Dying hurts. Having something sharp shoved in between your ribs and into the vital organs beneath hurts. Wen Ning knows this. He's felt it before. Somehow, he thought that maybe because of this, it wouldn't hurt as badly this next time. That maybe he would be ready for it, prepared somehow. After all, this whole time, he could see that the conversation likely wouldn't end with Jiang Cheng forgiving him his past misdeeds. This is the logical conclusion of their meeting.
And yet... It still hurts, just as much as the first time. Maybe more than that, because this time it's coming from someone he didn't consider an enemy. He and Jiang Cheng were never friends, but he and Wei Wuxian were, and Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were brothers. Wen Ning had risked his life for Jiang Cheng before, had risked his sister's life for him, too. But too much has happened since then, for any of their sacrifices to be relevant. What lies between them now is too tainted by death and grief for any of their former relationships to each other to matter.
Jiang Cheng shudders and the blade slips further between Wen Ning's ribs, piercing his lung. He sputters, coughing up blood. He can't catch his breath, and he knows the life is slipping out of him. But still, even now, even though Jiang Cheng is yelling at him that he has no right to be sorry, he still is. He tries to say so, tries to form the words, "I'm sorry" with his lips, but with no air to give voice to them, all they are are shapes.
With the final push, Wen Ning feels the last of his light go out. Everything goes dark, darker than the cell the Jin clan kept him in. Darker than the rainy night lying in the mud with a lure flag sticking out of his chest. Darker than anything has ever been.
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And yet... It still hurts, just as much as the first time. Maybe more than that, because this time it's coming from someone he didn't consider an enemy. He and Jiang Cheng were never friends, but he and Wei Wuxian were, and Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were brothers. Wen Ning had risked his life for Jiang Cheng before, had risked his sister's life for him, too. But too much has happened since then, for any of their sacrifices to be relevant. What lies between them now is too tainted by death and grief for any of their former relationships to each other to matter.
Jiang Cheng shudders and the blade slips further between Wen Ning's ribs, piercing his lung. He sputters, coughing up blood. He can't catch his breath, and he knows the life is slipping out of him. But still, even now, even though Jiang Cheng is yelling at him that he has no right to be sorry, he still is. He tries to say so, tries to form the words, "I'm sorry" with his lips, but with no air to give voice to them, all they are are shapes.
With the final push, Wen Ning feels the last of his light go out. Everything goes dark, darker than the cell the Jin clan kept him in. Darker than the rainy night lying in the mud with a lure flag sticking out of his chest. Darker than anything has ever been.
He's gone.