Page 17 of The Demon Who Loved Me

The demon laughs, a sound that chills my blood and sets my teeth on edge. "You think you can stop me, boy?" he sneers, his lips curling in a mocking smile. "You, who have always been the weakest of my servants, the most pathetic of the demon lords? You are nothing compared to me, you are no longer to even call yourself a demon. And when I am finished with you, I will take your little human as my own, and show her the true meaning of power."

I roar in fury, my demonic power exploding outward in a wave of pure, unadulterated rage. I charge at my brethren, my claws slashing, my fangs bared, every fiber of my being focused on destroying this monster once and for all.

But he’s strong, likely a veteran of conquering worlds, and stronger than anything I have ever faced before. He bats aside my attacks with ease, his own claws raking across my flesh, his dark magic searing my skin. I can feel myself weakening, my strength fading, my resolve beginning to crumble in the face of his overwhelming power.

As I charge toward the demon king, my power surging around me in a maelstrom of shadow and flame, I feel a sudden, inexplicable surge of strength flowing through my veins. It's as if the very essence of my being, the core of my power, has been set ablaze by the force of my love, my determination to protect Evelyn and stop this monster from destroying everything we hold dear.

With a roar of fury, I unleash a barrage of attacks, my claws tearing through the demon king's flesh, my blade slicing through his armor like paper. He staggers back, his eyes widening in surprise and pain, his own power faltering in the face of my onslaught.

"Impossible," he snarls, his voice filled with rage and disbelief. "You are nothing, a mere whelp playing at being a demon lord. How can you stand against me, against the power of the true king?"

I laugh, a harsh, triumphant sound that echoes through the chamber. "You underestimate me," I growl, my eyes blazing with a fierce, unyielding light. "You underestimate the power of love, the strength that comes from fighting for something greater than yourself."

I press my advantage, my attacks growing faster, more vicious, and more powerful with every passing second. The demon king tries to fight back, his own claws and blade lashing out in a desperate attempt to turn the tide, but it's no use.

I am a force of nature, a hurricane of shadow and flame, and nothing can stand in my way. With a final, devastating blow, I send the demon king crashing to the ground, his body broken and bleeding, his power shattered beyond repair.

"How?" he gasps, his voice a weak, trembling whisper. "How could you defeat me, a whelping, a traitor to your own kind?"

I stand over him, my blade poised at his throat, my eyes filled with a grim, implacable determination. "Because I have something you will never understand," I say, my voice low and fierce. "I have love, a love that transcends all boundaries, all limitations. A love that gives me the strength to fight, to protect, to stand against the darkness no matter the cost."

"Malakai" she cries, her hand outstretched, her eyes wide with fear and desperation. "The ritual," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the roar of the flames. "It's not over yet. We have to stop it, have to destroy the artifact before it's too late."

I nod, my eyes flickering to the altar, to the pulsing, malevolent energy that surrounds it. "You're right," I say, my voice grim with determination. "We have to end this, once and for all."

I turn back to the demon king, my blade pressing against his throat, my eyes filled with a cold, implacable fury. "Your reign ends here," I snarl, my voice low and deadly. "Your power, your evil, will never again threaten this world or any other."

With a final, swift motion, I draw my blade across his throat, watching with grim satisfaction as his life force fades and his body crumbles to ash and dust. Then, without a moment's hesitation, I turn and race toward the altar, my power surging around me in a blinding, searing aura of light.

14

EVELYN

As the echo of the demon lord's final scream fades away, I turn my attention to the artifact, still pulsing with that sickly, malevolent energy atop the altar. Despite our victory over the invasion, I know that our work is not yet done. The artifact remains a threat, a conduit of dark power that could be used by others to fulfill the prophecy.

I race to the altar, my mind spinning with possibilities, my heart pounding with a newfound sense of urgency. I know that we must find a way to destroy the artifact, to ensure that its power can never again be used for evil.

I search frantically over the rough stone, my fingers tracing the faded glyphs and symbols carved into its surface, hoping to find some clue, some hint of how to unmake this terrible object.

And then, in a moment of breathless discovery, I find it. A single line of text, etched into the base of the altar, that I’ve been pondering. A sacrifice made in love. But somehow, impossibly, I understand its meaning, the words searing themselves into my mind with a clarity that takes my breath away.

"Only a sacrifice born of pure love can destroy the artifact," I whisper, my voice trembling with the weight of the revelation. "A willing sacrifice, freely given, with no thought of self or gain."

I close my eyes, my heart clenching with a pain that has nothing to do with the chaos of the recent battle. Because I know, with a certainty that goes beyond doubt or fear, that I am the only one who can make that sacrifice.

My love for Malakai, the bond that ties us together, is the purest, most powerful force I have ever known. It is a love that transcends all boundaries, all limitations, a love that would willingly lay down its life for the sake of the other.

And in that moment, I understand what I must do.

I turn to Malakai, my eyes brimming with tears, my heart breaking with the knowledge of what I am about to say. "Malakai," I call out, my voice barely audible over the eerie silence that now fills the chamber. "I know how to destroy the artifact, to make sure it can never be used again."

He turns to me, his eyes widening with a mixture of hope and trepidation. "How?" he asks, his voice still raw from the exertion of the battle.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for his reaction. "I have to sacrifice myself," I say, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "Our love, our bond...it's the only thing strong enough to shatter the artifact, to destroy its power forever."

Malakai's face contorts with anguish, his eyes blazing with a desperate, furious denial. "No," he growls, his voice cracking with emotion. "No, Evelyn, you can't. I won't let you, I can't lose you, not now, not after everything we've been through..."

I step forward, my hand reaching out to cup his cheek, my thumb brushing away the tears that streak his face. "Malakai," I whisper, my voice soft but unyielding. "This is the only way. The only way to ensure that the demon lord's evil can never return, that our world will be safe, that we can have a future together."

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