The villain's twisted grin widened as he took another step closer, his voice dripping with malicious satisfaction. "Your little elf… how's he holding up?"
I stood my ground, gripping Orpheus' staff. "Pretty good," I said, my voice steady, though my heart pounded with anticipation. "I won't let him die this time."
The villain let out a low, dark chuckle, shaking his head. "Oh, you misunderstand. I'm not going to kill him."
Confusion flickered across my face. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice laced with suspicion. "Why?"
That same eerie smile lingered as the villain's eyes gleamed with cruel delight. "He's going to die without me even lifting a finger. And it's all because of him—his own choices."
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, a knot forming in my stomach. Something about the way he said it made the air around us feel heavy, oppressive.
"You really don't know?" The villain tilted his head, watching me intently. "Orpheus has been using forbidden magic—powerful, dangerous magic—just to keep meeting you in that little soul chamber of his. And not just that. He's been using another forbidden spell—one that allows him to switch places with you willingly."
My blood ran cold at his words. "Forbidden magic?"
"Oh yes," the villain continued, clearly enjoying my reaction. "You see, such spells come at a cost. The longer he uses them, the more they drain his life force. He's been tearing his own soul apart every time he goes to you, every time he lets you take control. The clock is ticking, and soon, his body won't be able to hold on."
My heart pounded in my chest as I processed what he was saying. Orpheus... had been risking his life just to talk to me? Just to let me help him? The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.
"That's not true!" I yelled, but doubt was already gnawing at me.
The villain shrugged, raising a hand as dark energy swirled around his fingers. "Believe what you want, but you've seen it, haven't you? His strength is fading. He can't keep this up much longer. And when he's gone, you'll be all alone."
I clenched my fists, anger boiling inside me. "You're lying."
The villain's laughter echoed, cold and hollow. "Am I? Why else do you think he's been hiding it from you? He didn't want you to know. But you'll see soon enough. Forbidden magic always comes with a price, and your dear Orpheus is about to pay it in full."
I stood there, frozen, the weight of his words crushing me. Orpheus had been using forbidden magic... and it was killing him. This whole time, he had been trying to make me feel not lonely, but at what cost?
The villain grinned as he watched my confusion and desperation play out on my face. I stood there, my soul now separated from Orpheus and my own body—solid, female, and unmistakably myself—staring at him in disbelief.
"But Orpheus is still alive," I muttered, glancing back at his unconscious form. "How am I out of him?"
"A little gift from me," the villain said, his voice dripping with amusement. "It's better for him not to hear what we're about to discuss, wouldn't you agree?"
I hesitated, but he was right. Orpheus shouldn't hear this. Before he could stir, I quickly cast a sleeping spell over him. His breathing slowed as he slipped into a deep sleep.
I turned back to the villain, my mind racing with questions. "Tell me how I can save him. And who the hell are you? How do you know about me? And why is this dual life happening to me?"
The villain raised a hand, as if telling me to slow down. "One at a time," he smirked.
The villain's words echoed ominously, the weight of what he was saying sinking in slowly. Orpheus had only days left to live—two or three at most—because of his reckless use of forbidden magic. But the cost to save him was more than I could have ever imagined.
"Give him your life," the villain repeated, his voice cold and calculated. "Here, in this world, you have your own lifespan, separate from your life as Lior. Normally, you'd have another 50 years or so to live here, in Orpheus's world. Your life here and your life as Lior are entangled but separate. But because of Orpheus's forbidden magic, his lifespan has been cut drastically short. He has mere days left."
I stood there, stunned. Two lifespans? That was something I'd never fully considered before. I always thought of this life as intertwined with Orpheus's, not something independent. But now, I was realizing that my life here was just as real as my life as Lior.
"You can transfer your life force here to save him," the villain continued, his eyes gleaming with malice. "But there's a cost. For every year of your life you give to Orpheus, it will only grant him six months. And, as a bonus, the transfer will be... painful."
"Painful?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, already dreading the answer.
"Excruciating," he clarified, a wicked grin creeping across his face. "You'll feel agony like never before. Every moment you spend as Lior after the transfer will be sheer torment, ripping through your soul. And the worst part? When your time here runs out, your bond with Orpheus will be severed for good. No more lives together. It'll be over."
My heart pounded in my chest. I couldn't breathe. "So, if I give him my years here, I'll be gone from this world, but I'll still exist as Lior... in agony?"
