The Weight Of Truth

The return trip from the Abyssal Chasm was in silence. Kael led the way, his shoulders weighed down by the burden of his regained power—and the secrets he bore. Elara followed behind, her thoughts whirling.

The glowing mark on her wrist throbbed softly, a reminder of the fight and the questions she couldn't shake.

When they finally rested in a hidden grove, Elara could no longer keep quiet.

"Kael," she whispered, her voice shaking. "What did happen back there? What did the Watcher mean by calling you a fallen god? And this mark—" She raised her wrist, the sigil shining faintly in the darkness. "What does it signify?"

Kael didn't reply initially. He sat on the downed log, his eyes of silver focused on the earth. When he did speak, his voice was little more than a whisper.

"I lied to you, Elara."

---

Elara's heart stuttered. "What do you mean?"

Kael breathed in sharply, his shaking hands. "The curse… it wasn't due to betrayal. It wasn't due to love. It was because of me."

Elara sat next to him, her gaze scanning his face. "Tell me the truth, Kael. Everything."

He regarded her, his face twisted in guilt and regret. "I was a god, once. Not merely a guardian—a creature of great power. But I erred. A dreadful, abominable error."

Elara's breath hitched. "What kind of error?"

Kael's eyes became far away as if he was replaying a memory. "I believed I could master the shadows, make them do my bidding. But I misjudged them. They engulfed me, and in my fury, I annihilated a whole realm. Cities, forests, children—lost in a moment. Because of me."

Elara's eyes widened. "Kael…"

"The Supreme God punished me," Kael went on, choking. "He took away my godhood and tied me to the forest as a sentinel. But that wasn't enough. He wanted me to grasp the burden of mortality—the vulnerability of life. So he cursed me to walk among mortals, to experience pain, to know loss."

Elara's heart hurt at the agony in his voice. "But… the three years. What does that have to do with me?"

Kael's fists balled up. "When we were ambushed after the third test… you died, Elara. The shadows consumed you, and I couldn't bring you back. I pleaded with the Supreme God to revive you. And he did—on one condition."

Elara's breath caught. "What condition?"

Kael gazed at her, his eyes brimming with tears. "He gave you three years. Three years for me to earn my value by gathering the pieces of my power and embracing my history. If I can do it, you'll live. If I fail…" 

Elara's heart plummeted. "If you fail, I'll die."

Kael nodded, his voice barely a whisper. "And I'll lose you forever."

---

The air was drained from Elara's lungs. She stepped back, her legs collapsing beneath her as the reality swept over her. Three years. Three years wasn't Kael's curse—it was hers.

"You… you manipulated my memories," she breathed, her voice shattering. "You made me think the shards were for you.

Kael winced as if slapped. "I had to. If you understood, you'd never have agreed. You'd have tried to stop me."

"Of course, I would've!" Elara's tears broke over, her voice shrill. "How could you have done this on your own? How could you have let me blame myself for being weak, for holding you back when this—when I—was the reason all along?!"

Kael moved towards her, but she pulled away. "Elara, I apologize. I didn't want you to suffer—"

"But I am suffering!" she exclaimed, her fists tightening. "Each time you winced from me, each time you kept your hurt secret—I believed that it was because you did not trust me. But it was because you were afraid of losing me. You've been holding this… this burden all by yourself, and I… I never even noticed it."

She sank to her knees, her sobs echoing in the grove. "All this time, I thought I was saving you. But it's always been the other way around." 

---

Kael fell to his knees next to her, his tears falling. "Elara, please listen to me. You have rescued me. Since the moment I met you, each day you've taught me what it is to be human—to hope, to laugh, to live. I'd bear this weight a thousand times over if it meant I could protect you." 

Elara shook her head, her voice cracking. "But it's not fair. You shouldn't have to!"

"Fair?" Kael laughed bitterly. "None of this is fair. But I'd do it again. For you. Always for you." 

She looked at him then—truly looked. The god who'd fallen from grace. The guardian who'd lost everything. The man who'd sacrificed his pride, his power, his very soul to keep her alive. 

And she broke. 

---

Elara wrapped her arms around him, her tears wetting his tunic. "I'm sorry," she gasped. "I'm sorry you had to go through this by yourself. I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner. But I'm here now. We're here now."

Kael hugged her close, his face hidden in her hair. "I don't deserve you," he breathed.

"You do," she growled. "And I'm not releasing you. Not ever."

---