24. Zyrith

24

ZYRITH

M y steps resonate through the forest with the ferocity of an avalanche. Each footfall reverberates through the frozen ground, the sound juxtaposed to the muffled stillness of the winter landscape. The sight of the snow-covered forest barely registers—my thoughts consumed by Lara. Her warmth, her touch, her presence. Taken from me. I feel the raw power coursing through my stone-like limbs, driven by a singular purpose: to reclaim her.

Branches claw at me as I advance, their feeble resistance nothing against my momentum. Snow clings to my cracked exterior. Each flake is a reminder of the eons I've spent in solitude underground. My eyes blaze with outrage and anguish. A fire that burns brighter with each step closer to her.

The cold air bites at my exposed surfaces, but it pales in comparison to the searing heat within me. The forest is a labyrinth of white and dark brown, but my senses are attuned to one thing alone: Lara's presence.

Her scent lingers in the air, mingled with that of her friends—those who dare to tear us apart. My heart pounds like a war drum, each beat echoing with the vow of retribution. The anguish I felt when she was ripped from my grasp morphs into an unrelenting determination.

The wind carries their voices to me—frantic whispers, laden with urgency.

“He's coming for you at any cost.” It’s her friend Aiden’s voice, strained and filled with concern.

I can almost taste their fear, sharp and metallic on my tongue. It fuels me further, propelling me through the forest with relentless force.

A break in the trees reveals them at last. My eyes narrow as I close in on their figures. Lara stands between them, her breath forming small clouds in the frigid air. My gaze locks onto her, her golden hair a beacon amidst the desolation. Her eyes dart around, searching, yearning for something she knows is near. She looks torn, caught between loyalty to her friends and something deeper that binds her to me.

My eyes glance over to Aiden and Maya. They do not understand—they cannot fathom our deep bond. Anger surges anew, hot and fierce, threatening to consume me whole. But beneath it all lies an undercurrent of doubt—a fear that I might lose her forever.

I advance upon them, each step deliberate and unyielding. My vision blurs red the closer I get to them. Snow crunches beneath my feet, and their heads snap up in alarm. Good—they should be afraid. I am not some brute to be cast aside; I am Zyrith of the Syldravian race.

I do not speak yet; words would be wasted on them now. Instead, I let my presence do the talking, a silent promise of what is to come if they do not relent.

Lara's eyes soon meet mine, wide with shock and something else—something that tugs at the core of my being. The connection between us is a lifeline in this sea of chaos—a reminder of what is at stake. Her presence softens the edges of my frenzy as I close in on them, determined to reclaim what is rightfully mine...

Soon, my form towers before them like a colossus brought to life by vengeance itself. My eyes bore into the two trespassers of my hidden refuge. Aiden and Maya stand frozen, their expressions filled with terror. They have dared to tear Lara from my side, and their mere presence stirs a primal fury deep within. Animosity thrums through my veins, my stone-like skin vibrating with the barely contained wrath.

“You think you can just come into my sanctuary and take whatever you want?” My voice rumbles like an earthquake, the ground trembling in response. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You," I growl, my voice reverberating through the air, "have taken what is mine." The words scrape against the silence, each syllable weighted with the promise of retribution.

Aiden's eyes widen, his hand trembling as he fumbles for his weapon. His fear is palpable. Good. He should fear me. He should understand the depths of his transgression.

“You’ve made a grave mistake,” I bark. “Hand her over now, or I’ll rip you apart.”

Maya’s face pales, but she stands firm, her weapon clenched in her trembling hand.

"I will not ask again," I continue, stepping closer, each step a deliberate act of dominance. "Return Lara to me or face the dire consequences."

The tension hangs thick in the air, every breath laden with unspoken threats. My pulse throbs loudly in my ears. Each vibration seems to echo with the promise of violence.

“You think you can keep her from me? You know nothing of what I’m capable of!” I roar.

Aiden and Maya do not move; they do not speak. Their silence only fuels my temper.

