Chapter 202: I faced her, alone

Two wom stood in the cter of a sce of devastation.

An op field, once gre and peaceful, now transformed into a grim landscape of mutilated bodies, shattered weapons, and blood. The wind blew gtly, but the air was heavy with the metallic sct of iron, the distant sound of lamts, and the deadly silce that follows destruction.

Their bodies were covered in wounds, yet they remained standing, breaths ragged, shoulders tse. Their hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from exhaustion threating to overtake them.

"It's over..." Cristine murmured, surveying the sce a them.

Her clothing was torn, bloodstains—both hers and her emies'—decorated her slder frame. Her blue eyes gleamed with fatigue, despite the violce they had just witnessed. Yannifer, her twin, stood beside her, leaning on a short, bloodied sword, her face drched in sweat, hair disheveled.

"Finally," Yannifer muttered, a tone of relief mixed with exhaustion. "We found it."

"It's here. Finally," Cristine said, breathless but with unwavering determination in her gaze.

Yannifer nodded, her fingers hesitating slightly before finally brushing over the lid of the first chest. She knelt slowly and, with effort, lifted the heavy top. A cold, strange air escaped, as if the chest had be sealed with some kind of mystical ice.

Inside the first chest, wrapped in black cloth with glowing arcane patterns, lay the Dragon's Heart.

Contrary to what they had imagined, it was not a gem or a carved artifact.

What rested inside was literally a heart—a robust, massive organ, gtly pulsing, ev outside of a living body. Its dark, thick veins glowed with a crimson hue, and its ure appeared alive. With each slow pulse, the Dragon's Heart emitted a soft, warm glow, filling the suring air with an overwhelming ergy.

Cristine stepped closer, remaining silt for a momt, awed by the power emanating from the heart. She could feel the blood of ancit dragons flowing through its aura, as if the heart was ready to unleash its power at any momt. "It's ev more powerful than I thought," she whispered, her hand hesitating before touching the pulsating surface. "It's as if it's... alive."

Yannifer stood beside her, her eyes fixed on the heart, a shiver running down her spine. "That power... It could be catastrophic if it falls into the wrong hands. Now I understand why so many died to protect this."

As the two twins reflected on the artifact, Lyana and Rogue stood guard, scanning the area. Their instincts kept them on high alert, aware that others could still be nearby. They knew the mission wasn't over until the items were safely delivered to Strax.

Carefully, Yannifer covered the Dragon's Heart again with the cloth, closing the chest. "Let's see what's in the second one."

She moved to the second chest, slightly smaller than the first but equally sturdy and wrapped in protective sigils. With a swift, practiced motion, she undid the locks that held it shut and lifted the lid.

Inside, cased in magical glass, was the Mythic Ginsg. The ancit, rare plant shimmered with a vibrant, almost ethereal gre, radiating a restorative ergy. Its intricate roots were intertwined harmoniously, and the long, slder leaves seemed to glimmer slightly in the light. The air a the chest was refreshing, like a spring breeze, a stark contrast to the ravaged sce a them.

Cristine stared at the Mythic Ginsg, noticing that her minor wounds were already beginning to heal simply by being near the plant. "This could heal legions," she said, her voice tinged with admiration.

Yannifer nodded, her eyes scanning the battlefield before turning to their companions. "But now isn't the time to use it. We need to get out of here and take these items to Strax as soon as possible. He'll know what to do with them."

Ynifer, Rogue, and Lyana stood behind, momtarily stunned by Cristine's sudd burst of speed, but they understood.

"He screwed up again..." Lyana muttered bitterly. "That's just how he is... unfortunately," Ynifer added, shaking her head.

Cristine ran as if her life depded on it—and in a way, it did. The path to the city was littered with debris, but she didn't stop. With every beat of her heart, only one word echoed in her mind: Strax.

The sce a her unfolded in chaos. The streets of Eldoria lay in ruins, buildings crumbling, and an eerie cold smoke clouded the sky like a shroud.

After what felt like an eternity of running, jumping over rubble, and avoiding lost soldiers caught in battle, Cristine finally reached the city's cter. And there, before her eyes, was the sight she had dreaded.

In the midst of the destruction, on a patch of scorched and brok earth, lay Strax. He was on the g, collapsed on his knees, his body exhausted and breathless. His breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling with difficulty. His armor was in tatters, covered in dust and blood. His hands were pressed into the g, as if using the last of his strgth to remain conscious.

Not far from him, Samira was being tded to by some of Strax's other wives. Beatrice and Monica knelt beside Samira, trying to stem the bleeding from her arm. Samira appeared gravely wounded, blood streaming from several deep cuts across her body. Her face was pale, but her eyes were half-op, fighting to stay alert.

"Ah, crap!" Cristine shouted, rushing over to him. "Strax!" she called out, her voice trembling with worry. Her hands shook as she tried to cradle his face, looking deeply into his eyes. "What happed? Who did this to you?"

Strax slowly raised his eyes to meet hers. There was a mix of pain and exhaustion in his gaze, but also a lingering flame of determination. He forced a weak smile, which only made Cristine's heart ache more.

"Hey..." he murmured, his voice raspy and unev. "I... tried... but... this emy... they're...

differt..."

"Don't talk. I'll get you out of here," Cristine said, her eyes brimming with tears. She couldn't bear to see him like this. "We'll heal you, and th we'll deal with this emy."

Strax shook his head weakly. "No... it's more complicated than that... she... she's powerful, stronger than anything we've ever faced."

"Hey... why are you..." Cristine mumbled, trailing off as she noticed his body beginning to heal... and th, without warning, he stood up as if nothing had happed.

"You little shit..." she muttered, and Strax grinned. "Gotcha," he said, standing up fully as Samira also began to heal.

"She let me live because I'm... interesting," Strax commted, and Cristine raised an eyebrow. "I faced Kryssia... alone," he added.

"But that doesn't matter. Did you get it?" he asked, laughing slightly.

"Of course I did," she replied, still trying to wrap her head a the situation.

"Good, because if I don't absorb that dragon heart, I might actually die for real," he said, sounding far too relaxed.

[You have 30 minutes to consume the dragon heart.]