As they left the temple behind, the oppressive weight of the cursed sword was all but suffocating. The moment they stepped outside into the daylight, Caelum's body was filled with a mix of relief and regret. The sunlight, while healing, seemed to burn his skin, a reminder that he was no longer the man he had once been.
"We need to talk," Lyra said, her voice steady but tinged with worry.
Caelum turned to her, his hand tightening around the sword's hilt. He had known this moment was coming. He had felt it for days. They couldn't keep pretending that everything was fine.
"About what?" Caelum asked, his voice hollow.
"You're not fine, Caelum," Lyra said, stepping closer to him. "This sword is changing you. You're slipping away from us."
Caelum met her gaze. Her words hit harder than he had expected. "I'm not the same person I was before. But I'm still fighting."
"You can't keep fighting it forever," Lyra replied. "You're going to burn yourself out."
Caelum looked away, his gaze falling to the ground. She was right, but he couldn't stop. Not now. Not when everything was at stake.
"I won't let the Shadow King win," Caelum muttered.
Lyra reached out and touched his arm gently. "You don't have to do it alone, Caelum. We're here for you."
But as he looked back at her, the weight of the sword's curse pressing down on him, Caelum knew that the path ahead would not be so simple.