The Twenty-Eighth-Embers

The Naga were all High Elf who had served the Queen, and their loyalty to her was beyond question. The Val'kyr knew she should carry out the order immediately, but now she hesitated.

"My name," the Val'kyr said, wanting to make sure the man remembered her, even if he didn't want to see her as she was now.

"You are not her." This was the sentence the man said after finally managing to stand up again.

The Val'kyr's eyes changed.

"That's not her voice."

"It's me," she said. "You'll recognize me as soon as you open your eyes, just as I recognize you."

The man remained silent, his eyes never opening. The Val'kyr thought he must resemble her former self as Night Elf. Indeed, she too had recalled her original self. After the Well of Eternity exploded, the Queen made a deal with some dark being, and all the Night Elf who sank to the bottom of the sea were twisted.

"I've been afraid too, afraid to face myself, but everyone here is. You are too, as long as you... open your eyes."

"So you consider this change a blessing from Azshara? You've forgotten that she summoned the Burning Legion, and she caused Sintalari to sink to the bottom of the sea. She destroyed us!"

This statement caused quite a stir, and everyone who heard it turned their attention to Azshara.

Sensing something amiss, the Queen's expression turned icy. "My patience is limited, Val'kyr. Do you still intend to persuade him?"

"Please give me a little more time, Your Majesty. He was once one of your servants, and perhaps he is not yet ready to adapt to this new body."

"Or perhaps he has completely chosen to be our enemy. Countless people want my favor, but not everyone has the chance. Today's performance was truly awful. You know what I mean..."

"Yes, Your Majesty." She sighed deeply, then turned to her former lover and said in a trembling voice, "Traitor."

With a trembling, poisonous spear in her hand, she began to walk towards him.

The two Naga behemoths retreated.

The spear pierced him, forcing him to take a step back.

She betrayed his true feelings, because he had loved her.

The second blow, carrying immense force, pierced through him. He staggered, but stubbornly remained standing. Now he seemed unaffected by the Naga's body.

She couldn't prevent his murder. She was the real traitor.

The spear, stained with blood, pierced him for the third time. Now his strength began to wane. "Let's end it all," he suddenly opened his eyes, looked up at her and said, "The Elune's light shines upon me, and I am about to be free."

The Val'kyr's resolve completely wavered, and they gazed at each other for a moment. In that instant, she felt only love. In her partner's eyes, she was who she once was.

She pierced through him.

His vision began to blur, and his body began to collapse. But he saw it; the Val'kyr could no longer conceal her true feelings, and her expression changed. The merciless mask fell away, replaced by an increasingly obvious fear.

"You!" It sounded like her voice from the past, but she hated herself for not being able to call out her lover's name. She rushed to his side and caught him before he fell. "No!"

What have I been doing? What am I doing?

An indescribable, all-consuming fear oppressed and filled the mouth, nose, and throat.

He lay in a pool of blood, the seawater rising a bright crimson. His spear lay beside him, its luster gone. Countless eyes were fixed upon him.

She met his gaze, but he seemed not to see her. His blood-stained face, like a reflection in a mirror, stared back at her as he lay on his side, his breathing shallow and growing weaker.

Her hands were always cold. But he felt nothing. A Tranquility enveloped him like a shroud. All sensation would cease to exist.

"Lovers who can't look me in the eye, what a magnificent performance." ALS's tone was cruelly mocking. "You've proven your loyalty to me, Val'kyr. I hope you can keep it up."

Hope had died. She thought of the expression on her lover's face when he opened his eyes—just for a moment, but that sense of estrangement tormented her deeply. She began to understand why he didn't want to look at her, why he couldn't help but hate her.

The Val'kyr was filled with hatred and bitterness. She cursed herself, turning her hatred inward.

In the moment he fell, she felt herself forever imprisoned in this curse. The Quivering Venom Spear returned to her hand; only endless battle and ultimate death could bring her Tranquility.

The Val'kyr's final battle took place in the ruins of the Vrykul. The surroundings were eerie, and when the Witherer arrived, they heard the screams of millions of tormented souls, writhing in shared agony.

The Vrykul lived in the deep ocean, did not leave behind skeletons after death, so the bones buried on the seabed all came from the Naga.

Your soul will be at my disposal!

Nathanos began chanting ancient incantations, for which he did not hesitate to revert to human form, the seawater stinging his skin, but the price was worth it.

Death is not a way to get rid of all sins.

Those restless voices are being suppressed, and a troubled soul wants to unleash its fiery, uncontrollable rage.

Nathanos was almost there; he was so close, almost to awakening the Val'kyr. Just before he succeeded, his incantation was interrupted.

The seawater suddenly turned icy cold, fish and other creatures scattered in all directions, and even the light dimmed. What caused this unusual phenomenon? Nathanos soon found out: an uninvited guest had quietly arrived.

When she emerged, she glanced around, seemingly not noticing him immediately. He wasn't surprised, whether by her arrival or her change. Queen Azshara of the Naga, though appearing as an illusion, exerted immense pressure on Nathanos.

"Ah, so a new guest wants the Val'kyr's soul." She looked at the Witherer with amusement, then suddenly frowned. "Wait, I seem to...have seen you somewhere before!"

"It's an honor that you still remember me. A certain queen who fell into the abyss. You look... quite beautiful now." Nathanos said in a teasing tone, deliberately holding Sulfuras in his hand again.

"It's you!" Azshara recognized him. "You're still alive? That's unexpected. I thought you were just a pile of rotten bones by now."

"Even rotten bones possess the power to destroy everything." Nathanos sensed a powerful being approaching at incredible speed—it was Azshara's servant. "Once I resurrect your Val'kyr, her spear will be aimed at you."