Page 12 of The Demon Who Loved Me

“I would not be the sage if I did not know things…” The sage smiles, a small, enigmatic curve of his lips. "The prophecy foretold of your coming," he says as if that explains everything. "I have been waiting many, many years for just this moment. Look at me, giddy as my first day at the temple."

"What do you mean?" she asks, her voice rough with emotion. "What was foretold?"

He turns to Evelyn, his expression grave. "The world will end," he says, his voice ringing with a terrible certainty. "Or you will fall in love. There is no other way."

"Me, fall in love with him? But...but I'm just an archaeologist, I don't...I can't..."

“Then it is love? Easy. Love. The human concept that I know so much about. Should be able to complete this feat within the week no?”

“I, uh,” Suddenly her face is flushed and red, her projection so much smaller than usual. Her blush deepens, only serving to further endear me to her. Her gaze darts to me and then away again, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. "I… I don't know," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "It's all so sudden, so… overwhelming."

The sage nods, his expression thoughtful. "Love is not always easy," he says, his voice filled with the wisdom of ages. "But it is always worth fighting for, worth sacrificing for. And in your case, it may be the only thing that can save us all."

I feel a sudden rush of emotion, a wave of fear and hope and longing that threatens to sweep me away. Could it be true? Could love for Evelyn, our bond, really be the key to stopping the apocalypse, to saving the world?

I turn to her, my eyes searching her face, my heart pounding in my chest. "Evelyn," I whisper, my voice rough with emotion. "I… I know this is a lot to take in, but...but if it's true, if our love is the only way… I'm willing to try. I'm willing to fight for it, for you, for us."

She looks at me, her eyes wide and shining with unshed tears, her lips trembling with emotion. "Malakai," she breathes, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I… I don't know if I'm ready, if I'm strong enough… but… but I'm willing to try too. For the world, for… for you."

The sage watches us, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth, his eyes glinting with a knowing light. "The road ahead will not be easy," he says, his voice filled with a quiet certainty. "But with your love, your bond, you have the strength to face whatever challenges may come. Trust in each other and the power of your connection, and you will find the way."

We nod, our hands finding each other, our fingers intertwining in a gesture of love and support. And as we sit there in the sage's dwelling, the weight of the prophecy hanging heavy in the air, I feel a flicker of hope, a glimmer of possibility, that maybe, just maybe, we can do this.

"Wait," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Are you saying that I'm the demon king? That I'm supposed to bring about the apocalypse?"

The sage nods, his expression grave. "Yes, Malakai. It is your destiny, foretold in the ancient texts. But there is a way to avert this fate, to change the course of history itself. You must fall in love with this woman."

Evelyn steps forward, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and confusion. "How?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly.

I laugh, the sound harsh and bitter in the quiet of the sage's dwelling. "Love? Me? I must fall in love with her, too? You've got to be joking, old man. I'm a demon, a creature of darkness and destruction. I don't do love."

Evelyn's eyes flash with sudden anger, and she steps forward, her finger jabbing into my chest. "Listen to me, you arrogant, stubborn demon," she snaps, her voice rising with each word. "I don't care about your destiny or your prophecy. But I do care about the fate of the world, and if there's even a chance that our bond could stop the apocalypse, then I'm willing to try."

I stare at her, stunned by her outburst. For a long moment, we simply stand there, our gazes locked, the tension between us crackling like electricity.

Finally, I sigh, my shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine," I mutter, looking away. "We'll try it your way. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Evelyn nods, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "I knew you'd come around," she teases, her earlier shyness forgotten in the face of sending the world into eternal damnation.

The sage clears his throat, drawing our attention back to him. "The road ahead will not be easy," he warns, his tone serious once more. "The fate of the world rests on your shoulders, and there will be many who seek to stop you."

I feel a sudden weight settle on my chest, the enormity of the task before us hitting me like a physical blow. But as I look at Evelyn, at the fierce determination in her eyes, I feel a flicker of hope spark to life within me.

I feel my heart skip a beat, my mind reeling with the implications of the sage's words. Love? Could it be true? Could the strange, inexplicable feelings I've been grappling with actually be something so powerful, so transformative?

But even as the thought takes root, the sage's expression darkens. "But beware," he warns. "The demon world will stop at nothing to prevent your bond from growing stronger. They know that it is the only thing that can stop the coming invasion, and they will do everything in their power to tear you apart."

I feel a chill run down my spine, a sense of foreboding that settles in the pit of my stomach. But as I look at Evelyn, at the fierce determination in her eyes, the unwavering courage in her heart, I know that I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. To nurture and protect this bond between us, no matter the cost.

"Thank you, sage," I say, my voice rough with emotion. "We will heed your warnings, and we will not fail."

The old man nods, a glimmer of hope in his ancient eyes. "Go then, children. And may the strength of your love light the way in the darkness to come."

As we turn to leave, I feel a sudden pulse of energy in the air, a dark and malevolent presence that sets my teeth on edge. I whirl around, my sword leaping into my hand, my senses straining to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

And there, on the horizon, I see it. A massive, hulking figure, wreathed in shadows and flame, its eyes glowing with the fires of hell itself.

9

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