Nicole's tears had dried, but the sadness lingered in her chest like a heavy stone. She stood beside Jasper, her hand still gripping the sword she had used against Clarice. The room was now quiet, except for the faint sound of their breathing and the distant echo of Clarice's footsteps fading into the night.
Jasper's grip on Nicole tightened, his eyes a dark void that seemed to pull in all the light around them. She could feel the corruption within him, a malevolent force that was slowly consuming the man she loved. But in his embrace, there was still a hint of the warmth she remembered, a flicker of the man he used to be.
"I'm sorry," Jasper whispered, his voice strained as if speaking pained him. "I'm trying to fight it, but it's stronger than ever."
Nicole placed her free hand on his cheek, her eyes searching his for any sign of the man she knew. "We'll fight it together," she promised, her voice trembling but resolute. "I won't lose you to this darkness."
