Into the Abyss

The cold, biting wind cut through the balcony like a razor, but Kael barely felt it. His mind was consumed with her—Celestia. His every thought was a tangle of desire, fear, and hopelessness. Standing there, inches away from her, yet feeling as if he were galaxies apart, Kael could feel the pull of their bond—a force stronger than anything he had ever known.

"Celestia," he whispered again, but she didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the sprawling city below, the lights of Virellia flickering like stars, mocking him.

A silence stretched between them, heavy and thick, suffocating him. Kael took a step forward, unable to stop himself. "You think you're the only one cursed?" His voice was raw, the words coming out in a rush, desperate and dark. "You think you're the only one carrying a weight too heavy to bear?"

Her back was still turned, but he could see the way her posture stiffened, the way her shoulders seemed to tense with the weight of his words.

"What do you know of curses?" Her voice was cold, distant. "What do you know of the burden of power, of the responsibility that comes with it?"

Kael took another step, this time closing the distance between them until he stood just behind her, his breath ghosting over the back of her neck. His heart raced, but he didn't move away. He couldn't.

"I know that you're not alone in this," he said, his voice low and earnest. "And I won't let you push me away. I won't let you carry this burden by yourself."

For a long moment, there was no response, and Kael thought for a fleeting second that she might not say anything at all. But then, softly, her voice broke through the silence, carrying a sharpness that cut through him like glass.

"You don't understand," she whispered, her tone almost pleading, but with an edge of bitterness. "I've lived this way for so long—alone. I don't need you. I don't need anyone."

Kael's hand shot out instinctively, gripping her arm before she could step away from him. His touch was firm, but gentle, as if afraid she might break under the weight of his desperation.

"I know you've been alone, Celestia. I know what it's like to feel as if you have no one. But you're wrong. You're not alone. Not anymore."

Her body went rigid beneath his touch, and for a moment, Kael feared he had pushed too far, that she would lash out at him in anger. But then, she turned slowly, her eyes meeting his with an intensity that made his heart stop.

There was something raw in her gaze—something he had never seen before. It was as if, for the first time, she was allowing herself to feel. To be vulnerable.

For a brief second, they stood there, locked in an unspoken battle of wills. Kael could see the storm raging behind her eyes, the conflict within her. He had never seen her like this before—unraveling, yet still trying to maintain control.

"Why?" Celestia's voice was barely a whisper, her breath shaky. "Why do you care? Why do you want to help me?"

Kael's chest tightened, his grip on her arm loosening just enough for her to pull away if she wanted to. But he didn't want to let go. He couldn't.

"Because you're worth it," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "And because I—"

Before he could finish, the sharp sound of a door slamming open echoed through the hall, breaking the moment like glass shattering against stone.

Kael whipped around, his heart racing, instinct kicking in. Standing in the doorway was Damien—his face twisted into a mask of fury, his eyes burning with something dark, something dangerous.

"What the hell is going on here?" Damien growled, his voice low and menacing. "I warned you, Kael. I told you to stay away from her."

Kael took a step forward, his jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists. He had been ready for this. The confrontation, the threat.

"I'm not afraid of you, Damien," Kael shot back, his voice cutting through the tension. "And I'm not going to leave her alone. Not when she needs me."

Damien's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "You're a fool if you think you can change anything, Kael." He took a step forward, his presence looming like a dark shadow over them. "You're not the one she needs."

Kael's gaze flicked to Celestia, his heart hammering in his chest. She was standing there, watching them, the storm inside her eyes intensifying.

Kael's words were like a promise, a declaration of war. "You're wrong. I'm exactly what she needs."

Celestia's heart raced in her chest, the tension between the three of them thickening with every passing second. She had always been the one in control, the one who made the rules. But now, standing between Kael and Damien, she felt like a spectator in her own life, caught in a battle she had never expected.

Her gaze flickered between them, a strange feeling twisting inside her—something foreign, something unsettling. For the first time in a long while, she was unsure of everything.

"Enough!" she suddenly snapped, her voice sharp and commanding. "This is my fight. Not yours."

But even as she spoke, a voice in the back of her mind whispered a chilling thought—one that made her blood run cold.

What if Kael was the one who could save her from herself?