Her grandmother's face was pale, contorted in pain, her breathing shallow and uneven.
The burns that marred her skin seemed even more severe now, the poison intensifying their agony. Blood seeped through her tunic, staining it a dark red.
Elysara dropped the shard, her hands trembling as she fell to her knees beside her grandmother.
"I didn't know. I didn't-" Her voice broke into a sob as tears streamed down her face.
Aureth's eyes softened despite the pain, and she reached out with a shaking hand to touch Elysara's face.
"It's... not your fault," she rasped, her voice barely audible. The mist cleared entirely, revealing the pedestal holding the vial of shimmering silver liquid. The disembodied voice returned one final time.
"Only one may survive. Decide."
Elysara's gaze flicked between the antidote and Aureth, her heart breaking. She crawled to the pedestal, her body screaming in protest, and grabbed the vial. The cool glass was a stark contrast to the burning pain that consumed her.
"Drink it," Aureth whispered weakly. "You have... more to do. This is your destiny."
Elysara shook her head fiercely, uncorking the vial with trembling hands. "Not without you," she said through her tears.
She raised the vial to her lips, drinking half of the liquid. It burned as it went down, but relief followed almost immediately. Her breath came easier, and the burns began to cool. But she didn't stop. She pressed the vial to Aureth's lips, tilting it gently.
"No..." Aureth murmured weakly, but Elysara didn't listen.
"Drink," Elysara pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
Aureth's lips parted, and she drank the remaining liquid.
The shimmering antidote slid down their throats, but instead of relief, a new wave of agony surged through Elysara and Aureth. They gasped, clutching at their chests as the poison reacted violently with the shared potion. Their burns deepened, the raw flesh peeling further, and their breaths became so shallow that they were barely audible. Elysara tried to speak, her lips trembling, but the words wouldn't come.
A booming, disembodied voice echoed through the chamber, cold and unyielding.
"You have defied the rules," it intoned. "Only one may drink from the Veil. The antidote was never meant to be shared. Two cannot survive where only one is destined to endure."
The words struck Elysara like a hammer, her weakened body trembling under their weight. She looked at Aureth, whose pale face was etched with pain and confusion.
Elysara's vision blurred, the heat of her burns intensifying. Her lungs felt like they were caving in, each shallow breath a battle she was quickly losing. She reached for her grandmother, their hands brushing weakly.
"We… we had no choice," she croaked, her voice barely a whisper.
The pain in her chest was unbearable, her lungs clawing for air that wouldn't come. Her burns flared like molten fire, and the poisoned blood in her veins felt like shards of ice ripping her apart. Her lips parted in a silent cry, but the sound never escaped.
Her body gave way, collapsing beside Aureth. She felt herself slipping, the edges of her consciousness darkening. Her grandmother's faint form blurred beside her, and with one final, shuddering gasp, Elysara succumbed to the darkness.
Aureth followed moments later, her chest rising in one last strained breath before she, too, was pulled into unconsciousness.
The chamber stilled. The voice grew quiet. The dark mist coiled around their fallen forms, tendrils of shadow weaving through the air like an ancient predator inspecting its prey.
And then there was silence—an eerie, oppressive stillness as the two lay motionless on the cold, unforgiving ground.
Suddenly, a soft hum began to fill the air—a vibration that grew into a resonant melody, rich and layered. From the corners of the chamber, the Protectors emerged, their forms glowing with ethereal light. Cloaked in robes adorned with sigils of ancient power, their faces were grave as they encircled Elysara and Aureth.
"Their love was their undoing," one Protector murmured, their voice resonating like a chorus. "And yet… it is also their salvation."
The Protectors raised their hands, their collective magic weaving a radiant web of energy that descended upon the two unconscious figures. The golden threads wrapped around their bodies, seeping into their wounds, drawing out the poison that had ravaged them. The burns began to mend slowly, the inflamed skin cooling under the touch of divine power.
But the process was not instantaneous. Elysara stirred, her breaths coming in weak gasps as her eyelids fluttered open. She was pale, her body still trembling from the ordeal, but her heart beat steadily once more. She turned her head, her voice hoarse as she whispered, "Grandmother…"
Her grandmother remained still, her face ashen. The Protectors worked tirelessly, their combined energy focused on the older woman, but the poison had sunk deeper into her aged body. The stab wound bled freely despite their efforts, and her life force hung by a thread.
"Will she…" Elysara began, her voice breaking as tears welled in her eyes.
"She fights," one Protector said softly, their tone reassuring but uncertain. "Her will is strong, but the poison took more from her than it did from you. She will need time."
Elysara was too weak to protest as she was lifted gently and carried to a nearby tent, a space made warm and safe by the Protectors' magic. The tent was simple but serene, its air filled with the calming scent of herbs. She was laid upon a soft cot, and though she wanted to stay awake, exhaustion claimed her.
Time passed in a haze.
When Elysara awoke again, she found herself staring at the fabric ceiling of the tent. She turned her head and saw Aureth lying on a cot beside her, her face pale but peaceful. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, a sign that life had not yet left her.
A soft rustle signaled the arrival of a Protector, who knelt beside Elysara's cot. Their glowing eyes were kind as they spoke. "You are awake. That is good. Your grandmother has been resting, but her recovery will be slow. The poison spread further in her than in you, and the wound she bore weakened her greatly."
Elysara sat up with difficulty, her muscles aching with every movement. "Will she survive?"
The Protector nodded. "She will. Your choice to share the antidote was… unprecedented. Most would have taken it all for themselves. It was your selflessness that made it possible for us to save you both. Such love is rare."
Tears welled in Elysara's eyes, and she looked at Aureth, guilt and relief warring within her. "She didn't deserve to suffer. I should have…"
"Do not think that way," the Protector interrupted gently. "Both of you chose the other over yourselves. It is that bond that saved you. We have not seen such selflessness in many ages. It is a strength beyond any trial we could have devised."
Hours later, Aureth's eyes fluttered open. Her gaze was unfocused at first, but when it settled on Elysara, a faint smile touched her lips. "You're… alive," she rasped, her voice barely audible.
Elysara rushed to her side, her tears flowing freely. "You too, Grandmother. You made it."
Aureth weakly reached out, her fingers brushing against Elysara's hand. "We did this together… didn't we?"
"You saved me, as always," Elysara said, squeezing her grandmother's hand gently.
The Protectors stood quietly at the entrance of the tent, watching the reunion with solemn expressions. "Rest now," one said. "You have endured more than most. The next steps of your journey will require that same strength. For now, let love be your shield and your comfort."
Elysara and Aureth leaned against one another, their pain and exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the warmth of their bond.