As the old man's body drifted down, Alexis grabbed him and settled him on the ground in front of everyone, with his head on her lap.
The old man's body was in pain, and tears had already filled his eyes. However, he could still recognize that silhouette anywhere.
"M-Master?" he called out with broken breaths as blood still seeped out of him from his lower back and abdomen.
"Y-you… You c-can heal me, r-right? P-please, heal me," the old man said. "I… I'm doing this f-for you."
Alexis said nothing except hold him tighter in her embrace and slowly teared up herself.
"M-Master?" he called for her but she didn't speak. Only her sniffling sounds could be heard like everyone else in the vicinity remained quiet.
"Master, why aren't you speaking? I'm dying. Please, help me," the old man shouted, but she still didn't do anything but cry herself.
Ning claimed his authority over the air as he stopped everyone from even thinking of doing anything.
Merasi stepped forward and did the same.
However, that was unnecessary. In front of Alexis, they couldn't do anything even if they wanted to. That was what happened when the world manifested itself as something that every other will in the world would like.
The captains and the other members of the tower could only watch as their lord slowly bled to death while being carried by a woman they didn't recognize.
Perry cried out to his master, even trying to reach out with his old, decrepit hands that had lost all vitality now.
Still, Alexis didn't speak.
Suddenly, Ning placed a hand on her shoulders. "Why aren't you speaking?" he asked her. Even Ning was starting to feel bad for the old man after hearing his screams.
Yet, Alexis still didn't say anything.
"Are you worried about something?" Ning asked her.
She turned her head towards him, with so many tears streaming down her face, that it looked unnatural.
"I… I don't know if I can keep myself from helping him if I speak," she said. "I know I shouldn't help him because of what I've done, but…"
"Do what you want," Ning said. "Don't worry about the consequences. With me around, none of your fears will come true."
As if that was all she needed, finally the sniffling turned to an actual cry as she started speaking to him.
"You foolish child. I told you not to stray into the dark path, but you still did. Why?" Alexis said to him.
"B-but you wanted peace, master. That was the only way I could give you peace," he said.
"I told you, that is not the peace I want. I want people to be happy without fear of anything, and yet you…" Alexis could only cover her mouth as she cried even harder.
"I… I thought I was doing the right thing. No, I'm sure I was doing the right thing," the old man said. "I was doing this all for you master. Was I really that wrong? Should I… should I never have done any of this?"
"No, you were trying to do the right thing. Only, your perspective on right and wrong was twisted early on."
"I should have helped you steer towards the right path from the start. However, I let you go further and further away while I hoped you would do the right thing on your own."
"That was something I failed as your master. Please forgive me," she said.
"No, I'm sorry master. If what you said is true… then it was all my fault, wasn't it? I'm sorry," the old man's tears flowed more and more as his voice got lower and lower.
"At… least… I won't… do anything… bad… now," he said softly.
As the old man started to die, Alexis couldn't help herself. She moved her hand over his body, and in an instant, his body fixed itself.
Ning looked in surprise. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"It's fine," Alexis said as she wiped her tears. "In the end, he's still my disciple, and I don't want to see him in this much pain."
"Did you fix his Aether?" Ning asked as he checked, but no, the old man had no Aether anymore.
An 800-year-old man with no Aether.
'System, how long will he survive?' Ning asked.
"3 days at most," Alexis answered before the system could even answer him.
<She's correct."
"So you want to extend his life by just that much?" Ning asked.
Alexis nodded. "At the very least, I don't want my only disciple to die like this," she said.
Ning looked at her with a weird face. "Am I not your disciple?" he asked.
Alexis' face changed a little as she looked at him. "Even after what I did, after what you learned, do you… still, take me as your teacher?" she asked.
"It doesn't matter what you did or didn't. It doesn't matter whether I care for you, or hate you."
"The skills I have right now are all because you taught them to me. For that, you will always remain my teacher and forever hold my gratitude," Ning said as he bowed towards her a little.
"I see," she said, her tears stopping by now. A small, sad smile appeared on her face as she slowly caressed the pearly white locks of the old man.
"Thank you," she said to Ning finally. "I will see you later."
With that, both she and the old man vanished.
"Is he dead?" Darian asked from the side.
"No, but he will be soon," Ning said.
"Are you sure? Can that lady not treat him indefinitely?" Darian asked.
"No, she doesn't hold such powers," Ning said. 'At least, not anymore.'
Then he finally turned towards the crowd and shouted. "Your Lord lost. I am the new lord of the tower. Does anyone have any problem with that?"
The captains and their squad members looked at each other, but no one spoke up.
"Good. Now go spread the news," Ning said. "Every single one of the members of the tower is to return back."
"The war is over."
