Page 36 of Monster's Maiden

Suddenly, Lara's scream pierces through the haze. "No!"

My legs falter beneath me, strength draining away as if siphoned by the wound. The world begins to blur.

"Lara," I manage to rasp, each word a struggle against the encroaching darkness. "Stay..."

Her tear-streaked face hovers above me, eyes wide with horror and helplessness. Her hands flutter uselessly at my wound, trying to stem the flow.

"Zyrith!" Her voice trembles with fear. "Hold on!"

The pain pulses through me in relentless waves, stealing my breath and dimming my vision. I hear Maya's frantic shouts, Aiden's muttered curses as they try to pull Lara away.

No! She cannot leave me.

I will myself to move, to fight against the encroaching darkness. Every fiber of my being screams in protest, but I refuse to give in. Lara needs me. She needs my strength, my protection.

"Lara..." My voice is barely a whisper now, drowned out by the pounding in my ears.

However, despite my resolve, the darkness soon wraps around me, thick and impenetrable. My body feels heavy, every breath now a monumental effort. Pain continues to sear through my body, a burning remnant of Aiden's audacity. I struggle to keep my eyes open, to cling to the last threads of consciousness.

Lara's face flickers in and out of view, her tears shimmering like fallen stars. Her voice, desperate and pleading, echoes in my mind. "Hold on," she begs, but I can feel myself slipping away.

The cavern grows colder, shadows lengthening as the light fades from my eyes. The last thing I see is Lara’s panicked face, her hand reaching out to me as if she can tether me to consciousness by sheer will alone. But it’s no use.

As I fade into unconsciousness, anguish courses through me. How could it come to this? I only wanted to protect her, to keep her safe within the sanctuary of our underground haven. My mind races with frustration and desperation. They don't understand the bond we share, the life we've built together.

The weight of my own helplessness crushes me. I was supposed to be her guardian, her protector. Yet here I lie, felled by a mere human's blade. The injustice of it all gnaws at me, tearing at the edges of my sanity.

Images of Lara flash before my eyes—her smile, her laughter, the way her eyes light up when she talks about the sun. A fierce determination wells up within me. I cannot leave her unprotected. She is everything to me.

Thoughts continue to tumble through my mind—memories of our time together, the moments of connection and understanding that bridged our differences. I cling to those memories like lifelines in the void.

A surge of warmth floods my chest at the thought of her touch, her gentle presence beside me. It's a cruel twist of fate that brings us here, teetering on the edge of despair.

Confusion muddles my racing thoughts as reality blurs with the void. Why must she suffer because of their ignorance? The question swirls unanswered in my mind.

However, despite the mounting confusion and anger at my present circumstance, one truth remains unwavering: I must protect Lara at all costs. Even as the world fades around me, that single thought burns bright and clear. Her safety is all that matters to me.

"Zyrith," her voice calls out to me in the far-off distance. "Hold on. Please."

The darkness wraps around me like a shroud, pulling me into its endless void. Yet, within this abyss, a flicker of warmth persists—Lara. Even unconscious, I sense her presence, a tether anchoring me to existence. It tugs at me, pulling me toward the light. Her fear, her confusion, and above all, her unspoken longing ripple through the void.

"Lara," I murmur in my mind, though my lips cannot form the words. Her image materializes before me—golden hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes wide with worry. "Don't leave me."

In the distance, muffled voices penetrate the haze. Aiden and Maya's frantic tones intermix with Lara's desperate pleas.

"We need to get you out of here," Aiden insists, his tone hard and unyielding. "He’s a monster."

"No! I can't leave him like this!" she insists, defiance lacing her words.

Her desperation reverberates through my being. She wants to stay. She wants to be with me.

"What are you even talking about? He’s a fucking monster! Just drop it," Maya says, her tone firm but tinged with sympathy. "He’s dangerous, Lara. We can’t risk it."

Dangerous? They do not understand what we share. They cannot comprehend what she means to me. I would never harm her. My mind struggles against the void, fighting to wake up to protect her.

"I know he seems that way," Lara says, her voice softening with an emotion I recognize—compassion. "But he's not what you think."

"You're not thinking straight," Aiden retorts. "This place is messing with your mind."

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