The Forsaken Hero

My movement broke Luke and Jessia from their shock, and they quickly realized my intentions.

”Wait, Xiviyah, get back here!” Luke shouted, his voice laced with alarm.

He lunged towards me, hand outstretched, moving with supernatural speed. But his hesitation had cost him precious seconds, and I had just enough time to slip through the gate, closing my eyes as the golden swirls enveloped me.

I gasped as the gold shifted to black, the cold intensifying as I began the transition between realms. It seemed to drag on forever, the space between heartbeats stretching into an eternity. Strangely, my consciousness expanded, following the trails blazed by Haven’s shadows. I could see half the city at once, all the death, blood, and destruction wrought by my hands.

My focus sharpened on the entrance to Haven, which flickered precariously, threatening to close at any second. Luke and Jessia stood before it, facing each other. From their tense stances, this was clearly not a peaceful discussion.

”Damn it, Luke, you can’t do this! It’s too dangerous!” Jessia cried, reaching out to grab his hand.

He pulled away, his expression grim. ”I promised, Jessia,” he said, his voice filled with resolve. ”Even if what we did was necessary, I can’t help but feel responsible. You know as well as I do that if she goes in there alone, she’s not coming back out. In her condition, she couldn’t withstand one of those monsters, let alone however many guard that demon gate. It’s my fault this happened, and if something happens to her because of that...”

”Since when have you ever cared about taking responsibility for anything, especially when it involves one of the heroes?” Jessia retorted, her eyes narrowed. ”I don’t like it any more than you do, but we already have the city. We can get reinforcements now and take the entire continent. Whatever’s happening to Xiviyah... maybe it’s for the best.”

For the first time since he’d lost control in my soul space, I saw Luke truly angry. His eyes narrowed, his tail lashed, and his aura flared, suffocating the surrounding area.

”Tell the commanders to move into the city,” he growled, his voice dangerously low. ”Take out the forts and whatever’s left of the defenses, but let the innocents go. Tell Fyren to use the Devoted to guard them. When I come back with her, I’d better see a refugee camp untouched outside the walls.”

Jessia’s mouth dropped open. ”You can’t be serious.”

His expression didn’t so much as flicker. ”Do this, and I’ll agree to Kasperr.”

She started to protest again but paused. Half a second later, all semblance of worry disappeared, and a wide, eager smile spread across her face. ”Why didn’t you start with that? Get the hell out of here already! I’ll make sure we save at least half of them!”

Luke sighed and rubbed his horn. ”More,” he insisted. ”And kill off any of the Remnants you find, too. I don’t want those things getting loose. Who knows what they’ll be able to do?”

”Deal.” Jessia flashed another smile as she dissipated into shadows, teleporting away.

With that, my awareness of their world faded, and I was abruptly thrown into Haven. The transition was rough, and my foot twisted as I came down. I cried out, dropping in a heap on rough, uneven cobblestones. Pain flared in my ankle, blood oozing from a dozen small scrapes covering my bare legs.

As I lifted my head, a wave of dread washed over me, my tail coiling anxiously around my knees, the tip curling into my lap. Gloom blanketed the realm, a thick veil obscuring even the brightest stars. The floating islands were dimmer and more dilapidated than before, radiating a sinister aura that pressed against me like a physical force. A few remnants drifted aimlessly, their eyes snapping towards me at the sound of my arrival.

I found myself on a small, unfamiliar island in a remote corner of the realm. As I looked around, attempting to get my bearings, I struggled, only to stumble again as my leg nearly gave way. I summoned my staff just in time to catch myself, biting my lip to keep from crying out again as a sharp pain shot up my ankle.

The star atop my staff glowed as I channeled mana through it, soulcasting a healing spell. A soft green light enveloped my leg, knitting together the torn flesh and realigning my injured ankle. As the light faded, I gingerly tested my weight, sighing in relief as the pain subsided.

Unfortunately, the exhaustion clinging to my muscles like a heavy shroud remained. I was still in better shape than before, but I couldn’t help but wish the Sun God’s curse wasn’t so debilitating. Even a fraction of my true strength would make a significant difference. At a time like this, being so weak and fragile was more than an inconvenience. If I failed because I was too exhausted to navigate the treacherous landscape of Haven, I would never be able to face anyone again.

I began casting my wards, but before I could finish the first one, a golden glow materialized behind me. I whirled around, my tail stiffening in fear, but it relaxed as Luke stepped through the shimmering portal. His eyes widened as he took in the surreal landscape of Haven.

”What kind of demon gate is this?” he breathed, his voice hushed with awe. ”It’s... enormous.”

He turned towards me, and I instinctively shrank back, unable to meet his gaze. What was he thinking, following me here? Did he truly value my abilities so much that he would risk entering this unstable realm to retrieve me?

He frowned, noticing my fear. ”This isn’t anything like a normal demon gate,” he observed, his brow furrowed in thought. How did you... what kind of... no, never mind.” He shook his head, dismissing the questions. We can talk about this later. Just answer me this: Have you really been hiding a miniature realm this entire time? Is that where the remnants are coming from?”

I nodded timidly, afraid my answer might anger him. ”I-I didn’t mean to hide it,” I stammered. ”It’s just, well...”

”No, it’s not like I gave you a reason to trust me with it anyway,” he admitted, shaking his head. A flicker of guilt crossed his expression, and I was surprised to find he wasn’t angry.

”When the remnants first broke out and we formulated our plan to break the city, I never could have imagined you were dealing with something of this scale,” he explained, his voice filled with understanding. ”Just how many of those monsters are there? No wonder you were terrified of losing control.”

”You should have listened to Jessia,” I said, a touch of bitterness tinging my voice. ”Coming in here is more dangerous than you know.”

”Jessia?” he echoed, tilting his head in confusion, then frowned as he realized what I meant. ”You were gone by then. How could you have–” He grimaced, dismissing the thought. ”That’s not important right now. But that danger is precisely why I couldn’t let you come here alone. Let me help you.”

He advanced a step toward me, and I quickly backed away, tail twitching nervously. I squeaked as my foot caught on a jutting cobblestone, squeezing my eyes shut in preparation for the impact.

Luke was at my side instantly, catching me before I hit the ground. I shuddered at his touch, twisting away from him and regaining my balance as quickly as possible. He wasn’t keen to let me go, however, and continued to support me with an arm.

”Go away. Please, just leave me,” I said, pushing against his chest with my hand. It might as well have been a mountain for all the chance I had of moving him, but being so close filled me with anxious energy, and I couldn’t help but try to squirm away.

He was quiet for a moment, and then, in the meekest voice I’d ever heard from him, said, ”I’m sorry.”

”It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said, barely keeping the sniffle from reaching my voice. ”Just... just go. Like you wanted to.”

I gestured toward the gate, unable to look him in the eye. I was on the edge of tears, holding them back through willpower alone. Why did he want to torment me like this?

”I won’t leave you alone. We can figure this out together, then get back to Enusia. It can’t be that hard with both of us, right?”

”That’s not how this works, Luke,” I said, my voice firm despite the tremor in my chest. ”This is my realm, not just some demon gate, and it’s fallen. If you stay here, you probably won’t be able to return. What will happen to your vow if that happens? Please, just leave.”

A muscle worked in his jaw as his tail began to flick in agitation. ”How do you know about my vow?”