Cedric's body was found days later by a battalion sent from the kingdom. His sword still rested in his lifeless grasp, his expression one of peace. The Demon King's fortress lay in ruins, its dark magic vanquished forever.
The kingdom mourned him. Cedric the Radiant, the Paladin of the Silver Flame, had given his life to save them all.
His body was carried back to the capital, draped in the banners of the royal house. The King himself presided over his funeral, and the people gathered in the thousands to witness the burial of their greatest hero. Statues were erected in his honor. Songs were sung about his sacrifice.
For a time, his name was etched into history.
But as the years passed, the world moved on.
New heroes rose. New battles were fought. Cedric's name faded into legend, then into myth, and finally into nothing. His statues crumbled, his deeds forgotten. The people he had saved lived their lives, unaware of the lone warrior who had given everything for them.
And so, Cedric became what he had always been—a solitary figure, uncelebrated in life and lost in death.
A true paladin.
A forgotten warrior.