56. The Shadow Game

The tension in the air is unbearable. The man standing before us is not just an enemy; he is a living threat, a force determined to tear apart everything we've fought to build. The face he shows me is a blend of arrogance and malicious delight. I'm not surprised he was behind it all—but still, my heart pounds faster with every word he speaks.

“You're not getting out of this, Eve.”

His smile is cruel, like he knows something we don't. My body tightens, and though I try to stay strong, a part of me trembles inside. The bond I share with Shadow keeps me anchored—but at the same time, I feel we’re standing too close to the edge of an abyss. One we might not come back from.

Shadow steps forward, fists clenched. His gaze locks onto the man with the force of a storm barely held back. I don’t know if he would strike—or if it's just rage consuming him—but there’s something in his stance, in the way he positions himself in front of me, that tells me he's willing to do whatever it takes to protect me.

“What do you want from me?” Shadow asks, his voice low, dangerous. There's no mistaking it—he’s fighting the urge to leap into battle. But I know we can't win this with brute strength alone. We need a strategy—something to tip the scales.

The figure before us laughs again—but this time, it’s a colder, more calculated sound.

“What I want, Shadow, is simple. I want *her* to choose.”

His words are a sharpened blade, slicing straight through my heart.

“I want her to decide if she stays with you—or joins me. Because in the end, everyone has a price, Eve. And you... you're no different.”

My legs falter slightly, and though I try to keep my composure, I know my eyes betray the fear and desperation churning inside me. He isn’t just toying with us—he’s toying with our feelings, our loyalty, our love. And that’s the most dangerous part of all.

He takes a step toward me, his presence wrapping around me like a shroud of cold. I feel exposed, but I don’t dare step back—not in front of him, and certainly not in front of Shadow. No matter how much I burn inside, I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me afraid.

“What does that mean?” I ask, my voice trembling, but with a glimmer of defiance. I can't help it. Something inside me demands I stand up to him. Maybe it’s the fury at being manipulated like this. Or maybe it’s because, as much as I want to believe nothing can ever come between Shadow and me, a small part of me still fears the possibility.

The man’s smile widens, and his eyes soften—as if he’s savoring the confusion he’s planted in me.

“It means that if you want to survive this, Eve, you’ll have to make a choice. There’s no escape.”

His tone is gentler now, almost sympathetic. Like he’s offering me a way out—even though I know there is none.

“Your love for Shadow, your loyalty to him... it’s your weakness. And I know how to break that weakness.”

His words strike me like lightning—knocking the breath out of me. But I don’t fall. I *won’t* fall. I can’t let this man—this predator who clearly takes pleasure in our pain—tear us apart. No matter how hard he tries to manipulate us, divide us, destroy us... I chose Shadow. And I won’t undo that choice.

But I can’t lie to myself: something in his words *does* echo inside me.

What if we’re not ready for what’s coming?

What if, in the end, this choice is what undoes us?

Shadow seems to read my thoughts. He turns to me with an intense gaze, eyes locked onto mine. He doesn’t say a word—but in that look, I feel the promise: *He won’t let us fall. He won’t let us lose.* And that’s all I need. I won’t let fear make my choices. I choose to fight.

“Why don’t you do us a favor... and leave?”

Shadow’s voice is cold and steady, laced with a defiance that makes my chest swell. He’s holding back a storm, and I can see the effort it takes. But there’s something unshakable in him—something powerful. Something that gives me hope.

The man, however, doesn’t flinch at the provocation. He stands there, calm as a shadow waiting in silence. He knows this is a game—but it’s not the kind where everyone walks away.

“Because what I have to offer you, Shadow, is far more tempting than any threat you can imagine. And you know it.”

The shadow he’s cast over the room thickens, and though I try not to show it, fear creeps back in. But there's no time for hesitation. Not now.

“If you try to tear us apart, I *will* destroy you,” I say. My voice quivers at first, but grows steadier with each word. I say it with every ounce of conviction I have. I don’t know if it will be enough—but I have to try. The fate of our bond, of everything we’ve built, hangs in the balance. We can’t surrender. We can’t give in.

He looks at me in silence for a few seconds, as if weighing my words. His gaze pierces through me, and for a moment—I think I see it. A flicker of doubt in his eyes. Did I get through to him? Did I shake his control?

I don’t know.

But then something in his face shifts. The smile fades, replaced by something colder, more deliberate. The game is still his. And even if he looks like he’s losing... he’s only waiting for the right moment to strike.

And *that* is what terrifies me most:

That we still have no idea when he will.