I grit my teeth. The chains pulse with every word, like they’re alive—digging in deeper.
Fear creeps in, sharp and unfamiliar. I can’t even name it.
My magic is just out of reach. The chains are draining it. Feeding off it. I try to summon something, anything—a flash, a beam—but even the lines that usually light my skin barely react. Just a faint shimmer emerges.
One flicker. That’s it. One fragile glow in all this dark.
The chains snap tighter around my wrists. Sparks flash, and I flinch.
I glance across the plain. Shadows writhe there, tangled and alive. Movement. A struggle. In that moment, my chest clenches with something deeper than fear.
I am not strong enough to help. I’m going to lose her.
I force myself to breathe and count the seconds. Then I push forward, forcing each step through pain and resistance. My arms burn, my muscles scream, every motion a battle with the ground, with the chains, with my own rising panic. My pulse hammers in my ears, every beat counting down the time I have…or don’t have.
I try to summon my magic again, but the chains twist tighter, punishing me. Sparks bite my skin, singe hair and clothing. I stagger, nearly collapsing, but I force myself upright.
I have to get to her. I won’t fail her. Icannotfail her.
Another surge. I yank against the chains, twisting and pulling, muscles screaming. My light flares along my skin, trying to push back the bindings. Pain bites harder, white-hot along my forearms and back, causing me to nearly scream, but I bite it down.
Another flicker of movement in the shadows, just at the edge of my vision. My pulse jumps. Fear, panic, and desperation flood through me.
She’s struggling. And I—I swallow hard.I can’t reach her.
I stumble. Step by agonizing step, my arms threaten to give out, my legs wobble beneath me, and every surge of light I summon is weaker than the last.
Yet I do not stop. Pain coils like a snake through my body, my fingers tremble, my jaw aches from clenching. Every fiber of my being screams for me to quit. My pulse continues to race, and sweat pours down my face. But the image of her struggling, the thought of losing her, hurts me more than chains ever could. So I move forward. Step by step. Pulling and straining.
I have to get to her. I won’t fail her. Iwon’t.
------------? ? ? ? ?------------
Serenya
Chains made from shadow bite into my arms, my legs, my torso.They tighten with every motion I make. My magic lashes out, black tendrils writhing, trying to fight the bonds, but they resist.
I glance across the open plain, sensing him in the gold light, trembling in his own struggle. A wave of helplessness strikes me, icy and sharp.
He’s there, struggling. And I can’t reach him. I can’t help.
The ground beneath me tilts, causing me to stumble. Claws of shadow lash for purchase, but even they fray under the tension. Pain blooms in my shoulders, my back, my legs. Sweat stings my eyes.
I am not strong enough. Not fast enough. I will lose him because of it.
My throat tightens, tears filling my eyes. Every motion I make is pure agony. My limbs shake like they might betray me entirely.
Another flicker of gold in the corner of my vision. My shadows twitch instinctively, pulling toward it. I push again, and his light reaches toward my darkness, brushing the edges, steadying me. My shadows respond, weaving around it, fortifying.A strange warmth fills my chest.
We’re…working together.
I feel his strength, the way his effort mirrors mine. His light steadies me in this darkness, my shadows bracing his light.
The chains flare in anger, tightening faster. Pain radiates, sharper than before. My breath comes in ragged gasps. My shoulders burn, my back screams, and my feet slip again. Every second feels like an eternity. Every step feels like the last I can take.
The constellations above shudder. Sweat and blood streak my skin, and my knees threaten to give out. But I refuse to let go.
I will not lose him. Icannotlose him.
