Protect, Harm?

The sunset over Mount Hyjal was truly beautiful. In the afterglow, the leaves shimmered like gold. Sylvanas held Nathanos in her arms for a long time. She was momentarily lost in thought, the coldness of his hands repeatedly making her believe, with shock, that the human was dead. When she came to her senses, she remembered that he truly was dead, existing in the world in another form.

How should I treat him?

A question suddenly arose in the Female Elf's mind, but she dismissed the thought; she shouldn't think that way. In Quel'Thalas, when she learned from Vareesa of everything Nathanos had sacrificed, Sylvanas resolved never to abandon this human, no matter what he became.

"This is truly astonishing, Windrunner." Medivh stood there for a long time, pondering what kind of power could accomplish all this, but the answer was probably beyond his comprehension.

"I must say you did a great job."

"I have so much to say to him." Sylvanas stared blankly at the bloodless face in her arms, her eyes red and swollen. "I wish those words were truly what I wanted to say to him from the bottom of my heart."

"You... lied to him?" Medivh was stunned.

Sylvanas gently shook her head. "No! To my regret, I have to say these things to him as his sister."

"So that's it!" The guardian suddenly understood; he knew what that power was. It wasn't beyond his comprehension, but something he had never experienced or encountered before—love!

"Nathanos sacrificed himself for the one he loved, and you pretended to be his sister for him."

"I didn't expect to get anything," the Female Elf said preemptively, as if she had guessed what the mage was going to say.

But Medivh shook his head; that wasn't what he wanted to say. "Who can get what they want from a dead man?"

These words pierced Sylvanas's heart like a sword.

"What I'm trying to say is that while what you're doing may have helped alleviate his current predicament, it will make him suffer even more in the future."

"What could be more painful than death?" Sylvanas roared. Medivh hadn't offered a single solution to help Nathanos, instead offering nothing but sarcastic remarks.

More painful than death? Medivh gave a strange smile. In fact, he and Nathanos shared some similarities regarding life and death. His belief that he could help Nathanos stemmed from his own experience of death.

"Of course," he answered slowly, successfully drawing a murderous glare from the Ranger.

"What is more painful than death is a contradiction that can never be resolved."

An unsolvable conflict? What does that mean? The Female Elf looked down at Nathanos with concern. He already bore a terrible curse; what else awaited him?

"No!" Sylvanas looked up at Medivh in despair. "What else could pose a threat to him? Tell me!"

"Even if I told you, even if you've taken precautions, what's coming will come, Windrunner." Medivh turned around, looking up at the setting sun half-hidden behind the clouds. "If you really want to save him, don't touch him again. Let him fend for himself in the shadow of death."

"You expect me to stand idly by!" Sylvanas growled through gritted teeth. Medivh's intentions were completely contrary to her own; he wanted her to stay away from this human, while she wanted to take Nathanos with her back to Quel'Thalas. She believed that the high Elven Kingdom's rich collection of documents must contain a way to help Nathanos exorcise the aura of death emanating from him.

But in Medivh's eyes, her idea was so absurd and ridiculous that even a child knew that life and death were irreversible.

"Yes!" Medivh said sternly to Sylvanas, not as a persuasion, but as a command. "You must leave him. If you don't, I can't guarantee Nathanos' survival. Do you know that his very existence was a mistake?"

The Female Elf was completely bewildered. What nonsense was the guardian in front of her spouting?

"The world has changed a lot, Windrunner. Some people's fates were already sealed." Medivh looked at Nathanos, then stared at her with a strange look. "And some people have escaped their original fates."

Sylvanas instinctively guessed that Medivh was referring to her. No! Medivh's wording was quite objective; "some" meant the Windrunner family!

"Some people who should have disappeared are still alive, and their existence has overturned the trajectory of this world. The person who caused all of this is right in your arms."

Nathanos?

The Female Elf could no longer utter a word. Medivh walked up to them and knelt down, issuing a warning in a soft voice. "Nathanos's enemies are not just death; countless people want to eliminate him. The Bronze Dragonflight, which maintains the balance of time, could send assassins to kill him at any time; they have already taken action. It's just strange that it seems someone has been secretly protecting Nathanos, preventing him from being erased from the river of time."

"Then why do you want me to leave him? Why won't you let me protect him?"

"You must face reality, Elf. You are a living being, and he is a dead one!" Medivh pointed out, and continued, "Secondly, you may not admit it, but you may also be a threat to him."

Sylvanas heard the most absurd thing and laughed, her voice trembling. "How is this possible?"

"In fact, you just did that!"

She was taken aback. What had she done? She had clearly helped Nathanos, so why Medivh saying she had harmed him?

"You'll find out soon enough, and you'll regret it and feel guilty about it."

Sylvanas had no rebuttal. She sensed Medivh's power, and he seemed to possess prophetic abilities. Did he really know something? There was no reason for this wizard to deceive her; what good would it do him to go to such lengths to fabricate lies and cover it up? Sylvanas reluctantly admitted that Medivh might be right!

"Would my leaving him lessen his suffering?" the Female Elf asked again, seeking confirmation. If Medivh denied her or gave her the exact opposite answer, she would surely kill the wizard.

Medivh nodded firmly, and he had something else to tell Nathanos, to be stated separately.

Sylvanas Windrunner closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and agreed to Medivh's request. It was clear she had made a difficult decision; she even hesitated to look at Nathanos. Reason and resentment were locked in a fierce battle, with the former ultimately controlling her.

"I assure you, Windrunner, you will not make the wrong decision! Now, you can choose to leave here and return to your home, or you can go to Jaina, join her army, and participate in the final battle against the Burning Legion. The choice is entirely up to you."