The roar of battle was deafening. Metal clashed against metal, sparks flew into the air, merging with the smoke that was already spreading across the ground like a dark fog. The ground beneath your feet shook from the explosions — it seemed the planet itself couldn't bear the weight of war.

You stood next to Optimus, holding your weapon tightly, your fingers painfully clenching the hilt. You both understood — this wasn't just a skirmish, but a turning point. A battle from which someone would never return.

An explosion from the right. A blinding light. You closed your optics, feeling the heat — and when you could see again, you saw that your opponent was already close. Everything happened in a split second: a sharp lunge, a steely blow that cut through the air.

You managed to parry the first swing, even countered — your opponent's blade bounced off your armor, but the second strike came unexpectedly. Sharp, almost treacherous. A sharp pain ran through your body like an electric shock, and the world before your eyes swam.

You staggered. The metal beneath your feet crunched, and your knees buckled.

"No!"

Optimus's voice cut through the din of battle like a thunderclap. He rushed toward you, abandoning his opponent, and extended his hand — huge, but now trembling.

The explosion behind you. Sparks, smoke, the smell of burnt energon. You felt the warmth leave your body, and darkness was already creeping at the edges of your vision.

Optimus scooped you up in his arms — huge palms beneath your frame, gently, as if you were as fragile as glass. His blue optics lit up — fear, panic, something not usually characteristic of him.

"Hold on, can you hear me?" — His voice was low, but broke into dull vibrations.

"Don't... Don't dare leave."

You heard him, but the sounds seemed to come from underwater. A distant, trembling rumble. He crouched down, shielding you from another explosion with his body.

The metal of his chest was hot as you pressed yourself against him. You felt him squeeze you, trying to keep you from disintegrating, to hold you close, as if he could force you back to life.

"Look at me, Y/N!" — he ordered, almost pleading.

"Look at me while I'm here."

He leaned closer, his helmet almost touching your face. His voice became quieter, deeper, but it was filled with so much pain that your spark sank.

"Don't leave me... Please..."

You felt his fingers tremble, your Energon pooling beneath them, and his hands growing slippery with it. He didn't care. He simply held you, pressing you, as if afraid to let go.

And around you, the roar of battle gradually faded — for you, it turned into a distant ringing, stretching on forever. Everything slowed: the sparks in the air, the movement of metal, even Optimus's voice sounded as if through glass.

He rested his forehead against yours, his blue optics blaring very close.

"I'm here. I'm with you. Can you hear me? Can you hear me?.."

Darkness crept into your consciousness. Your chest hummed, as if someone were turning off the source of your power.

And right in that moment — the warmth of his hands, the sound of his voice, and his gaze, filled with desperate faith that you would stay.

You felt yourself fading...