14. Evelyn

14

EVELYN

A s the echo of the demon lord's final scream fades away, I turn my attention to the artifact, still pulsing with that sickly, malevolent energy atop the altar. Despite our victory over the invasion, I know that our work is not yet done. The artifact remains a threat, a conduit of dark power that could be used by others to fulfill the prophecy.

I race to the altar, my mind spinning with possibilities, my heart pounding with a newfound sense of urgency. I know that we must find a way to destroy the artifact, to ensure that its power can never again be used for evil.

I search frantically over the rough stone, my fingers tracing the faded glyphs and symbols carved into its surface, hoping to find some clue, some hint of how to unmake this terrible object.

And then, in a moment of breathless discovery, I find it. A single line of text, etched into the base of the altar, that I've been pondering. A sacrifice made in love. But somehow, impossibly, I understand its meaning, the words searing themselves into my mind with a clarity that takes my breath away.

"Only a sacrifice born of pure love can destroy the artifact," I whisper, my voice trembling with the weight of the revelation. "A willing sacrifice, freely given, with no thought of self or gain."

I close my eyes, my heart clenching with a pain that has nothing to do with the chaos of the recent battle. Because I know, with a certainty that goes beyond doubt or fear, that I am the only one who can make that sacrifice.

My love for Malakai, the bond that ties us together, is the purest, most powerful force I have ever known. It is a love that transcends all boundaries, all limitations, a love that would willingly lay down its life for the sake of the other.

And in that moment, I understand what I must do.

I turn to Malakai, my eyes brimming with tears, my heart breaking with the knowledge of what I am about to say. "Malakai," I call out, my voice barely audible over the eerie silence that now fills the chamber. "I know how to destroy the artifact, to make sure it can never be used again."

He turns to me, his eyes widening with a mixture of hope and trepidation. "How?" he asks, his voice still raw from the exertion of the battle.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for his reaction. "I have to sacrifice myself," I say, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "Our love, our bond...it's the only thing strong enough to shatter the artifact, to destroy its power forever."

Malakai's face contorts with anguish, his eyes blazing with a desperate, furious denial. "No," he growls, his voice cracking with emotion. "No, Evelyn, you can't. I won't let you, I can't lose you, not now, not after everything we've been through..."

I step forward, my hand reaching out to cup his cheek, my thumb brushing away the tears that streak his face. "Malakai," I whisper, my voice soft but unyielding. "This is the only way. The only way to ensure that the demon lord's evil can never return, that our world will be safe, that we can have a future together."

He shakes his head, his eyes squeezing shut, his body trembling with the force of his grief. "I can't," he chokes out, his voice a broken whisper. "I can't do this. You're everything to me, everything..."

I lean forward, my forehead resting against his, my breath mingling with his own. "I know," I murmur, my own tears falling freely now. "But you have to be strong, Malakai. For me, for our love. You have to let me go."

He takes a shuddering breath, his hands coming up to frame my face, his eyes locking with mine in a gaze of pure, anguished love. "I love you," he whispers fiercely, his voice a raw, desperate plea. "I will always love you, Evelyn. In this life and the next, beyond death, beyond time itself. I will find you every time."

I nod, a sad smile tugging at my lips even as my heart shatters within my chest. "And I will always love you, Malakai," I breathe, my voice barely more than a whisper. And then, before he can stop me, before I can lose my nerve, I turn and race towards the altar, my heart pounding, my mind clear with the certainty of my purpose. I can hear Malakai screaming my name behind me, his voice raw with desperation and fear, but I do not look back.

I reach the altar, my hands grasping the artifact, my eyes closing as I pour every ounce of my love, my strength, my very soul into the stone. I feel it begin to heat beneath my fingers, the energy within it building to a fever pitch, the very air around me crackling with power.

And then, in a blinding flash of light and pain, I feel my life force flowing out of me, merging with the artifact, shattering it into a thousand glittering shards. I hear Malakai's anguished cry and feel the rush of his power as he tries to reach me, to save me.

But it is too late. The deed is done, the artifact destroyed, the world saved by the power of our love. And as I fall, my body crumpling to the ground, my vision fading to black, I feel a sense of peace, of completion, knowing that I have given my life for the one I love, for the world we fought so hard to protect.

The last thing I see is Malakai's face, hovering over me, his eyes wide with horror and grief, his lips forming words I cannot hear. And then, there is only darkness, and the fading echo of our love, a love that will endure beyond death, beyond time itself. A love that has saved the world, even as it shatters my own.