17. Malakai

17

MALAKAI

I awaken slowly, my mind foggy, my body heavy with exhaustion. For a moment, I'm disoriented, unsure of where I am or what has happened. But then, as my vision clears, I see her - Evelyn, my love, my heart, my everything.

She's sitting by my bedside, her face drawn and pale, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. But when she sees me stir, her expression transforms, a smile of pure joy and relief spreading across her features.

"Malakai," she breathes, her voice choked with emotion. "You're awake. Oh, thank the gods, you're awake."

She leans down, peppering my face with kisses, her tears falling like rain upon my skin. I reach up weakly, my hand cupping her cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin and the warmth of her touch.

"Evelyn," I whisper, my voice hoarse and raw. "What… What happened? The last thing I remember..."

She shakes her head, her smile never wavering. "You saved me," she murmurs, her forehead resting against mine. "You gave up your power, your very essence, to bring me back from the brink of death. But in doing so, you...you became human, Malakai. Fully human."

I nod slowly, the realization settling over me like a heavy cloak. I had known, even as I poured my life force into Evelyn, that there would be a price to pay. That in saving her, I would lose the very thing that had defined me for so long - my demonic power, my immortality, my strength.

But as I look into her eyes, as I feel the depth of her love, the strength of her devotion, I know that it was a price worth paying. That she is worth any sacrifice, any loss, any pain.

"I went through your things," Evelyn says softly, breaking me out of my reverie. "The coins in your purse, Malakai...there's so much wealth there. Enough to last us a lifetime, and then some."

I chuckle weakly, my hand finding hers and squeezing gently. "The benefits of being a demon lord, I suppose," I murmur, my eyes twinkling with mirth. "Centuries of tributes and offerings, all stored away in a magic purse. I never had much use for it, until now."

Evelyn smiles, her eyes shining with a mix of love and wonder. "We can do anything, Malakai," she whispers, her voice filled with excitement and possibility. "We can travel the world, build a home, start a family. We have a whole lifetime ahead of us, a whole world to explore together."

I nod, my heart swelling with joy and anticipation I have never known before. A lifetime with Evelyn, a world of endless possibilities and adventures. It is a gift beyond measure, a dream I never dared to dream.

The days that follow are a blur of healing and discovery, of laughter and tears and moments of breathtaking beauty. Evelyn never leaves my side, her gentle hands tending to my wounds, her soft voice soothing my fears and doubts.

She helps me to navigate the strange and wondrous world of humanity, to revel in the simple joys of mortal life. We take long walks in the sunshine, marveling at the beauty of nature and the warmth of the breeze against our skin.

We spend long hours talking and laughing, sharing our hopes and dreams, our fears and vulnerabilities. Sometimes I want to conquer, the urge to kill and destroy becoming too much. But then I hold her hand, and it passes, just like the time through my hands.

And slowly, day by day, I begin to heal. My body grows stronger, my mind clearer, my heart lighter. I learn to embrace my humanity, to see it not as a weakness, but as a strength, a gift, a chance to be the man I was always meant to be.