CE, Full Circle

Contest entry with for 's contest (AKA, Team Diode)
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Silence


For a moment, the stifling wind and smoke seemed to cease with the clearing of the dust. Critical mass had been reached, and their victory now complete, these three now stood to receive the spoils of their actions.
Some may have chosen death over this however.
His tattered remains, disconnected and fully crystalized, bearing only a similarity of a carved effigy of Syron's image. Collapsed on his back, his face seemed to be gazing at them, his arm out stretched to the beholders, as if a final plea for relief from his descent into oblivion. A glistening reminder of the being that once was.
None took pride in this moment. No one at all.
She had never wept so bitterly before. Ever since her involvement, she had hoped for some remedy, some cure to be found, praying it would never come to this. She loved him... and now his body, and her heart, lay shattered, never to be mended...
It wouldn't stop shaking. His hand wouldn't stop shaking. He saw his blast strike the transformed Syron. He knew it was him who delivered the final blow. It felt like betrayal. Someone so diligent when he was still conscious... someone he envied to a degree.
Like Macbeth of old, Faulkner couldn't picture his hands clean from the blood he would have spilt...
Kaius was still under shock from the Lens of Betrayal. But now with it destroyed, his consciousness faded back, his mind already weighed down with what he had done under the accursed artifact's influence. On his knees, he slowly lifted his head, beholding the remains of the one he called "son."
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The price of salvation is no greater, than when it passes through our own hands...

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So for this, I did the lineart and the background. Experimented with some of the layer effects, and frankly, I was pretty satisfied with how it worked on the highlights! Still not satisfied with the metallic textures, but that'll come with time. I'm pretty sure this isn't how the canon story ends, but both me and Ulta agreed we wanted to capture a moment with more emotion behind it. It only seemed appropriate to give a written accompaniment as well. Enjoy!