Pact of Blood
They were a battalion of two, standing guard over a door that could never be opened.
"Ready?" he asked.
Laura watched a wave of shadow form in the distance, a vanguard of the next assault. She felt the Codex surge in her blood, not as a parasite, but as a sword.
"Ready," she said.
They didn't look back at the lives they had left behind. There was no path home. There was only the duty, the pact, and the infinite, unending war.
They stepped forward into the darkness, two silhouettes against the cold, uncaring stars, ready to face the gods that had once dared to claim them. The world was safe, and they were the only ones who would ever pay the price.