The villain nodded. "Exactly. You'll keep living as Lior, but the pain will never leave you. And for Orpheus, it's a temporary fix at best. You'll save him, but only for a short time."
My mind was spinning. Two lives. Two separate, intertwined fates. I'd never fully grasped the complexity of it until now. I always thought of myself as one person across both worlds, but now it was clear—I had a life here, just as much as I had one as Lior.
"And what if I don't give him my life?" I asked, already fearing the answer.
"Then Orpheus dies in two or three days," the villain said simply, shrugging as if it were nothing. "You go on living both lives, knowing you could have saved him. It's your choice. But time's running out."
I felt a lump forming in my throat. The thought of losing Orpheus was unbearable, but the idea of sacrificing my life here, enduring unbearable pain as Lior, and knowing it would only prolong his life for a little while... it was horrifying. How could I possibly make this decision?
"I think I will save him," I said, my voice steady but filled with determination. The decision felt heavy, but right. "I've lived enough here already. Orphie deserves to be happy. He still has so much left to do, and… he's my favorite. This is the least I can do for him."
The villain raised an eyebrow, acknowledging my resolve with a simple nod. "Good," he replied, his tone indifferent but approving.
But something wasn't sitting right with me. The more we talked here, the more exposed I felt. Discussing something this important in front of Orpheus's unconscious body felt reckless. I glanced around, suddenly aware of the danger. What if he woke up? What if someone else was listening?
"Hey," I said, narrowing my eyes. "I don't like the idea of us standing around here, talking like this. It's making me a little suspicious. Why don't we vanish for a bit?"
Without waiting for a response, I activated my domain expansion. The space around us warped and shifted, plunging us into a reality of my own creation. It was an infinite void, an endless horizon where light flickered and twisted, creating an illusion of vastness and isolation. The ground seemed to vanish beneath our feet, replaced by shimmering threads of light that stretched into nothingness. In this space, everything was under my control.
The villain looked around, a smirk creeping across his face. "A domain, is it? Interesting... Fine. Let's talk here."
I exhaled slowly, my heart racing as I adjusted to the silence and calm of my domain. It felt safer, like a sanctuary where no one could overhear us—where I could ask what needed to be asked without fear of interruption. I turned to face him, preparing myself for the truth.
"Now, tell me," I demanded, staring him down. "What exactly do I have to do to save Orphie?"
We talked for a while in the void of my domain. He revealed things I wasn't prepared to hear—things I would reflect on later. Some pieces of information felt too big to process all at once.
Finally, with the conversation nearing its end, I released the domain, and the world around us snapped back to normal. I felt the weight of reality settle in again. Before he could leave, I stopped him with one final question.
"But why?" I asked, my voice tinged with confusion and suspicion. "Why are you helping me?"
He turned slightly, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. "I find you pitiful," he said simply, his voice cold and detached. Then, without warning, his form shimmered and disappeared into the air, leaving me standing alone.
The moment lingered for a second before I looked around, noticing the chaos that still surrounded me. The Noor beasts were prowling the area, still causing destruction, harming innocent people. But despite the mess and the danger, I now knew what needed to be done. I knew how to save Orphie.
And for the first time in a while, I felt a strange sense of purpose, even amidst the growing dread.
I walked over to where Orphie lay, his body twitching slightly, clearly in pain. My heart clenched seeing him like this. I knelt beside him, hesitating for a moment before gently kissing his hand. It wasn't about affection; it was the only way to transfer my Noor into his body. My Noor, foreign to this world, could help stabilize his soul, but the process wasn't without risks. His body would rebel against it, and it would cause him some pain. I'd have to repeat this ritual over the coming days, carefully monitoring how his body responded.
He was still asleep when I started, but as the Noor began to flow into him, he slipped into a deeper state—something like a coma. His face contorted, and I could only imagine the battle raging inside him, his body fighting against the unfamiliar energy surging through him. I stayed by his side for a moment longer, ensuring he was safe for now.
But I knew I couldn't linger. There was still a battle to fight.
With a heavy heart, I stood up, taking one last glance at Orphie before turning back to the battlefield, ready to face whatever came next.
I returned to the battlefield, feeling the intense surge of Noor flooding through me. It was overwhelming, almost too much for one person to handle. My hair and eyes had shifted, glowing golden white from the sheer magnitude of the Noor coursing through my veins. I floated effortlessly into the sky, my senses heightened, the power humming beneath my skin.
