By the time Alya had finished stitching up the wound, Eliza was fast asleep. Renard continued to flutter around her, worrying if she would survive. Alya had found a sink where she could wash the blood off of her hands.
When she returned, she pulled out her phone to look at the news.
"While the city seems to be safe for now, there is no sign of the mysterious new superheroine known as Volpina." The reporter said. "Dark Ladybug and Chat Blanc seem to have disappeared as well, but citizens are still advised to stay inside their homes, as their return seems imminent." Alya turned off her phone with a sigh of relief.
"Good news?" Eliza's weary voice startled Alya and Renard.
"Eliza!" Renard rushed to her. "You should be resting!" He scolded.
"He's right, Eliza." Alya had to agree with the Kwami.
Eliza scowled. "I can't rest. I failed my duty."
"Don't say that!" Alya's eyes widened. "You'll track them down, and you'll be able to stop them! Just you wait!"
Eliza looked directly into Alya's eyes. "No Alya. I feel the pain coming from inside, but it can never hurt me as much as the truth."
Alya began to feel nervous at Eliza's words. "What's the truth...?"
"I will never regain the strength to stop Dark Ladybug and Chat Blanc. I am going to die."
"No! You'll get better!" Renard looked on the verge of tears. "I just got you back, I can't lose you again!"
Tears rolled down Eliza's cheeks. "Mi dispiace tanto, mia dolce piccola volpe. Ma questo veleno dentro di me corre troppo in profondità."
This time, Renard really did burst into tears.
Alya couldn't understand what Eliza was saying. "What's she saying, Renard?" She asked the sobbing Kwami.
"She-she said 'I'm so sorry, my sweet little fox. But this poison inside me runs too deep.'" Renard translated, sniffling as he did.
"The poison!" Alya murmured. "I'm so sorry, Eliza. I should've found a way to-"
"Hush, Alya." Eliza interrupted. "You've already done so much for me. Don't worry about me." She gazed wistfully at the skies. "Almeno in questo modo vedrò mia madre e mio padre una volta di più."
Alya recognized mother and father in that sentence. "Your mother and father? They'd be so worried, can I call them for you?"
Renard looked at Alya with pity. "Alya, she said this way she'll be able to see them again."
In that moment, Alya finally understood. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Eliza said. "Before my mama and papa died, I was Volpina. The proud and strong fox superheroine! But then, the criminals I was battling found out who I was and killed my parents." Eliza laughed bitterly. "So I slaughtered them all." She cast a regretful glance at Renard. "But then I hated what I had done... Volpina was no longer a superheroine, she was a reminder of how I was too late to save my parents. So I abandoned my duty. I gave the miraculous back to the man who gifted it to me, and I left my old life behind. I tried to forget about what I had done. But eventually, I was summoned back by Master Fu, and it was to try to save Paris from its heroes."
Alya was speechless. "That's such a sad story."
"And now I will die, knowing that I have failed everyone I care about." Eliza slowly reached out to stroke Renard's little head.
"But you can't die... Paris needs a hero!" Alya squeezed Eliza's hand gently.
"And Paris will have one. It just will not be me." She looked at Alya.
"No no no no no, you don't mean-"
"Yes, Alya, I do!" Eliza gripped Alya's arm desperately. "You must become Volpina! For me! For Paris! They need you!"
"I can't! What if I fail??"
"Alya, I trust you." Eliza struggled to sit up before Alya helped her. "If you fail, believe in yourself and try again!" She lifted the Miraculous off of her neck and held it out to Alya. "Please... Don't let me die in vain."
Alya stared at the necklace.
"Alya, please..."
She looked up to see Eliza's desperate eyes filled with tears.
"Give this sad story a happy ending."
Alya felt like she was frozen in place. Could she really be a superheroine? She couldn't even save Eliza... But she was right. She might not have been able to stop Eliza's death, but she could let her passing mean something. Alya took a deep breath, and reached out to pick up the necklace.
"You are Volpina now." Eliza smiled, but her misty eyes still shimmered with pain.
Alya placed the necklace around her neck. Renard nodded to his new holder, but flew back to Eliza.
"Guide the new holder through the difficult times to come, my little fox. Do not mourn for me, for I will die happy knowing that you have forgiven me." Eliza told the little Kwami.
"I'll miss you, Eliza. I'll never forget you." Renard snuggled up to Eliza's cheek.
"And I'll never forget you." She tore her gaze from Renard and looked directly at Alya. "I have faith in you... Volpina..."
Her eyes began to glaze over, and her body went limp.
Renard burst into tears again.
"I'm sorry Renard..." Alya lightly pulled the Kwami to her chest, away from Eliza's corpse. "She's gone. And she's not coming back."