The Cracks in Her Light

"Monsters"

Ashley whispered, the word leaving her lips like a child's confused lament, fragile and broken.

"Monsters welcomed me They welcomed me with open arms, and they died for me. Did I… Did I make a mistake? Was I supposed to kill them? Or was I… supposed to?"

Alex didn't speak for a long while, his gaze drifting over the horizon, following the shadows creeping over the land, the shadow knights still far off. His eyes hardened.

"Why did you even hate monsters to begin with?" he finally asked, his voice strained but quiet.

Ashley trembled. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, and she didn't look at him. But Alex couldn't stop now; the silence was suffocating.

"I remember," Alex continued, his voice gaining edge, "When you first brought me here, you were all set to storm the Church, gather knights, and hunt down the Demon King. You wanted me to help you kill him." He looked down at her, his tone flat and cutting. "But now- Now those same monsters, the ones you wanted to destroy the ones that serve under the Demon King, the ones you thought were evil those are the ones who protected you. And they gave their lives for you."

Ashley clenched her fists, looking at the ground. Alex's words hit deeper than he could have anticipated, and there was no denying the raw truth they carried.

"I looked up at the ridge," Alex said, shaking his head, his voice turning quieter, more serious. "The mountain the trolls threw us over… it's not something anyone could've crossed. Not even a dream. But that troll, that one troll, knew he wouldn't make it. And he still did it."

He turned his eyes back to her, his gaze softening just slightly.

"Can your precious kingdom do that for you? Can they make the same sacrifice without hesitation? Can they throw themselves into the unknown for your sake, knowing they may not return? Would they even try?"

The words cut through the silence, leaving Ashley with the painful sting of realization.

"I'm tired, Ashley," Alex said, his voice trembling with exhaustion, frustration, and regret. "Tired of this divine nonsense. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. Let me live my life. If I'm going to die again, I want it to be because of my decisions. Not this."

With a deep breath, Alex began walking forward, his mind clouded, not just by the circumstances, but by the weight of all that had happened. The questions were endless, and the answers felt impossible to find.

Ashley watched him leave, her body slumping against a nearby rock. Her hands shook as the tears flowed freely. She had never imagined this path would take her here to a place where she wasn't sure of herself, of her purpose, or even of her powers anymore. The goddess who had once been so sure, so invincible, now felt like a broken shell, utterly fragile in a world that had turned its back on her.

"I thought" Ashley sobbed, her voice raw. "I thought I would use you. Show you my power. Show you the might of a goddess."

Her words shattered the air between them. She looked up at Alex, her face streaked with tears.

"But I was wrong. Humans humans never need forgiveness. Maybe it's better if I just live with monsters. At least they don't judge me."

Alex didn't turn around, but his jaw tightened. He kept walking, but his thoughts were a mix of anger and pity. Was this the goddess he had once trusted? Was this truly the woman who had once believed in saving everyone?

"Just because one kingdom wants you dead," he said, his voice tight with frustration, "You give up on everything? That's your answer to everything? To just throw it all away?"

The weight of her words hung heavily in the air, like a shroud that neither of them could escape from. The mountains seemed to close in around them, cold and indifferent.

Ashley wiped her eyes, still trembling. Her breath hitched in her throat.

"Are you even a goddess anymore?" Alex asked, his tone suddenly hard and unyielding.

She didn't answer. She couldn't. She didn't know.

"Are you?" Alex repeated, his words a bitter echo. "You had power once. You were a goddess. But now? What are you, Ashley?"

A cry of desperation escaped her. She dropped to her knees, clutching at her chest, the weight of her loss too much to bear.

"I. I'm sorry!" she shouted, her voice raw with emotion, her whole body wracked with sobs. "Forgive me, Alex please forgive me! I don't understand what's happening anymore! I can't activate my powers! I'm helpless now Please... please, forgive me!"

Alex halted in his tracks. He turned back to face her, watching her collapse to the ground, her energy exhausted. For a moment, the anger in his chest burned bright, but it was overshadowed by something else something gentler. He walked back to her, kneeling beside her, his hand resting on her trembling shoulder.

"We'll go," he said, his voice quieter now, softer. "We stay here, we're dead. Let's move. We're not finished yet. There's still more to do."

But as they began to walk, something changed in the air. The wind picked up. The mountain seemed to groan beneath them, and the sky darkened, filled with an ominous presence. A distant roar echoed across the peaks.

Suddenly, the ground trembled. A massive shape emerged from the clouds above an enormous dragon, wings outstretched, its eyes glowing with an unsettling, ancient fire.

Ashley stumbled back, fear rippling through her as the beast landed with a heavy thud before them.

"I've sensed something foul on these mountains," the dragon's voice rumbled, deep and resonating like thunder. "Something unnatural."

Its golden eyes locked onto them, scrutinizing them with an unsettling awareness.

"And what are you two doing here? You look exhausted. Like prey."

Ashley staggered back, her light flickering wildly. It was no longer radiant, no longer pure. It was corrupted, darkened around the edges.

The dragon's eyes narrowed as it surveyed Ashley's weakened state.

"You" it growled softly.

The ground beneath them shook again as a wave of energy rippled from the dragon's body, thick with ancient magic.

Ashley's eyes widened in terror. "No" She struggled to steady herself, her body betraying her as her powers failed her. She was slipping deeper into the corruption, deeper into the void of her own unraveling divinity.

The dragon, sensing the change, let out a low, rumbling growl.

"I didn't expect this," it muttered.

Ashley, now on her knees, stared up at the dragon, her voice shaking.

"I I'm sorry."

And then, just like that, everything went black.

Did she just corrupse. The dragon asked.