Chapter 513: Darkness Within
"Thank you, Luke," I whispered, tears of gratitude blurring my vision.
He shook his head, his back still turned towards me. "Don’t forget what you promised."
I nodded, a heavy weight settling in my stomach. Luke had proven more reasonable than I’d expected, but it hadn’t come without a price. His words held an unspoken threat: R’lissea’s life hung in the balance, dependent on my continued usefulness.
The weight of that responsibility pressed down on me, a suffocating darkness. I gasped as a sharp pain pierced my chest, my body trembling. My vision blurred, the edges swirling with shadows.
No, wait... those aren’t just shadows. Blackness materialized around me, tendrils of darkness reaching out like grasping claws. The temperature plummeted, and I shivered uncontrollably, my legs threatening to give way. This wasn’t just the burden of responsibility; something was wrong, something emanating from my very soul.
As I staggered back, hugging myself in a futile attempt to conserve warmth, Fable was suddenly there, his body encircling mine and preventing me from falling. I collapsed against him, barely registering his familiar scent, and sobbing in relief as his heat flooded me. I clung to his fur, whimpering as violent tremors wracked my body. There was no physical pain, no burning in my soul, just a bone-chilling cold... and a suffocating despair.
I dimly heard someone shouting my name and felt a wave of life magic wash over me. It dulled the frigid cold, but the tremors continued. Tears streamed down my face as an anguish that wasn’t my own overwhelmed me.
A gasp pierced the air, followed by the abrupt retreat of R’lissea’s mana and presence. Powerful auras erupted around me, belonging to my friends and Luke. Shouts and explosions echoed, deafeningly loud to my sensitive ears. Shock waves rolled off my wards, the turbulent tides of mana making me nauseous. I clung tighter to Fable, my mind reeling. What’s happening? Why are they fighting?
The cold was paralyzing, stealing my ability to think clearly. Mustering all my strength, I turned inward, diving into the shadows that encroached upon my soul, desperately trying to regain control of my bond with Haven. It was like trying to close a door against a raging flood, the pressure mounting as more cold and darkness poured into me.