20. Zyrith

20

ZYRITH

A iden and Maya stand before me, wide-eyed and shocked beyond belief. I hold back a chuckle, pitying the poor humans. I don’t blame them for shivering in my presence. My heart pounds with a surge of protectiveness and anger as they reach out to Lara, urging her to come with them. They do not understand; they cannot understand.

"She stays," I growl, my voice reverberating through the cavern like thunder. The air around us thickens with tension. My gaze locks onto Lara's friends, my fists balling up as my gaze hardens with resolve.

Their eyes widen at the sound of my voice, a flicker of fear crossing their faces. Good. They need to grasp the gravity of the situation.

"You don't understand," Aiden says, his voice trembling yet defiant. "We're here to save her."

Save her? From what? From me? How dare they think they can take her away? Lara belongs here, with me.

"You think you can just waltz in and take her?" My voice drops to a dangerous whisper, barely restrained fury seething beneath the surface. "You have no idea what she means to me."

I glance at Lara, who stands between us, torn and unsure. Her presence soothes my anger but fuels my determination. She cannot leave; I will not let her.

"Tell them," I urge Lara, my eyes boring into hers. "Tell them you belong here."

She hesitates, glancing between me and her friends. The conflict within her is palpable, but she must see the truth. She must choose us—choose me.

Or else, nothing good awaits the three of them.

"I won't allow you to take her," I state with finality, each word a promise etched in stone. "Lara stays with me."

The cavern falls silent except for the echoes of our breaths and the distant drip of water from unseen crevices.

They may not understand now, but they will see soon enough: Lara's place is here by my side.

Aiden's defiant eyes meet mine, his hand twitching near his weapon. But before I can act upon my instincts, he quickly lunges at me, his sharp blade piercing my skin. Pain sears through my shoulder, white-hot and relentless. A raw, primal roar escapes my throat, reverberating through the chamber like a storm unleashed.

I stagger back, clutching at the wound. Blood—thick and dark as the deepest caverns—oozes between my fingers. The agony slices through me, sharp and unyielding. My skin, impervious for centuries, now betrays me with its vulnerability.

"What have you done?" My voice echoes with a blinding rage and utmost bewilderment. How could they be so foolish?

The scent of damp rock and blood fills the air. The wound throbs in time with my heartbeat, each pulse a reminder of their audacity.

Aiden stands frozen, the weapon covered in blood in his hands. Fear and regret flicker across his face, but it’s too late for remorse.

I fight to keep my vision clear as shadows dance at the edges. Pain threatens to overwhelm me, but I cannot falter now—not in front of Lara.

Maya's gasp breaks the tension. She rushes to Aiden’s side, her eyes wide with shock and horror at what they've done.

"Lara..." I turn to her, my voice strained yet pleading. She remains rooted to the spot, her face pale and eyes wide with confusion.

Suddenly, Lara's scream pierces through the haze. "No!"

My legs falter beneath me, strength draining away as if siphoned by the wound. The world begins to blur.

"Lara," I manage to rasp, each word a struggle against the encroaching darkness. "Stay..."

Her tear-streaked face hovers above me, eyes wide with horror and helplessness. Her hands flutter uselessly at my wound, trying to stem the flow.

"Zyrith!" Her voice trembles with fear. "Hold on!"

The pain pulses through me in relentless waves, stealing my breath and dimming my vision. I hear Maya's frantic shouts, Aiden's muttered curses as they try to pull Lara away.

No! She cannot leave me.

I will myself to move, to fight against the encroaching darkness. Every fiber of my being screams in protest, but I refuse to give in. Lara needs me. She needs my strength, my protection.

"Lara..." My voice is barely a whisper now, drowned out by the pounding in my ears.

However, despite my resolve, the darkness soon wraps around me, thick and impenetrable. My body feels heavy, every breath now a monumental effort. Pain continues to sear through my body, a burning remnant of Aiden's audacity. I struggle to keep my eyes open, to cling to the last threads of consciousness.

Lara's face flickers in and out of view, her tears shimmering like fallen stars. Her voice, desperate and pleading, echoes in my mind. "Hold on," she begs, but I can feel myself slipping away.

The cavern grows colder, shadows lengthening as the light fades from my eyes. The last thing I see is Lara’s panicked face, her hand reaching out to me as if she can tether me to consciousness by sheer will alone. But it’s no use.

