Chapter 153 - We’re Together
The golem advanced, its massive limbs sweeping through the trees like a child brushing away tall grass.
Tave and Vanya sat high upon its broad head, steady amidst the rhythmic sway of its movement. From here, they could see the forest like a sea of shadows. And yet, despite the weight of what awaited them, they rode forward with unwavering resolve.
It would’ve been safer to remain hidden, to use stealth and shadows, like they had always done. But that was no longer an option. Vanya had to stay connected to the golem. Her energy intertwined with its core, fueling its strength. As long as she maintained that link, she could command it. But it came at a cost: visibility. Vulnerability.
The pressure around them was thick and undeniable. This might not be enough, not against what was coming.
The demons were still out there. Numerous. Ruthless. And among them, a Named Demon. A true nightmare bound in flesh and fury. And they weren’t just facing it for survival. No, they were standing against it for everything. For what came next.
Tave’s gaze drifted to Vanya. Her posture was composed, her face calm, eerily so. As though the chaos of the world barely stirred her surface.
He exhaled quietly.
How fitting, how painful, to see her like this. When he remembered the role he had written for her.
Vanya Zylven, the Crowned Princess of Vensalor. In the story he once crafted, she was selfless to a fault. Always putting the lives of others before her own. She fought not for glory, but for duty, for her people, her home, and even for those whose role was to protect her.
And in the end... she died for them.
She died shielding her father, the King, from a strike meant to end it all. A sacrifice that gained nothing in return. Both their lives lost, the battle still unwon.