"I will tear this forest apart!" I scream, my voice carrying the weight of centuries spent in solitude and longing. "I will not rest until she is by my side again."

Their faces pale further, their fear sharpening into something almost tangible. But it is not enough to quell the storm within me.

Lara continues to stand between them. She remains silent and torn. Her eyes lock onto mine, pleading for something neither side seems able to give.

“Look at her!” I bellow, feeling the cold bite deeper into my core as my aggravation intensifies. “She’s not your prisoner to save! She chose to stay with me!”

Aiden’s frightened gaze shifts to Lara for any signs of aid or reassurance of their safety.

With one final step forward, I loom over them, my shadow casting a dark pall over their forms. "Choose wisely," I say, each word dripping with menace. "For your lives depend on it."

I leave the threat hanging in the air like frost on a winter morning—tangible and deadly.

The forest holds its breath as we stand locked in this standoff. The primal part of me relishes in their fear; another part of me aches with the desperate need to have Lara back in my arms.

Suddenly, Lara moves. She throws herself between me and her friends, her slender form a fragile barrier against my rage. Tears stream down her cheeks, catching the pale winter light like glistening shards of ice.

“Lara, get out of the way!” Maya’s voice is sharp, filled with fear and confusion. “He’s going to kill us!”

I want to roar my frustration but hold back, watching as Lara’s resolve hardens. She stands in my way, her body trembling yet unwavering.

“Zyrith, please!” she pleads. Her voice cracks with desperation, each word verging on the edge of a sob. “Stop! Don’t hurt them.”

Her words hit me like a physical blow. The fire within me wavers, flickering under the weight of her plea. Her eyes—those deep pools of sorrow and love—pierce through my fierceness. I feel her anguish as if it were my own, a raw wound that refuses to heal.

I halt any further advances, my body tensing as I wrestle with conflicting urges. The desire to protect her wars with the bitterness I feel towards those who ripped her away from me.

Why does she protect them? They tore us apart, stole her from me. Yet here she stands, defiant and vulnerable, begging for their safety. Her loyalty to these humans baffles me, igniting a storm of mixed emotions.

My gaze locks onto hers, and for a moment, time stands still. The world around us fades into insignificance. I see the pain in her eyes. Suddenly, I fear losing what we have built together in our subterranean sanctuary.

She reaches out with trembling hands, palms pressed against my chest. Her touch sends ripples through my hardened exterior, softening the edges of my resolve.

“Please, Zyrith,” she begs again, her voice quivering with distress. “Don’t harm them. They just want to keep me safe.”

“Keep you safe? From what? From me?” I ask. My voice booms like distant thunder.

“Yes!” Aiden shouts, his voice tinged with agitation. “You’re a monster! You kidnapped her!”

“I did not kidnap her,” I counter, my gaze never leaving Lara’s tear-streaked face. “She chose to be with me.”

Aiden steps forward, his jaw clenched in defiance. “Lara, this thing—this creature—can’t be trusted. You need to come back home with us now.

“She will do no such thing!” I roar. I grab Lara’s arm tightly, and implore, “Why do you defend these humans when they want to take you away from me forever?”

“Because they’re my friends,” she says softly, her hands grabbing mine. “They are trying to help me. They don’t understand...”

“Understand what?” I demand, though my tone softens against my will.

“Our bond,” she replies. “What we share.” She looks deep into my eyes. “I love you, Zyrith, but I can’t let you hurt them.”

Her tears fall freely now, mingling with the snow at our feet. Each droplet is a testament to her love for me—a love that transcends our differences and defies logic.

“They do not see what we have,” I murmur, more to myself than to her.

“No, they don’t,” Lara agrees. “But that doesn’t mean they deserve harm.”

I close my eyes for a moment, feeling the warmth of her touch seep through my stone-like exterior. I let her touch ground me, anchoring my tumultuous emotions. Her words, filled with sincerity and a genuine yearning for peace, cut through the haze of anger clouding my mind.

And so I stand silent, torn between vengeance and love—a monster caught in the web of human emotion that binds us both tightly in its grip.