For your crimes of defection from the forces of New Haelor, I sentence you to death by beheading.”

Every fiber of your being wants to scream in rage. He promised you it would not come to this. Everything happened so fast, you barely had any time to process it. It was a mistake. All a mistake. How could you have trusted him, let alone believe in him? He never for your survival, that much is clear now. Too much was at stake. Intervening now to save you would risk exposing all his carefully laid plans. How could you have been so blind before? how? HOW?

“Oh my god. I am about to die.”

Your voice goes hoarse and there is a pressure in your head. An uncontrollable sob takes hold of you. It feels like you might choke to death even before the blade takes you.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh -“

Breathe.

“No. No… NO.. Leif…”

Breathe. I am here.

Tears are streaming down your cheeks now, but you wrangle your focus. You only have precious seconds left now, and you feel as though you need to make them count.

Soon it will be over. You do not need to worry.

There is so much you are about to leave behind. It all flashes before you in pieces. You need to spend these last few seconds remembering, holding on to what you have lived through. But half a minute is not enough time to appreciate it all. Not enough time. Your mind is a raging storm of pride and regret. The storm seems intent on destroying itself, but before you lose your mind, one thought cuts through.

Next to the gift of existence, all else is trivial. It has been enough to exist.

Another thought, unbidden, winds its way into your minds eye. It is a woman’s face. She is looking at you, and her eyes say I understand. She looks beautiful in the firelight. Beautiful, but sad.

The headsman is taking slow paces toward you now, unsheathing his broadsword. It’s over. Your heart races, as if it can outrun the headsman. But your mind is at peace.

You kneel and pray for a swift demise.