The forest was quiet, the only sounds the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. Kaelith sat by the edge of a small stream, her glowing red eye fixed on the water as it rippled and flowed. Aurelia was nearby, humming softly as she gathered berries from a bush. The sound of her voice was soothing, a constant, warm presence that Kaelith had come to rely on.
But today, that warmth was overshadowed by something else—something dark and consuming. Kaelith had been thinking about Aurelia all day, about the way she smiled, the way she laughed, the way she made her feel. It was a strange, unfamiliar sensation, one that Kaelith didn't fully understand. But she knew one thing for certain: she couldn't let Aurelia go. Not now. Not ever.
"Kaelith?" Aurelia's voice broke through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. "Are you okay? You've been quiet all day."
Kaelith looked up, her glowing red eye meeting Aurelia's concerned gaze. She didn't know how to respond. How could she explain what she was feeling when she didn't even understand it herself?
But then, something inside her snapped. She couldn't keep it in anymore. She couldn't keep herself in anymore.
"Aurelia," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I need to tell you something."
Aurelia blinked, her expression shifting from concern to curiosity. She set the berries down and walked over to Kaelith, sitting beside her on the grass. "What is it?" she asked, her voice gentle.
Kaelith hesitated, her glowing red eye flickering with uncertainty. But then, she took a deep breath and spoke. "I… I don't know how to say this. I don't even know if I should say this. But I can't keep it inside anymore."
Aurelia's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt. She just waited, her gaze fixed on Kaelith's face.
"You… you make me feel something," Kaelith continued, her voice trembling slightly. "Something I've never felt before. It's warm but dark, comforting but unsettling. I don't know what it is, but I know I can't let you go. I won't let anyone else have you. You're… you're mine."
Aurelia's breath caught in her throat, her eyes filling with tears. But before she could respond, a sudden, sharp pain shot through Kaelith's side. She looked down, her glowing red eye widening in shock as she saw the blade of a sword protruding from her abdomen.
"Kaelith!" Aurelia screamed, her voice filled with terror.
Kaelith turned, her glowing red eye locking onto the figure behind her. It was a man, his face obscured by a mask, his sword dripping with blood. Her blood.
The man yanked the sword free, and Kaelith stumbled, her hand clutching her side as blood poured from the wound. She could feel the pain, sharp and searing, but it was distant, muted by the eldritch power coursing through her veins.
"Aurelia," she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. "Run."
But Aurelia didn't run. She stood there, her eyes wide with fear, her body trembling. "No," she said, her voice trembling. "I won't leave you."
Kaelith wanted to argue, to tell her to go, but she didn't have the strength. The world around her was spinning, the edges of her vision blurring and darkening. She could hear the sound of footsteps, of voices, but they were distant, muffled.
And then, she saw them. More men, their faces obscured by masks, their swords gleaming in the sunlight. They surrounded Aurelia, their movements swift and precise. One of them grabbed her, his hand clamping over her mouth to stifle her screams.
"No!" Kaelith shouted, her voice filled with desperation. She tried to move, to fight, but her body wouldn't obey. The pain was too much, the blood loss too severe.
The man who had stabbed her stepped forward, his sword raised. "You're a dangerous one," he said, his voice cold and clinical. "But you're not a threat anymore."
Kaelith's glowing red eye flickered, her body trembling with rage and pain. She reached deep within herself, into the darkest, most hidden corners of her mind, and found it—the eldritch power that had saved her before. It responded to her desperation with a surge of energy, but it wasn't enough. The wound was too deep, the pain too overwhelming.
The man raised his sword, and Kaelith knew she was out of time. She turned to Aurelia, her glowing red eye locking onto hers. "I'll find you," she said, her voice filled with determination. "No matter where they take you, no matter what they do to me, I'll find you."
Aurelia's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded, her gaze never leaving Kaelith's. "I'll wait for you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'll always wait for you."
And then, the man brought his sword down.
The pain was instant, blinding, and all-consuming. Kaelith felt the blade slice through her flesh, felt the world around her fade into darkness. But even as she fell, even as the world slipped away, she held onto one thought, one promise.
I'll find you.
Aurelia's heart was pounding in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she struggled against the man's grip. She could see Kaelith, her body crumpled on the ground, blood pooling around her. She wanted to scream, to fight, to do something, but she was powerless.
"Let me go!" she shouted, her voice filled with desperation. "Let me go!"
But the man didn't respond. He just tightened his grip, his hand clamping over her mouth to stifle her screams. Aurelia could feel the tears streaming down her face, her body trembling with fear and rage.
And then, she saw it. The man raised his sword, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. Aurelia's eyes widened in horror as she realized what was about to happen. "No!" she screamed, her voice muffled by the man's hand.
But it was too late. The sword came down, and Kaelith's body went still.
Aurelia's world shattered. She felt a surge of pain, of grief, of rage, unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was as if a part of her had been torn away, leaving behind a gaping, bleeding wound.
And then, she felt something else. Something warm but dark, spreading through her chest. It was the same feeling she had seen in Kaelith's eyes, the same feeling that had made her follow her in the first place. It was a promise, a vow, a determination.
I'll find you.
The men dragged her away, their movements swift and efficient. Aurelia struggled, but it was no use. She was powerless, helpless, and alone.
But even as they carried her away, even as the forest faded into the distance, Aurelia held onto that promise. She held onto the warmth, the darkness, the determination.
I'll wait for you.