"Sorrow"

Dark clouds pressed down from the sky, and the leaves on the trees swayed wildly. The rumbling of thunder was incessant, and streaks of rain wove together a "rain net" that enveloped the entire mountain range.

"Roar!!"

A terrifying roar exploded through the valley, the raging sound waves causing the rain that had just fallen from the sky to tremble uncontrollably.

"Damn it! Elfman, calm down!"

Rumble!!

"No, Mira! That's Elfman! You'll kill him!"

"Lisanna, get out of the way!!"

"It's okay, Mira, this is Elfman, he won't hurt me! Right, Elfman?"

"Roar!!"

"Lisanna!!"

In the Fairy Tail hospital room, Eleven suddenly sat up in bed with a start, clutching his forehead and panting heavily. His shirt was already soaked with sweat.

"This... this is a dream? Did I have a nightmare?"

Eleven gasped for breath, recalling the scene from his dream. The dream was so real, so real, that Eleven couldn't tell which side was reality.

Two days have passed since Mira and her siblings set off. The location for the Beast King quest isn't far; a round trip normally only takes half a day. They should be back by now.

"I think I've been sleeping too much lately, that's why I had this kind of dream. Thank goodness, it was just a dream, right?"

Just as Eleven was relieved and about to lie back down in bed, he suddenly froze, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He hadn't noticed it when he woke up from his dream, but now that his mind had relaxed, he suddenly felt a deep sadness filling the entire room—no, the entire guild was covered by a thick, sticky sorrow.

Tears streamed down Eleven's face involuntarily. The intense emotions almost made him lose himself. It took him a while to come to his senses, and he tumbled off the bed.

"What exactly happened? Could it be that Lisanna really..."

Eleven didn't dare to think about it. He stumbled towards the door, leaned against the wall, and walked out, eager to know what had happened.

The guild was unusually quiet today. Normally, even the infirmary, which needs the quietest place, is filled with the noise of those drunkards, but today it was eerily quiet, except for the faint sighs and sobs that could be heard.

The guild hall was filled with people, but there was no party or laughter today. There was only this suffocating silence. Eleven felt as if he had stepped into a quagmire, suffocating and unable to breathe.

"Everyone, can anyone tell me what happened?" Eleven's voice trembled slightly.

"Eleven, you're awake." Makarov sat cross-legged on the bar, arms crossed, his face grim, unsure how to answer Eleven's question.

"It's Lisanna, Lisanna, she..."

Soon, someone couldn't hold back their tears and picked up where Makarov left off, saying with snot and tears streaming down their face the answer that Eleven least wanted to hear.

Although he had suspected it all along, when he actually got the answer from his friends, Eleven still felt dizzy. His mental state was already not good, and now his head was buzzing.

Eleven's gaze swept across the faces of each of his companions present. He desperately hoped this was just a joke they were playing on him, even if it was a terrible one. But if it really was a joke, that would be wonderful.

Eleven closed his eyes in agony, feeling a splitting headache as memories of his time with Lisanna flashed through his mind.

That little tiger that spat at him and punched him, that mischievous, cute, and sweet little sister, that... Lisanna, how could it be?

Eleven leaned against the wall, processing this sudden and devastating news. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and asked urgently, "Where's Mira? Where are Mira and Elfman?"

In the grove, in front of Porlyusica's little cabin.

Eleven practically tumbled and crawled over; he was in such a state that he could barely stand, let alone fly, and even walking was unsteady. He must have fallen countless times along the way.

Upon hearing that Mira and Elfman were recuperating at the cabin in Porlyusica, Eleven rushed out without hesitation. Even he was so grief-stricken upon hearing of Lisanna's death that he nearly fainted; just how devastated must Mira and Elfman be?

A wave of intense self-reproach surged through Eleven's heart. If only he had been more resolute in stopping Mira... if only he hadn't gone on that investigation mission... if only he had been stronger...

Perhaps

There were still quite a few people standing in front of the cabin. Erza, Gray, Levy, and Loke were all sitting on the steps outside the cabin with gloomy expressions. They were somewhat surprised to see Eleven stumble in.

Eleven didn't say much to them, but simply pushed open the door of the cabin and looked inside.

What came into view was Elfman's towering figure, his entire body wrapped in bandages of all sizes, sitting on the ground, tears streaming down his face, receiving Wendy's healing light.

