Adrian lunged at Seraphine, his blade glowing faintly with enchantments as it sliced through the shadowy tendrils. “You’re not taking him,” he growled, each strike fueled by rage and determination.
Seraphine dodged effortlessly, her movements fluid as she retaliated with bursts of dark magic.
“Your defiance is as tiresome as it is predictable,” she said, her tone laced with mockery. “You should have stayed down.”
Eryon stumbled back, his head pounding from the intensity of the clash. He barely registered Lyra’s pained cry until he saw her body flung across the clearing. She slammed into a tree with a sickening thud, her figure crumpling to the ground.
“Lyra!” Adrian screamed, his focus breaking as he sprinted toward her. Seraphine seized the moment, sending a pulse of energy that sent him sprawling to the ground, his blade knocked from his grasp.
Eryon’s heart twisted as he dropped to his knees beside Lyra. Her breathing was shallow, her face pale.
“This isn’t what I wanted,” he choked out, his hands trembling as he brushed the blood from her temple.
Seraphine’s voice softened as she approached.
“Then end this struggle, Eryon,” she said, her words dripping with false compassion. “Come with me, and I’ll make sure she’s safe. We’ll build a world where no one can ever hurt you again.”
Adrian groaned as he pushed himself onto all fours, his body battered but his resolve unbroken.
“Don’t listen to her, Eryon,” he spat, his voice hoarse. “She doesn’t care about you. She’ll use you and destroy everything you love.”
Eryon’s claws dug into the earth, his chest heaving with every labored breath. Seraphine extended her hand once more, her gaze unwavering. “It’s time to choose, Eryon. Them or me.”
The silence stretched, broken only by the crackling of Seraphine’s magic and the faint rustling of the wind. Eryon’s amber eyes flicked between the unconscious Lyra, the wounded Adrian, and the unyielding Seraphine.
Finally, his shoulders sagged, and he stood, his movements slow and deliberate. He cast one last look at Lyra before turning toward Seraphine.
“If I go with you… you’ll leave them alone?” he asked, his voice hollow.