Breathless

She hears the cries from far away.

Letting packages fall from her arms, she draws the sword and starts running up the hill, her breathing fast and shallow as the ominous premonition of disaster clenches her throat.

Peering through the decayed trees to see the house.

Torches burning everywhere.

And there are so many of them, soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade...

She would go closer, but she knows it's no use. Her instincts warn her to run away, yet she feels pinned to the ground, while the the thought suddenly bursts into her mind.

Ei'an.

They drag something outside the house. She cannot see what, but she can guess. She's seen bodies carried around since she were twelve. And as she slowly makes it out, a sickening feeling builds into her chest, threatening to send her to the ground, vomiting.

It cannot be.

He's the only one she has.

The only thing she can hang on to and pretend she still lives.

Not Ei'an,she prays as she knows it is real...the shredding ache in her heart is real...her own, personal worst nightmare coming true in front of her eyes.

Her fingers feel numb on the hilt of the sword.

Run in and fight them.

Knowing she'll die too.

But how can she go on without him?

It's not the fact that she's afraid.

No, he made her promise.

That, if anything ever happens to him, she'll keep up the fight against the Scourge and Kel'Thuzad...

And if she does die now, she'll break her promise and all their torment these years would have been in vain.

Tears flow down her eyes and Daria wipes them away roughly, with the back of her sleeve as rises up and staggers away...

Live to fight another day.

But there is emptiness. Darkness. The world is gone and she is alone and it is the same like it was when she was young and the monsters came and torn them all apart...her mother, her father, her little sister...like ragged dolls...

She slides back to the ground, her back against the cold trunk of a tree and takes her face in her hands, letting the sword go, as she breaks down into sobs.