The air was thick with unspoken tension as the days passed in the safehouse.
Eiran barely spoke, his mind constantly wrestling with the relic's relentless pull. He trained harder than ever, often pushing himself to the point of exhaustion, his movements sharp and mechanical.
He didn't speak to Kael or Varya unless absolutely necessary, his focus entirely on mastering the power he could barely contain.
Kael watched him from a distance, the growing distance between them like a blade cutting through the air. Every time Eiran slipped into that cold, distant place, Kael felt his own heart ache.
The Eiran he knew—the one who had laughed with him, who had been his rock in their darkest moments—was slipping away.But what pained Kael the most was that he could do nothing to stop it.The nights were the hardest.
Eiran would wake in the dark, drenched in sweat, his body trembling as the relic's presence weighed heavily on him. Kael, unable to sleep, would lie awake, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the sound of Eiran's troubled breathing to subside.
Then, when it did, Kael would hear Varya's voice, soft and low, urging Eiran to rest, to stop fighting the inevitable.
But Eiran never listened.It was the fourth day after the argument that Eiran's will began to crack. They were back in the woods again, this time scouting for any signs of the Raven Order, whose forces had been growing stronger.
The tension between the three of them was thick, a quiet storm brewing with every passing moment.Eiran moved like a shadow, swift and silent, his attention fixed on the ground ahead.
Kael stayed close, his gaze lingering on Eiran's back, watching the way his friend's shoulders tensed as they approached the edge of a clearing. Varya, walking ahead, kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, but Kael could feel the unease radiating from her.
"Eiran," Kael called softly, his voice low, but Eiran didn't respond. The flicker of irritation sparked in Kael's chest, but he kept his tone steady.
"Eiran, we need to talk."The man in question didn't even glance back. "Now isn't the time."
"You can't keep shutting us out." Kael's words were sharper than he intended, frustration lacing his voice.
"You think pushing yourself harder will help? You're wearing yourself down. You need rest."Eiran's pace slowed, but he didn't turn around.
The tension in his shoulders was palpable, the weight of his silence almost suffocating. Varya, sensing the rising tension, turned to watch them both.
"You don't get it," Eiran muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, but still full of venom.
"I can't stop. If I do, the relic will destroy me. And then... it'll destroy all of us."Kael's chest tightened at his words.
"Eiran, you're not the onlyone carrying this burden. We're in this together, but you're pushing us away." Kael stepped forward, his voice growing more desperate. "You don't have to do this alone."Eiran finally stopped walking, his back still turned to Kael. His hands were clenched into tight fists, trembling with barely contained emotion.
"But I do have to do this alone, Kael!" he shouted, his voice breaking the fragile silence.
"You don't understand—none of you do! This thing... it's inside me. Every second, it's tearing at my mind, pulling me deeper. And no matter how hard I fight, it's winning."Kael's heart ached at the raw pain in Eiran's voice.
"I know you're scared. But you're not lost yet. We can find a way to—"Eiran spun around, his eyes wild, burning with both anger and fear.
"There is no way! Every time I try to control it, I feel myself slipping. I don't even know who I am anymore. I'm not... I'm not the same person."Kael reached for Eiran's arm, but he pulled away sharply, his body trembling.
"Eiran, please. Don't push us away. You're stronger than this. We can figure it out, but not if you keep shutting us out."
Varya, who had been standing a few steps away, took a cautious step forward. Her eyes softened as she spoke, her voice calm but firm.
"We're trying to help you. You need to trust us. Trust yourself."Eiran let out a bitter laugh, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Trust myself? I can barely hold on as it is."Varya's expression hardened.
"Then let us take the relic away from you. Destroy it, like we talked about. It's the only way to stop this."
Eiran's gaze darkened, his anger flaring once more. "No. If we destroy it, everything we've fought for is gone.
We lose any chance of defeating the Shadowborn. You think the world is better off with me gone, but I'm the only one who can use this relic to end this war."Kael's stomach twisted.
The man standing before him, the man who had once been so kind, so full of life, was slowly being consumed by the very power he was trying to control. And yet, despite everything, Kael couldn't give up on him.
"I don't care about the relic," Kael said softly, stepping closer.
"I care about you. I care about the man I've fought beside, the man I've—" His voice caught in his throat, but he pushed through it.
"The man I love."Eiran froze, his breath hitching at Kael's words.
For a moment, the wildness in his eyes flickered, and something softer, more vulnerable, shone through. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could respond, the ground beneath them began to tremble.Kael's instincts kicked in immediately. His hand flew to the hilt of his sword as he scanned their surroundings.
