The cave trembled as the rift pulsed, sending waves of energy through the air. King stood frozen, staring at the spot where Valjean had disappeared into the darkness. The voice that had echoed through the chamber still reverberated in his mind.
"Only one can stay. But which will it be?"
He tightened his grip on his sword, every fiber of his being torn between charging into the shadows after her and the crushing reality of the choice he was being forced to make. This wasn't just about sealing the rift anymore—it was about deciding who would survive.
As the ground rumbled beneath him, King's heart raced. He had spent his entire life protecting Valjean, standing by her side, and now he was being asked to leave her behind. The mere thought twisted like a knife in his gut. But could he really take her place? Could he leave her to face this darkness alone?
"King…"
The voice was faint, but unmistakable. Valjean.
He spun toward the tunnel, straining to hear through the roar of the rift. Her voice was distant, as though coming from far away, yet it tugged at his very soul.
"King… I need you to listen."
He stepped forward, desperation clawing at him. "Valjean! Where are you?"
"I'm in the rift…" Her voice wavered, like a candle flickering in the wind. "But I can feel it… It's changing me."
His breath caught in his throat. Changing her? No—he couldn't let that happen.
"I'm coming for you!" King shouted, taking another step toward the darkness. But just as he was about to plunge into the tunnel, a cold, invisible force stopped him in his tracks. It wrapped around him like a chain, binding him to the spot.
"No, King," Valjean's voice came again, this time clearer, more urgent. "You can't. This isn't your fight anymore."
"What are you talking about? We're in this together!" King's voice cracked, frustration and fear bubbling to the surface. "I won't let you do this alone."
"I'm not alone," she whispered, her tone soft but steady. "You've always been with me, even now. But this… this is the price we have to pay."
King's chest tightened, the weight of her words pressing down on him. The rift had been opened because of the bond between them—because of the feelings they had kept hidden for so long. And now, that same bond was demanding a sacrifice.
"You don't have to do this," King pleaded, his voice raw. "There has to be another way."
"There isn't," she replied, her voice growing distant once more. "I'm the one holding the rift open. If I let go, it will close—but the darkness will take me with it."
"No!" King shouted, his heart pounding in his chest. "I won't let you go."
But the shadows were closing in, tightening their grip. The rift's energy swirled around him, and for a brief moment, he could feel Valjean's presence—strong, unwavering, but fading fast.
"I'm not asking you to let me go," she whispered. "I'm asking you to live."
King's mind raced. Every instinct screamed at him to fight, to find some way to tear her from the grip of the shadows, but deep down, he knew the truth. The rift could only be closed by a sacrifice, and Valjean had made her choice.
But the voice from before still lingered in the air, its cold tone like ice in his veins.
"Only one can stay."
The rift demanded a choice, and King realized that Valjean's sacrifice might not be enough. The darkness wanted both of them—either one to stay in the world of shadows, or both to be consumed.
"I'll come after you," King whispered, his voice trembling. "I'll find a way. I swear it."
But before he could take another step, the cavern shifted. The shadows in the chamber swirled violently, and the ground cracked beneath him, opening a second rift. It was smaller but pulsing with the same dark energy. And this time, King felt the pull—an irresistible force dragging him toward the gaping maw of darkness.
"No!" He braced himself against the pull, trying to fight it. But the voice echoed again, louder, more insistent.
"The choice is yours. Stay or go. But once made, it cannot be undone."
King's mind reeled. Stay… or go. Valjean had already made her choice. But if he stayed, he could join her, face the darkness by her side. If he left… he would be free, but the bond between them would be severed forever.
His heart ached at the thought. Could he really leave her behind, lost to the shadows?
The rift's pull grew stronger, and the cavern seemed to close in on him. Time was running out.
"King…" Valjean's voice came again, barely audible over the roar of the shadows. "I need you to live."
Tears blurred his vision. He had never felt so helpless, so torn. The bond between them was everything—his reason for fighting, for surviving. But now it was demanding the ultimate price.
The second rift yawned open, its dark energy crackling like a storm.
He had to choose.
With a final, shuddering breath, King closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking.
And then, with all the strength he had left, he stepped back, away from the rift.
The cavern trembled violently, and the shadows surged, screaming as the rift collapsed in on itself. The energy around him exploded in a blinding flash of light, and for one terrible moment, the world seemed to split apart.
And then—silence.
King opened his eyes, his heart hammering in his chest. The cavern was still. The rift was gone. The air was cold and empty, the oppressive weight of the darkness lifted.
But Valjean… she was gone.
The silence was deafening, and for a long moment, King stood there, staring at the spot where the rift had been. His chest ached, and the reality of what had just happened hit him like a blow. The bond between them, the unspoken feelings they had never admitted—it was over. The rift had claimed her.
King fell to his knees, his breath ragged and broken. His heart screamed for her, for the friend he had lost, for the sacrifice he had been powerless to stop.
"I'm sorry," he whispered again, the words barely a breath. "I'm so sorry…"
But there was no answer. Only the empty cavern, cold and silent.
And yet, in the silence, in the stillness of the world that remained, King could still feel her presence—a faint whisper, a lingering echo of her last words.
"Live."