Chapter 75: The Forbidden Pact and the Silver Rebirth
The Agony of the Choice
Diari stood trembling, his crimson aura flickering like a dying candle. The jagged obsidian blades were mere inches from Rina's throat, and Malakor's laughter felt like freezing needles in his brain. He looked at Elias, whose breathing was ragged, and then at Rina's father, lying broken in the ruins. His heart felt like it was being torn out. "Stop," Diari whispered, his voice cracking. "I will do it. Take my life force, but let them go." Malakor's dark essence swirled in triumph. "A King's sacrifice for a Queen's survival. A fair trade."
The Soul-Drain Begins
The shadow-portal widened, and black, ethereal vines erupted from the floor, wrapping around Diari's limbs. They didn't just bind him; they began to pump his 'Crimson Eternal' energy out of his body. Diari let out a soundless scream of agony as his very essence was siphoned into the void. His skin turned pale, and the fire in his eyes started to dim. He was being hollowed out from the inside, giving everything away to buy a few more breaths for those he loved.
The Silver Resonance
Rina, pinned by the shadow-blades and paralyzed by the poison, watched Diari wither. The sight of him dying for her triggered something ancient and primal in her DNA. The shadow-dagger between her ribs began to vibrate. Instead of the poison killing her, it acted as a catalyst. Her silver blood didn't just glow; it turned into liquid starlight. A silent explosion of silver energy erupted from her core, shattering the obsidian blades into dust. The poison was burnt away by the sheer purity of her rising power.
The Breaking of the Trap
As Rina rose, she didn't just save herself. She reached out and grabbed the shadow-vines draining Diari. With a voice that sounded like a thousand bells, she commanded, "Release him!" The silver light flowed through the vines, reversing the flow. She forced the stolen energy back into Diari and added a portion of her own starlight to it. The room was blinded by a flash of silver and crimson. The demons were blasted back into the shadows, and Malakor's connection to the house was momentarily severed. Rina stood at the center of the wreckage, her hair floating in a nimbus of light—no longer just a princess, but a goddess of the dawn, ready to end the nightmare.
Written by: Dlin_myth