The air was thick with the scent of **blood and dust**. The storm above **raged on**, its fury nothing compared to the battle that had just unfolded.
Erythros lay on the shattered ground, his **massive body twitching**, his once-burning golden eyes now **dull and unfocused**. His red fur was **stained black with his own blood**, his chest rising and falling in **shallow, uneven breaths**.
Manav stood over him, **silent**, his dagger **dripping crimson**. His clothes were torn, his body **littered with wounds**, yet he stood **tall and victorious.**
Priya watched from a distance, her heart **pounding**. The way Manav fought—it was **beyond human**. His movements, his instincts, his **ruthlessness**… it terrified her.
But what scared her even more was the **look in his eyes now.**
Not **rage**.
Not **triumph**.
But **emptiness.**
---
Erythros coughed, a **wet, guttural sound**, his fangs stained with blackened blood. He tried to lift his body, but his **limbs failed him.**
*"Kill me."* His voice was weak, barely above a whisper.
Manav didn't move.
Erythros **gritted his teeth**, forcing his broken body to shift. His breathing was ragged, his muscles torn. He had lost.
He **knew it.**
And yet… he refused to die lying down.
*"I said… KILL ME!"*
His roar echoed through the **ruins of Crimson Peak**, shaking loose stones from the shattered pillars around them.
Manav tilted his head, his **expression unreadable.**
*"Why?"* he asked, voice **calm, emotionless.**
Erythros snarled.
*"I have lived for centuries… a mistake born from the Crimson Nova disaster. I was never meant to exist. My strength was my only purpose. And now that I have lost—what else is left?"*
He **glared** at Manav with what little energy he had left.
*"End it. Finish what you started."*
Manav stared at him.
Priya held her breath.
Then—
Manav crouched down, resting his **dagger against Erythros' throat.**
The beast **didn't flinch.**
Priya swallowed.
*"Manav, just end it. He's dangerous. You have to—"*
The dagger **pressed deeper.**
Erythros closed his eyes, **accepting his fate.**
But then—
Manav did something **unexpected.**
He sighed.
And then he pulled the dagger away.
---
Erythros' **eyes snapped open.**
Priya's **mouth fell open.**
*"You… you're letting him live?"*
Manav stood, rolling his shoulders as if **bored.**
*"Yeah."*
Priya couldn't believe what she was hearing.
*"After all that—you're just going to let him go?!"*
Erythros looked just as shocked.
*"What… what kind of warrior refuses to kill his enemy?"*
Manav **exhaled slowly.**
*"A warrior who sees no point in killing something that's already dead inside."*
Erythros flinched.
Manav turned his back to him.
*"You're broken, beast. Not just physically. But here—"* he tapped the side of his **head.**
*"And here—"* he tapped his **chest.**
*"Killing you now would be mercy. But living with your loss? That's a punishment worse than death."*
Erythros **stared**, his mind **reeling.**
Priya stepped forward, frustration clear in her voice.
*"Manav, you can't just—"*
*"Yes, I can,"* he cut her off.
*"He lost. That's enough."*
Priya clenched her fists.
*"He won't stop, Manav. What if he comes back stronger? What if he tries to kill us again?"*
Manav smirked.
*"Then I'll beat him again."*
Erythros let out a **harsh, bitter laugh**.
*"You're arrogant, human."*
*"I'm alive,"* Manav corrected.
Erythros stared at the man who had just **humiliated him in battle**—not just physically, but mentally. He had fought for centuries, but **never had he been bested like this.**
Never had he been **spared.**
And that, more than the wounds on his body, **shook him to his core.**
---
Manav turned to leave.
Erythros watched him, his **claws twitching.** He could try to strike one last time.
A final desperate attack.
But he didn't.
Something inside him **stopped him.**
He looked up at the sky—the same **sky that had watched over his suffering for centuries.**
For the first time in his life, he felt…
**Lost.**
He had always fought. That was all he knew. And now, stripped of that purpose—
What was he supposed to do?
Priya kept her gaze on the beast, still wary.
*"Manav, what if he comes after us?"*
Manav shrugged.
*"That's his choice."*
Erythros **gritted his teeth.**
*"You mock me, human."*
Manav glanced at him one last time.
*"No. I'm giving you something no one else ever has."*
Erythros narrowed his eyes.
*"And what is that?"*
Manav smirked.
*"A chance to choose your own fate."*
Erythros **froze.**
He had never been given a choice. His entire existence had been **violence and survival.**
But now…
Now he had to decide **what came next.**
For the first time in his life—
He had no answer.
---
Priya watched as Manav walked past her, hands in his pockets as if **he hadn't just fought a monster.**
She glanced back at Erythros one last time.
The beast just **stood there**, silent, unmoving.
Finally, Priya **sighed** and followed Manav.
As they disappeared into the ruins, Erythros remained alone.
For the first time in centuries—
He had to think.
To choose.
To decide if his life was truly his own.
And as the storm finally began to **fade**, he looked up at the sky—
And **wondered what it meant to be free.**