Imelda’s Reckoning

The battle’s begun.

They came at us with fire and fury, like they always do. Their screams, their war cries—nothing but the noise of a dying world, fighting for its last breath. I knew it was coming. Hell, I was waiting for it. I knew it wasn’t going to be peaceful. Nothing in this world ever is anymore. But I didn’t think it’d be like this. Not this fast. Not this brutal.

I’m standing here now, in the thick of it, and I can feel the weight of every life that’s ever been crushed by this kind of chaos. I can feel the weight of it all—the years, the destruction, the endless struggle. And it’s in this moment, when everything seems to be falling apart, that I realize something.

This is it. This is my reckoning.

I’ve been running my whole life. Running from the past, running from the choices I’ve made, running from the man I used to be. But now, now I’m standing still. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m here with her.

Imelda’s gone.

I don’t know where she is. I don’t know what happened to her. She’s not here with me now. And that hurts more than anything else. But I can’t stop. I can’t fall to my knees and give up. Not now. Not when everything she dreamed of is still within reach. I won’t let it die with her. Not on my watch.

I stand tall in the midst of this carnage, my fists stained with blood. The world is falling apart around me, and I’m here, holding the line. For her. For what she believed in. For what we both believed in.

Bullets are flying. The fire’s all around me. But I won’t bend. I won’t break. I’ll fight until my last breath if that’s what it takes. This world may be falling apart, but I’m not going to let it go down without a fight.

Imelda, wherever you are—this is for you. For us. For everything we dreamed of. I’ll hold them off, even if it kills me.

The Kings of Nowhere thought they could break me. Thought they could break us. But I’ve been broken before. I’ve been down this road, and I’ve always come back. Always. And I’ll come back again. I’m not afraid to die for this. Not afraid to die for what’s left of the world we fought for.

I’ll stand until the end.

And when I do fall, when they finally drag me down, I know one thing. This fight will never be over. It won’t end with my death. It won’t end with anyone’s death. It’s bigger than us. It’s bigger than all of it.

I’ve made my peace. This is where I belong.

This is the last stand of Lazarus Jones.

In the fury of battle, amid shouts and iron rain
Imelda stood unwavering, embracing loss and pain
She watched as chaos reigned around, her heart both broke and clear
The clash of swords and thundered cries drawing destiny near

Within the swirling storm of war, a vision began to bloom
A whisper from the dying earth amidst the stench of gloom
She saw that for our future to be born, the garden must be fed
By a sacrifice so pure and bold, where dreams are never dead

As enemy lines closed in around, and blood stained sacred ground
A quiet truth emerged inside her, a resonant, solemn sound
I must die so that life may rise from these ruins of our fate
My final breath will nourish hope, my end will open heaven's gate

With eyes alight with fierce resolve, she spoke amid the roar
Let my sacrifice be the spark that heals this land once more
I offer up my fragile life to break these chains of endless night

So that from my falling, a new world may be born in light