32. Death's Decision

The guardian advances, each step reverberating through the ground like a war drum. Its form, towering and cloaked in darkness, seems larger than before—as if the hatred it exudes is feeding it. The dagger in my hand burns, as though it knows it’s our only hope, though its weight feels almost unbearable.

Shadow throws me a quick glance, his eyes pleading for something I cannot name. But I cannot step back now—not even if he asks me to. I plant my feet firmly, my body trembling, but my mind sharp. I will not let this end in silence.

“Eve, listen…” Shadow begins, his voice low and frayed with exhaustion.

“There’s nothing left to hear, Shadow. I’m not leaving you.”

He clenches his jaw, a growl of frustration and helplessness slipping from between his teeth. Yet beneath it all, I see something else in his eyes—pride. He knows I’m stubborn. But my presence is a risk he can’t afford.

The guardian lets out a thunderous laugh, a sound that makes me feel small, as though my courage were a child’s toy before its infinite power.

“Ah, love… how sweet—and utterly useless.” Its voice crashes like a storm. “Do you think love will save you? Do you think that pathetic feeling belongs here?”

It lunges faster than I expect, and I barely have time to react. Shadow springs forward like lightning, placing himself between us. His strikes are sharp and swift, but they barely graze the creature. It’s as if the guardian absorbs his strength, feeding off his desperation.

The air fills with snarls and roars. Shadow and the guardian collide in a brutal clash like I’ve never seen. The ground shakes beneath them, and the shadows that coil around the guardian move like living things, wrapping around Shadow, trying to bind him down.

My heart pounds as I watch him fight, his body a blur of raw motion. He’s fast, strong—but not indestructible. Every hit he takes cuts deeper than any wound I could bear.

I can’t stand by.

I won’t be a spectator.

Gripping the dagger tighter, I run toward them. My legs move before my mind can protest. The guardian sees me coming, and a wicked grin curls across its face, as though my courage were the punchline to a joke.

“And what will you do, little girl?” it growls, voice dripping with mockery.

I don’t answer. I let instinct guide me, thrusting the dagger toward its side.

But before I can reach it, its enormous hand flashes toward me with terrifying speed, seizing my wrist in a grip that steals the air from my lungs.

“Eve!” Shadow cries, struggling against the guardian’s shadows pinning him to the ground.

The guardian lifts me as if I weigh nothing, pulling me toward its face. Its burning red eyes are endless pits of darkness, and for a moment, I feel myself drowning in them.

“Your courage is admirable… but wasted,” it hisses, its voice a poisonous whisper.

“And your death… will be the perfect lesson for him.”

I close my eyes, bracing for the end. But something inside me refuses to yield.

The dagger flares—bright, blinding. The heat intensifies, surging through me like fire. I open my eyes and see the guardian recoil, its sneer melting into something like surprise.

“What…?” it growls, abruptly releasing me.

I hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from me—but I don’t let go of the dagger. Its light intensifies, flooding the clearing. The guardian thrashes, shielding itself from the glow, and the shadows binding Shadow dissolve like smoke.

With a feral roar, Shadow breaks free and charges, his claws glinting under the dagger’s light. For the first time, the guardian falters.

“Eve—now!” Shadow shouts.

I don’t hesitate. I rise and rush toward them. The dagger feels alive in my grip, guiding my every step.

As Shadow strikes the guardian, I drive the blade deep into its chest.

A deafening scream tears through the night. Everything stops.

The guardian stumbles, its immense body beginning to crumble—ash drifting on the wind.

The light pulses one final time, then fades, and silence falls over the forest.

Shadow looks at me, his chest heaving. He’s bloodied, bruised—but still standing.

Me?

My legs give out.

I collapse to my knees.

“We… we did it,” I whisper, my voice barely a breath.

Shadow comes to me and kneels, placing his hands on my shoulders. His eyes—always burning with resolve—are soft now. Vulnerable.

“Eve… you don’t know how close you came to…”

His voice breaks. And for the first time, I see him without his mask of invincibility.

“But I didn’t,” I say, trying to smile. “I’m here. With you.”

He doesn’t reply. He only pulls me into his arms, his body trembling slightly. The warmth of his embrace wraps around me, and for a moment, all the pain, the fear, the hopelessness—vanish.

But deep down, we both know…

This wasn’t the final battle.

We’ve defeated the guardian—but the road to freedom still stretches before us, riddled with shadows.

And though we’re together now, the world will not let our love bloom without cost.

Fate has granted us a reprieve.

But the war… is far from over.