𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴: Ah yes, a one-shot where I decide to kill my favourite character just for the ship. Such a great idea ;-;
(This one-shot is also part of an AU, a "Soulmate's string AU". I'll also use this AU for other one-shots with soulmate's string theme. But don't worry, I won't include death in them of course jdbddbbd)

𝘗𝘭𝘰𝘵: A giant war ends with a death that everyone feared could become a reality.

......................................

Silence. Pure silence. Nothing else.

That was what reigned the battlefield where the darkans and the gormians were having the biggest battle ever, even bigger than the one that ended with Voidus stuck in darkor for the first time.

But that was before. Because right now, the place was filled with dead silence, only broken by screams and sobs coming from a single boy, none other than the fire herald. Everyone looked at him, still in disbelief, as he ran up to the guardian of gorm, who was lying on the ground, completly paralysed as strength quickly abandoned her now fragile body. The other heralds were also beside Riff, despair all over their faces.

It happened so fast, not even the keeper herself saw it coming. They were in the middle of the battle when her eyes laid on Voidus and she noticed he was about to attack Riff. She was too far from him, but didn't hesitate on trying to save him. She enveloped herself in her light, travelling as fast as she could to Riff. She wanted to shove him out of the way so both of them would be safe. However, she wasn't quick enough and Voidus's attack actually managed to hit.

But not its original target.

Instead, it hit Ao-ki straight in the chest, her light not able to protect her as she was sent flying away, landing not that far. As she laid there, her chest hurting more than ever, she still managed to hear screams coming not so far away from her. She barely moved as Riff came up to her, supporting her in his arms as he desesperatly looked at her debilitated state. The string uniting them was still there, but as Riff landed his eyes on it momentarily, he noticed its color was starting to fade and the string itself was also deteriorating at an alarming rate. He was feeling her slipping away.

This scene was able to stop the entire battle, even prompting darkans to actually worry about what was going on. Even Voidus, the one who unintentionally hit her, was still in shock as he realised what he had just done.

Ao-ki quickly realised what was about to happen, the pain in her chest pretty much unbearable at this point as she looked up at her beloved, who was crying endlessly. She was able to lift her shaky hand up, resting it on his cheek as he used his own to keep her weak hand there. She finally noticed the string, a sad, weak smile forming itself on her face as she noticed how it was deteriorating quickly, its color practically gone.

- Ao-ki, you're gonna be okay, I promise! You're gonna be okay... - Riff said desesperatly between sobs, failing not to break down under her almost lifeless gaze - I'm sorry Ao-ki, I couldn't protect you! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry....

- N-No Riff... - Ao-ki managed to say weakly, her voice fading away together with her consciousness - D-Don't apologise, it wasn't your fault. It's never your fault silly....

- Y-You can't leave me! Please don't leave me! - Riff pleaded in despair, his forehead resting on top of hers as his tears soaked her extremely pale face, her hand still there as she made an effort to try and wipe them away with her thumb - What am I gonna do without you Ao-ki? I can't live on my own, without you! I need you here with me! I love you too much to let you go like this....!

- I-I'm sorry - Ao-ki whispered, a single tear falling from her eye as the girl gave her last breath, her eyes lifeless and dark, her hand slipping away from his as she fell to her death. In a split second, the string broke completly, being blown away with the wind and disappearing completly, leaving Riff behind with only sorrow and a deep emptiness inside of him. As his friends cried and sobbed uncontrollably beside him and everyone around them just looked at the scene, realisation hitting them like a pile of bricks, Riff just gazed mindlessly at Ao-ki, tears still running down his face as he held her close, caressing her hair gently, seemingly stuck on a deep and disturbing trance.

- No.... - Keryon mumbled desesperatly, looking at the dead keeper, who was still being held by Riff. He also seemed stuck on a trance, as he repeated the same words over and over again like a mantra - She was the key, she was the key, she was the key....

And just then, everything fell apart. The lords and the darkans lost their strength, falling to the ground as the elemental energy that gave them power abandoned them. The people around started feeling a sort of emptiness in them, as if their elements were gone, also losing their strength. And the tower, the powerful fortress of the gormiti, the one who survived so many battles gave her last squeal, dying down just like her best friend.

- G-Guys....

Trek's shaky mumble brought everyone back to reality, even Riff, as they looked at the now grey stain that covered the entire forest and that seemed to be reaching them at full speed, bringing death with her. And just like that, in a split second, everything around them was lifeless just like the keeper that had just abandoned them all.

She left them and took the life, happiness and the light that illuminated everyone and gorm itself with her. Her death left behind an equally dead island, its only source of life being the helpless people that lived there, their enemies, who were just as weak as them and her allies who were still around her, trying to accept the fact that they would never see her smile again and feel her light illuminating their path.

At this point, no one was sure how to move on from this and bring life back to gorm. But despite his catatonic state, Riff is sure of something, a thought that will stay in his head forever, if they're actually able to survive.

He just wants what was taken from him back. He just wants his light back. And he'll do anything for that to happen.

Even accept death himself.