"Elfman, are you alright?" Eleven, leaning against the doorframe, panting.

"Eleven, Lisanna, Lisanna, I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! It's all my fault!"

Upon seeing Eleven, Elfman jumped to his feet and burst into tears. Looking at the older brother who had led him into Fairy Tail, Elfman unconsciously lowered his guard, and his overwhelming emotions erupted like a dam breaking. Despite being much taller Eleven, he cried like a child, constantly wiping away his tears.

Eleven sighed, walked over unsteadily, grabbed Elfman's head, pulled it to his shoulder, and patted his back hard.

"Don't cry, Elfman. Aren't you a man? This isn't your fault. Cheer up! Mira needs you, her man, to take care of her!"

"But, but, my sister..."

"Yes, I know. I'll go check on Mira."

Eleven released Elfman and turned to look into the inner room of the cabin, where Mira was sitting blankly on the hospital bed.

"Mira, can you hear me?" Eleven sat on the edge of the hospital bed, took Mira's hand, and called out softly.

However, Mira on the hospital bed did not respond to her at all. Her big eyes were empty and lifeless, and she could not feel any magic in her body. As if she had lost all vitality, she stared blankly ahead.

Eleven could sense that the sorrow emanating from Mira was more intense than anyone else's, completely enveloping her like a black cocoon, isolating her from all emotional fluctuations.

Eleven knew better than anyone how important her younger siblings were to Mira. To protect them, this girl was willing to become a demon and wander the world.

It's unimaginable how much of a shock Mira must have felt when she saw Lisanna die in front of her.

"Let her calm down. Now it's up to her to pull herself together; there's nothing we can do."

Ms. Porlyusica stood aside, sighed, and quietly left the room. Even with her exceptional medical skills, she wasn't omnipotent; she couldn't restore Mira's collapsed magical energy channels, nor could she heal Mira's sealed-off heart.

The elderly man, who had practiced medicine for decades, was also filled with sadness and helplessness. Although he had long been accustomed to life and death, no one wanted these things to happen to the children they had watched grow up.

Eleven ignored Ms. Porlyusica's words, quietly looking at Mira and silently feeling her sorrow. He gently pulled her into his arms, letting their foreheads touch.

"Sorry, Mira"

"While you were in danger, I was slacking off in my hospital bed."

I promised to protect you, but I broke my promise.

"Sorry, Mira"

"I can't turn back time, and I can't bring Lisanna back."

Tears streamed down his cheeks as Eleven murmured softly, a few drops seeping into the corners of his mouth, leaving a bitter taste.

"But at least, let me bear this sorrow for you!"

Closing his eyes, Eleven completely opened his mind, allowing his consciousness to connect with Mira's without any defenses. The sorrow enveloping Mira surged into Eleven's soul like a flood.

The inky black power of emotion instantly engulfed Eleven; Lisanna's final image, her final terror, her final sorrow, relentlessly assaulted Eleven's mind.

Eleven sensed everything Mira was thinking at that moment.

The profound sorrow was something Eleven had never experienced before, and coupled with the trauma to his soul, for a moment, Eleven almost completely lost himself.

However, Eleven's actions did not stop there. After getting used to Mira's 'sorrow', he further released his Spiritual Power, covering the entire cabin, the silent companions outside, and even spreading towards the guild.

The pitch-black emotional power surged towards Eleven, forming a black vortex above his head that was invisible to ordinary people.

At that moment, the members of Fairy Tail suddenly felt much lighter for some reason. Although they were still saddened by the news of Lisanna, the intense sorrow in their hearts had lessened.

Eleven, however, had completely succumbed to this endless sorrow, just as he had many years ago when he was immersed in the joyous atmosphere of the Harvest Festival, utterly losing himself.

Sorrow is a very intense emotion, much stronger than joy or happiness. Even the emotional fluctuations of just a hundred or so members of a guild are not Eleven can easily process.

At this moment, he felt as if he were in a viscous black water, unable to open his eyes, unable to breathe, unable to exert any strength. Sorrowful emotions almost filled every hole in his body, and he was enduring endless pain every minute and every second.

However, while in pain, his Spiritual Power also became unusually thick and heavy under the influence of these sorrowful emotions, flowing slowly like mercury, gently irrigating the empty spaces in the depths of Eleven's soul caused by his injuries.

Please: m. lvsetxt