CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY

The news of his demise spread like wildfire, a whisper of tragedy that soon turned into a public lament, his name etched in the annals of local heroes, a hero who had fallen in a quest to save a friend, a hero who had died in a blaze of glory.

Back at the ballroom, Lina stood by the window, her eyes fixed on the cityscape, her face pale and drawn, her body wracked with sobs. The wedding cake, a testament to the dreams they had shared, now sat in the corner, a bittersweet reminder of a love lost, a life shattered.

The sun, a cruel and mocking orb, peeked over the horizon, casting a pale, sickly light over the sprawling cemetery. It seemed to mock the sorrow etched on the faces of the mourners gathered there. The air hung heavy with grief, a tangible weight pressing down on their hearts. It was the day of Xander's burial, a day that had been so eagerly anticipated just weeks before; a day of celebration, of vows, of a lifetime together. Now, it was a day of mourning, a day of tears, a d