Focusing on the kingdom below, I called upon my plant magic, spreading vines across the entire area, weaving them through every street and building. With my heightened mental abilities, I could sense every living thing, sorting through the chaos, distinguishing between the people and the beasts. My mind filtered out the innocent, locking onto the monstrous Noor beasts wreaking havoc.
Then, without hesitation, I unleashed my ice magic. The air around the beasts dropped to a deadly chill, so cold that frost instantly coated their bodies. They froze solid, their movements grinding to a halt. With one final surge of power, I sent a concentrated attack across the battlefield, shattering their frozen forms. The beasts disintegrated into nothing but fine powder, their threat obliterated in an instant.
After obliterating the beasts, I remained floating above the kingdom, the destruction and chaos now replaced by a profound silence. Still connected to the land through my vines, I shifted my focus from battle to healing. Using my plant magic, I sent a gentle, soothing energy through the vines that spread across the kingdom. The vines wrapped softly around the injured, pulsing with a warm, golden glow.
As I concentrated, my healing magic began to mend wounds, soothe burns, and restore broken bones. People stirred, their pain easing as the magic flowed through them. I could feel the weight of their injuries lifting, one by one, as my Noor worked its way into their bodies. It was exhausting, draining the last reserves of my strength, but seeing the citizens of the kingdom stand again, their injuries healed, made it all worthwhile.
The golden white glow in my eyes dimmed, and I slowly descended from the sky, feeling the Noor settle within me once again. The kingdom, once torn apart by beasts, now had a chance to rebuild, with its people safe and whole.
The crowd's murmurs grew louder as they asked the inevitable question: "Who are you? What is the name of the hero who saved us?"
I froze for a moment. I couldn't say Lior—that was my name as a boy, and standing here now, in a female form, it just didn't fit. I needed something else, something that felt right for this moment. And then, like a soft breeze carrying a forgotten memory, I recalled that day with Orpheus.
It was one of our lighter moments, where I had jokingly asked him, "Now that I'm a girl sometimes, don't you think calling me Lior is strange? What name would suit me better?" He hadn't hesitated. "Aelin," he'd said with a grin.
When I'd pressed him on what it meant, he told me, "Moonlight."
"Why moonlight?" I had laughed at the time, thinking it was just another one of his cryptic remarks.
But his answer had stopped me in my tracks. "Because, in my darkest night, you were the moonlight that guided me."
Back then, I'd taken it as a playful compliment, never giving it much weight. But now, standing in front of these people, knowing all the sacrifices Orpheus had made and the truth about his feelings for me—it felt so much deeper. It meant more than I could've ever realized.
So, I looked out at the sea of faces, feeling the weight of that name, and said aloud, "I am Aelin."
The word lingered in the air, soft but powerful, like the moonlight itself, casting a calm over the crowd as they accepted their savior's name.
As I turned around, I saw Asterin standing there. She looked exhausted, worn down by the chaos and crisis that had befallen her kingdom. But despite it all, she smiled at me—a warm, genuine smile that softened her weary expression.
"My brother has great taste," she said, her voice light yet meaningful. "So, you're the girl he likes." Her eyes gleamed with understanding. "His choice sure is good."
I froze, feeling a rush of emotions. I wasn't sure how to respond, and the weight of her words hit me hard. She knew. Of course, she knew. It wasn't just a playful comment; there was warmth and approval behind it.
I looked at her, unable to hide the mix of surprise and confusion. My mind raced, but all I could manage was a weak smile in return, unsure of what to say.
"Asterin, I have a favor to ask," I said, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside. "Can you handle things here for a while? I need to take care of Orpheus."
She looked at me, reading the concern in my eyes, and nodded without hesitation. "Go," she said softly. "He needs you."
With her approval, I made my way back to Orpheus. Carefully, I lifted him into my arms, feeling the weight of his exhaustion as he remained unconscious. His breathing was shallow but steady. He looked fragile, almost too fragile for someone who was always strong
I took him to his room, the familiar space offering a strange comfort. Gently laying him down, I grabbed a clean cloth and dampened it with water, carefully wiping the dirt and blood from his hands and face. Each stroke was slow, deliberate, and full of care. I paused for a moment, watching his peaceful face, wishing that somehow this would be enough to save him.
"You'll be okay, Orphie," I whispered softly, the words more of a promise to myself than to him.