again before he saw a fly buzz straight towards him with a red pendant.
Bela's pendant.
The fly cracked and was turning to dust itself, but not before handing the pendant to Ethan.
"I'm sorry. That's all... I can give." Bela said, voice sad from the other side.
Ethan finally stopped struggling and Chris let go of him.
The blonde man stared at the pendant, tears forming in his eyes.
Bela's voice got farther and farther away. "Tell my family I love them."
Rosemary started to cry.
"Goodbye, Rosemary."
Ethan felt his tears slide down his face, hitting the palm of the hand he held the pendant with.
His comrade, the one who helped him pice his daughter together, the one who joined him in his journey in Louisiana. Today, is gone.
Ethan sniffed as Chris swore as they both saw the mold come closer and pulled him by the arm out of there.
...Ethan freely cried as he cradled both Rose and the pendant with great gentleness. Chris felt like he failed to save a friend, but he knew Bela wouldn't have wanted that.
Chris steeled himself as they both finally made it to the aircraft.
Mia gladly took the baby from Ethan's arms and nuzzled it.
Ethan hugged Mia for awhile as they entered, glad that they were finally there.
The aircraft's doors were starting to close, and Mia felt something was missing.
-----
"Chris, where is Bela?" Mia asked, concern thick in her voice.
Chris didn't answer her. Ethan stayed silent, his tears now dried up on his cheeks.
Mia turned to Ethan, "Ethan?"
Her husband also didn't answer her. Her grip on Rosemsry tightened.
"I know she wouldn't just abandon us, abandon her family. Chris, where is she?" Mia pressed.
"Sit down and strap in." Chris avoided her question as he readied the aircraft's controls to fly farther.
Mia was about to say something before the whole aircraft shook.
Ethan stayed unfazed but Mia quickly ran to the window.
She looked out and saw the whole village wiped out with a massive explosion, a mushroom cloud now forming on top of it.
She gritted her teeth as she turned to Chris, "Chris... What have you done-"
Chris slammed his fist hard on the wall beside him.
"She's gone." he said, voice close to cracking. Mia stayed speechless as she also turned to Ethan.
"I tried..." Ethan sniffled as he used his sleeve to wipe his eyes of new tears.
"She stayed so we could all escape." Chris continued as he maneuvered the aircraft farther from the land.
Mia stayed quiet for a few moments before finally sitting down on one of the side chairs.
Her breath turned shaky and her own tears fell on Rosemary's small shirt.
The baby made grabby hands towards her with a smile, replicating Bela so well with that expert grin.
Mia made no attempts to hide her frustration. And sadness.
Bela made everything possible. Bela deserved to live.
But it's all over now, isn't it?
Mia cried some more as Chris and his soldier spoke about the bioweapons the BSAA Europe division sent to them in the aircraft.
Ethan sat next to her. She didn't notice him move from his spot.
He took out something from his pocket and showed it to Mia wordlessly.
The pendant.
"We still have a lot to explain to her family." he said as he didn't look up to meet her gaze, only staring at Rosemary.
"Yeah." Mia replied after awhile as they both sat there in silence.
Bela made it count, that's for sure. And they sure as hell won't forget to tell her family of that.
Rosemary grabbed onto the pendant when Ethan got too close to her.
The baby tried putting it in her mouth.
Mia and Ethan smiled at the view.
She and Ethan just knew they would never forget about that certain blonde, no matter what.
She made it count. She deserves to be remembered by it.
Mia smiled at the memories she had made with Bela. That girl needs to rest, anyway.
It won't hurt to give her that luxury.