"What's happening?"Varya's eyes narrowed as she glanced around the clearing.
"It's them.The Raven Order.They've found us."
Out of the shadows, figures began to emerge—cloaked in dark robes, their faces obscured by hoods.
The Raven Order had indeed tracked them, and their presence felt like an encroaching storm. The air around them crackled with dark magic, and the relic in Eiran's pack pulsed violently, as if responding to the new threat.
"They're after the relic," Varya muttered, unsheathing her daggers.
"We can't let them have it."Kael stepped in front of Eiran, his sword drawn, ready to fight.
"Eiran, get back. We'll deal with this."But Eiran didn't move. His eyes were locked on the advancing sorcerers, his body trembling not with fear, but with something darker.
The relic's power surged inside him, and Kael could see the conflict raging within his friend—the urge to use the relic, to unleash its devastating power, was overwhelming him.
"Eiran," Kael said, his voice full of warning. "Don't. Not again."Eiran's eyes were wide, his breathing shallow. "I can't... I have to..."
"No!" Kael's voice was firm, his eyes desperate as he reached out to Eiran.
"You don't have to. Not like this. Don't let it control you."But the relic's call was too strong. The dark energy began to ripple out from Eiran, swirling around him like a vortex.
His body shuddered as the power of the relic fought for dominance, and the ground beneath them cracked under the weight of the magic.
The Raven Order sorcerers paused, sensing the danger. But rather than retreat, they pressed forward, their hands glowing with dark energy. One of them, their leader, stepped forward, his voice a cold, echoing whisper.
"The relic is not yours to wield. Give it to us, and we'll spare you."Eiran's eyes flashed with defiance, the power of the relic pulsing through him.
"It's mine," he growled, his voice laced with the same dark energy.
"You can't take it from me."
Kael's heart raced. He had seen this before—Eiran on the edge, about to lose himself to the relic's power. But this time, it felt different.
It felt more dangerous.Before Kael could stop him, Eiran raised his hand, and a massive wave of energy erupted from his body, shooting toward the Raven Order.
The ground exploded beneath the force of the blast, sending rocks and debris flying in every direction.
The sorcerers were thrown back, their dark magic no match for the sheer power of the relic.But as the dust settled, Kael saw the look in Eiran's eyes—wild, unhinged, as if he were no longer in control of himself.
"Eiran!" Kael shouted, rushing toward him.
"Stop!"Eiran staggered, his body trembling as the dark energy continued to swirl around him. His hands twitched, the relic's power pushing him further into the abyss.
"I can't..." Eiran gasped, his voice barely audible. "I can't stop it."Kael reached him, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.
"You have to! Don't let it win! You're stronger than this!"
But Eiran's eyes were distant, his mind lost to the overwhelming force of the relic. The energy around him grew more violent, crackling with destructive power.
The ground began to split beneath them, and the air was thick with the weight of the magic.
Varya, fighting off the remaining sorcerers, glanced back at them, her eyes widening in horror.
"Kael, we need to move! He's losing control!"Kael ignored her, his focus entirely on Eiran.
"Eiran, look at me!" he shouted, gripping Eiran's face with both hands.
"You can stop it. I know you can."For a brief moment, Eiran's eyes flickered with recognition, the wildness subsiding just enough for him to hear Kael's voice.
"Please," Kael whispered, his voice breaking.
"Come back to me."Eiran's breathing hitched, his body shaking as he fought against the relic's hold.
The energy around him began to waver, the dark magic slowly receding as Eiran regained control.
"I... I can't..." Eiran whispered, his voice full of anguish.
"I don't know how to fight it anymore."Kael pulled him close, his arms wrapped tightly around him.
"You don't have to fight it alone. I'm here. We're in this together."
Eiran trembled in Kael's arms, his breathing ragged as the last remnants of the relic's power faded away. The ground around them stilled, the chaos settling into a tense silence.
The Raven Order was gone, their bodies scattered across the battlefield, but Kael barely noticed. His focus was entirely on Eiran, who was slumped against him, utterly spent.
"We need to get out of here," Varya said, her voice tense as she approached.
"More of them will come."
Kael nodded, though his heart was heavy with the weight of what had just happened. He gently lifted Eiran, cradling him in his arms as they made their way out of the clearing.
As they disappeared into the forest, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that this battle had only delayed the inevitable.
The relic's power was growing stronger, and with every day that passed, Eiran was slipping further from his grasp.
And Kael wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on.