As I fade into unconsciousness, anguish courses through me. How could it come to this? I only wanted to protect her, to keep her safe within the sanctuary of our underground haven. My mind races with frustration and desperation. They don't understand the bond we share, the life we've built together.

The weight of my own helplessness crushes me. I was supposed to be her guardian, her protector. Yet here I lie, felled by a mere human's blade. The injustice of it all gnaws at me, tearing at the edges of my sanity.

Images of Lara flash before my eyes—her smile, her laughter, the way her eyes light up when she talks about the sun. A fierce determination wells up within me. I cannot leave her unprotected. She is everything to me.

Thoughts continue to tumble through my mind—memories of our time together, the moments of connection and understanding that bridged our differences. I cling to those memories like lifelines in the void.

A surge of warmth floods my chest at the thought of her touch, her gentle presence beside me. It's a cruel twist of fate that brings us here, teetering on the edge of despair.

Confusion muddles my racing thoughts as reality blurs with the void. Why must she suffer because of their ignorance? The question swirls unanswered in my mind.

However, despite the mounting confusion and anger at my present circumstance, one truth remains unwavering: I must protect Lara at all costs. Even as the world fades around me, that single thought burns bright and clear. Her safety is all that matters to me.

"Zyrith," her voice calls out to me in the far-off distance. "Hold on. Please."

The darkness wraps around me like a shroud, pulling me into its endless void. Yet, within this abyss, a flicker of warmth persists—Lara. Even unconscious, I sense her presence, a tether anchoring me to existence. It tugs at me, pulling me toward the light. Her fear, her confusion, and above all, her unspoken longing ripple through the void.

"Lara," I murmur in my mind, though my lips cannot form the words. Her image materializes before me—golden hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes wide with worry. "Don't leave me."

In the distance, muffled voices penetrate the haze. Aiden and Maya's frantic tones intermix with Lara's desperate pleas.

"We need to get you out of here," Aiden insists, his tone hard and unyielding. "He’s a monster."

"No! I can't leave him like this!" she insists, defiance lacing her words.

Her desperation reverberates through my being. She wants to stay. She wants to be with me.

"What are you even talking about? He’s a fucking monster! Just drop it," Maya says, her tone firm but tinged with sympathy. "He’s dangerous, Lara. We can’t risk it."

Dangerous? They do not understand what we share. They cannot comprehend what she means to me. I would never harm her. My mind struggles against the void, fighting to wake up to protect her.

"I know he seems that way," Lara says, her voice softening with an emotion I recognize—compassion. "But he's not what you think."

"You're not thinking straight," Aiden retorts. "This place is messing with your mind."

"No," she snaps back, determination flaring in her tone. "You don't understand."

Each word is a lifeline pulling me from the depths of unconsciousness. Their voices blend into a symphony of urgency and confusion.

"Lara," Maya pleads. "Come with us."

Silence stretches before Lara speaks again, her voice filled with resolve. "I can't leave him like this."

Aiden sighs, frustration evident in his tone. "We don’t have time for this crap."

"Look at him,” Lara pleads, her voice cracking with emotion. “He’s hurt because of you. We can't just abandon him," she insists.

“Lara,” Aiden’s voice softens, trying to coax her. “We need to get out of here.”

“I’m not leaving him!” Lara’s cry is fierce and resolute.

Her proximity sends warmth flooding through me—a stark contrast to the cold that numbs my body. Her hand rests gently on my wound, and I sense her resolve wavering between loyalty to me and the pull of her friends.

"Lara, cut this out," Maya urges gently. "We need to go now."

Lara’s breath hitches. Her hesitation is palpable; I can almost see the conflict etched across her face even in my mind's eye. Her fingers brush against my stone-like skin, a fleeting touch that sends ripples of warmth through my consciousness.

“Please,” she whispers, more to herself than anyone else. “Don’t make me do this.”

With one last lingering touch, I weakly feel them pull her away from me. The absence of her warmth is a physical ache that cuts deeper than any blade.

The muted sound of their retreating footsteps echoes through the cavern, growing fainter with each passing second. The darkness closes in again.

As I teeter on the edge of survival, one thing remains clear: our fates are bound together, no matter how hard they try to pull us apart.