There was a nervous quiet throughout the castle for the next few days. Elara knew she needed time to collect her thoughts, her strength, and a strategy, so she avoided the throne chamber where Caden, now the Dark Lord, dwelt. Despite her best efforts to stay away from him, the castle appeared to work against her, guiding her to locations where recollections of their past would plague her.
After a very restless day, Elara found herself walking the eastern wing of the castle one evening—a location she hadn't been since her homecoming. The hallways featured low lighting, with the warm stone walls receiving lengthy shadows from the flames. In the past, Caden had frequently sought solace here from the duties of the crown in order to find solitude.
While strolling, The Caden Elara knew, with his soft smile, his chuckle at her attempts to cheer him up, and the warmth of his embrace, occupied her thoughts. She struggled to make sense of those recollections given who he had grown into. Could she really get through to him? Could she save him from the chasm he had stumbled into?
Elara became lost in contemplation and only realized too late that there was someone watching her from the shadows. As she rounded a corner, she saw him standing before her: Caden, the Dark Lord, his icy demeanor in stark contrast to the kindness she had recalled.
Breath seizing in her throat, Elara froze. Before her stood a guy whose features had nearly disappeared, his once-bright eyes taking on a chilly, gloomy tint carved from years of suffering and rage. Dark energy appeared to crackle through the air around him, a tangible force that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
Caden's voice was soft, hardly audible, but it was heavy with the darkness that had taken hold of him. "Elara," he said. "I've been avoiding you."
With her heart racing in her chest, Elara took a deep breath. "I needed time to reflect and process what had happened."
With narrow eyes, he stepped closer. "And what have you comprehended?"
She refused to back down, meeting his eyes. "that, Caden, you're still in there. There, somewhere, is still the man I knew and loved.
Something flashed in his eyes for a split second, something that recalled her of the former Caden in her life. But it vanished in an instant, giving way to a cold, calculating glare.
"Elara, the man you knew is gone," he stated in an emotionless voice. "You ought to have stayed out of it."
His comments made Elara's heart hurt, but she was not going to believe them. "I don't think so. Caden, I am familiar with you. You and I are the best of friends. This darkness isn't your true self.
Caden's face became sterner. "You have no idea what I've turned into. My hands are stained with blood from the atrocities I've done. Nothing can undo the fact that I am now the Dark Lord.
Elara stepped forward and spoke firmly. "I won't take that at all. I made a vow to return; therefore, I did. I pledged to save you.
With his hands balled into fists by his sides, Caden's jaw tightened. I am not salvable, Elara. Not at this moment.
She felt a flood of fury wash over her. "You're not correct! I have already saved you once and I will again. What you've done or how far you've fallen doesn't matter to me. Whatever it takes, I'll find a way to get you back.
The air appeared to get colder, and Caden's eyes became darker. "And what happens if I choose not to be saved? Elara, what if I've come to terms with the darkness? What if this is my current identity?
Elara's determination faltered for the first time, and her breath stuck in her throat. But she ignored her misgivings right away and didn't let hope fade. Then she murmured, frightened but resolute, "I'll fight it. "Until there is nothing left of the darkness inside of you, I will fight it."
They stood silently for a long while, their tension heavy and oppressive. Caden's cool appearance belied the conflict within, and Elara felt the weight of his stare on her. She was aware that he was still battling, both against the darkness and against himself, deep down.
At last, Caden said words in a low tone that carried a subtle danger. Elara, you don't realize what you're up against. This gloom It has more power than you could ever know. It will obliterate you.
The anguish in his voice broke Elara's heart, but she wouldn't give in. "I don't fear it." I'm not scared Caden of you.
Caden's lips curled into a bitter grin. "You ought to be."
Caden turned and vanished into the darkness before Elara could reply, leaving her alone herself in the chilly, deserted hallway. The incident had shaken her, but it had also strengthened her resolve. No matter how many times he pushed her away or how much darkness was all around him, she would not give up on him.
She would manage to get through to him, remind him of the love they had once experienced, and pull him back from the brink. However, Elara couldn't get rid of the notion that the fight ahead would be harder and riskier than she had ever anticipated as she made her way back to her rooms.