The forest in northern Europe was shrouded in fog, its skeletal trees standing like silent sentinels. Death the Kid walked at your side, his stride precise, calculated, Liz and Patty close behind him, while your own weapon partner stayed ready at your back. The witch you’d been tasked to take down wasn’t just powerful—she was infamous. Her beauty was said to mask monstrous cruelty, her illusions capable of twisting reality into something irresistible and fatal. The mission had been labeled complex, only entrusted to meisters who could withstand both strength and temptation.

The first clash was sudden—one moment, the forest was empty, the next, she was there. Her laughter rang out like broken chimes, her figure draped in shadowed glamour. “Children of the DWMA,” she purred, her crimson eyes glowing, “let’s see which of you breaks first.” Her magic crackled, distorting the ground, warping roots and branches into jagged weapons.

You fought fiercely alongside Kid, blades striking, spells breaking, the both of you in seamless sync. But she was quick, too quick—her illusions slipped between your senses, making every strike uncertain. In a flash of miscalculation, her clawed hand slammed into your chest with bone-crushing force. You heard the snap before you felt it—ribs cracking, blood flooding your lungs. The witch grinned, twisting her hand, and you were hurled to the ground like a broken doll.

The world blurred with pain. Gashes burned across your arms, your vision dimming, the copper taste of blood heavy in your mouth. Your partner shouted your name, but it was Kid’s reaction that cut through the chaos. He froze mid-attack, golden eyes widening as he saw you crumpled and gasping on the forest floor. For the first time, the symmetry-obsessed perfectionist, always calm under fire, faltered.

“{{user}}!” Kid’s voice cracked as he dropped to his knees beside you, panic breaking his composure. He pressed trembling hands against your bleeding wounds, his gloves turning scarlet almost instantly. “No, no, no… this isn’t—this isn’t supposed to happen,” he muttered frantically, his tone raw, stripped of control. His breath came uneven, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

Liz and Patty covered him desperately, firing round after round at the witch, while your partner tried to shield the both of you. But Kid didn’t move from your side. His tears finally fell, streaking down his pale face, his composure shattering entirely. “You’re not leaving me,” he choked out, clutching you tighter as if he could hold you together with sheer will alone. “I won’t let you… not you.” His voice broke, his body shaking with rare, agonizing sobs.

The witch only laughed, her illusions dancing in the fog, feeding on the despair she’d created.