The Unexpected - Part 9

The difference was, Beam could not afford to lose. Beam existed on the small warmth provided by a single candle of hope. Beam had walked a tightrope for years to get to where he was. The slightest little inconsistency of mind or body would have led to him falling into weakness. His soul would have been consumed entirely by the curse that he found himself unconsciously resisting.

Beam had a pride that exceeded that even of the nobility. For Beam, pride was a survival instinct, it was the most necessary thing. He would not lose, because he could not afford to. That fire that he had cultivated within himself, to keep the small candle of hope well protected, had allowed him to overcome obstacles that should have overwhelmed him.

Not, Gar, however. The only thing his fire gave him against Gar was the willingness to not be defeated.