SCARALUMI One-Shot: "Fading Light"

Lumine had always been a pillar of warmth and kindness in Scaramouche’s life. Their relationship had been everything—full of love, laughter, and quiet moments where only the two of them existed in their own little world. He adored her more than he could ever put into words. She was his light, his "sunshine," as he loved to call her. But now, as she stood before him, her words pierced through him like a knife.

"I'm tired with this relationship," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyes, those eyes he’d spent countless hours memorizing, avoided his gaze, and he could see the faint tremor in her hands.

Scaramouche’s heart dropped. "Isn't I enough for you?" His voice cracked as the sting of her words hit him. "Have I done something wrong? Tell me, Lumine. Tell me what’s going on."

Lumine bit her lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She wanted to scream the truth—to tell him everything. About the arranged marriage her parents had forced upon her, the man who made her feel small, the anger that had been eating at her heart. She wanted to tell him that leaving him wasn’t her choice, that she loved him more than anything, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t risk dragging him into the mess of her life. She couldn’t break his heart any more than she already had.

"I'm sorry," was all she could manage before she turned and walked away, leaving him standing in the hallway, completely crushed.

---

The days that followed were filled with tension. Lumine's parents continued to push for the marriage, seeing her as a tool to solidify their position in the world, while Scaramouche grew colder, more distant. He started mocking her, humiliating her in front of others, as if to make her feel the same pain he was feeling. If he was suffering, so should she. It was his twisted form of revenge, and it hurt her more than anything.

She tried to endure, for her brother Aether's sake, who had become her sole ally, the only one who intervened when their parents tried to break her spirit. He hated seeing Scaramouche treat her this way, but Lumine always pleaded with him to leave Scaramouche alone. She didn’t want to lose him entirely.

---

It was a day like any other when it happened.

Lumine was at the whiteboard, solving a problem in front of the class, when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her chest. Before she could even process what was happening, she coughed, and crimson stained her hand. Her heart raced, but she quickly wiped it away, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

But then, she coughed again, more violently this time. Blood splattered against the whiteboard, and the room fell silent. Her classmates stared, some in shock, others laughing at her expense. Scaramouche stood at the back of the room, his expression unreadable.

“Lumine?” Amber called out, her voice filled with concern. Mona and Venti stood close behind, watching in silence as Lumine excused herself, trying to steady her breathing.

But Aether was already at her side, his protective instincts kicking in as he grabbed her by the arm. “Lumine, what’s going on?” he demanded, his voice trembling with worry.

Before she could answer, she stumbled, her vision blurring. She collapsed into his arms, gasping for breath. Aether immediately called for help, panic rising in his chest as he shouted for someone to call an ambulance.

---

At the hospital, the diagnosis was grim. Stage 4 cancer. The doctors said Lumine had little time left. Scaramouche, who had arrived in a frantic rush, was confronted by Aether, who couldn’t hold back his anger anymore.

“You did this!” Aether shouted, fists clenched. “You made her suffer like this! All because you couldn’t understand her pain!”

Scaramouche stood frozen, unable to respond. He hadn’t known. He hadn’t known any of this. He had been too blinded by his own hurt to see what she was truly going through.

---

The next three days were a blur of hospital visits, weak smiles, and shattered hearts. Lumine was fading, her energy draining with each passing hour. Scaramouche, heartbroken and full of regret, couldn’t stand the thought of losing her. He had been cruel to her—pushing her away when all she needed was his support.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered one evening, when Lumine had agreed to go with him to watch the sunset, a small request of hers she’d always loved. The sun was setting, casting a golden hue across the sky, but it felt like the light was slipping away from him. “I’ve been terrible to you. I should’ve been there for you. I didn’t know…”

Lumine smiled weakly, her hand reaching for his. “I didn’t want you to know,” she admitted, her voice soft. “I didn’t want to burden you with my pain. I thought… if I pushed you away, maybe you’d be free from me.”

Scaramouche shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "I love you, Lumine. I don’t care about your pain. I would’ve stayed with you no matter what."

Her eyelids fluttered, and she leaned against his shoulder, her breath shallow. "Don’t blame yourself, Scara… I love you…" She paused, her words fading as her eyes closed, and her smile was the last thing he saw before she slipped away.

---

Scaramouche held her as if he could will her back to life, but it was too late. Lumine was gone.

“I love you too… my sunshine,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he kissed her forehead one last time, the weight of his regret and guilt crashing down on him.

He had never told her how much he truly loved her, and now, he would never get the chance.

---

As the sun set in the distance, Scaramouche stayed there, watching the sky slowly turn dark. He had lost the one person who had ever truly made him feel whole. And now, all he had were the fading echoes of her love and the memories of the warmth she had once brought to his life.

Welp I'm literally cried while written this💀😭

Please don't take this shit seriously