Page 58 of Trial By Fire

He was broken, Aric. Desperate. And in his desperation, he made a choice that would ultimately cost him his life.

He struck a bargain with the human mages, a dangerous and foolish gamble that he believed would save our people and end the war for good. But he had been deceived, as I knew he would be. The humans could not be trusted, and his actions only brought more suffering and death to our kind.

The shadows seemed to thicken around Malekith’s voice, his words a living thing that slithered through the darkness. Aric could feel the raw pain, the grief and betrayal that still festered in Malekith’s heart. It was a wound that had never fully healed, a weight that Malekith still carried with him, even after all this time.

“And what about you? What happened to you after that?”

Malekith’s gaze was distant, lost in the depths of memory.

It changed everything. The demon court was outraged at my brother’s actions, but they were equally horrified by the human betrayal. It was a time of great upheaval, the delicate balance between our realms shattered beyond repair.

My brother was exiled, stripped of his titles and lands, his name erased from our family’s history. He became a pariah, a symbol of everything the demon court despised. But he was unrepentant, even as he retreated from the public eye.

It was years before I saw him again, and by then, I was so consumed by my own path that I barely recognized the demon he had become. He had turned his back on everything that once defined him, and for what? To save the life of a human who had tried to kill him?

Malekith’s voice softened, a thread of wonder and pain running through it.

She had been a border guard, one of the humans tasked with keeping watch for any signs of demon incursions. He had been on a scouting mission, and she had spotted him, called for help. He could have killed her, but he chose to spare her life instead. I do not know what passed between them in the time that followed, but it was enough to make him question everything he had once believed.

He saw in her the capacity for goodness, for understanding, that he had longed to believe all humans possessed. And in his desperation to prove her worth, he made choices that he could never take back.

She was a healer, a midwife, and a protector of her people. A leader in all but name. But she was a human, and no matter how much my brother loved her, the demon court would never accept her. To them, she was a stain on our family’s honor, a reminder of the pain and suffering the humans had caused us. They could not forgive my brother for his weakness, for daring to believe in a future that could never be.

He was exiled, cast out of the demon realm to live among the humans he had tried so hard to protect. But even in his absence, the damage had been done. Our family’s reputation was in tatters, our lands and titles stripped away. I was left to carry the burden of our name, to prove to the demon court that we were still worthy of their respect.

Malekith’s voice was heavy with regret, with a weariness that went bone-deep.

I tried for centuries to do just that, to show them the error of my brother’s ways. I became the most feared and respected general in all of the demon realm, a paragon of our kind’s strength and power. But still, they could not forget the stain he had left on our family, the shadow that lingered over our name.

And now the demon court’s suspicions of House Ixion have only deepened. I am under constant scrutiny, my every moveand decision called into question. And while I care little for their approval, it is not a good time to be seen as weak or vulnerable.

I’m sorry, Aric.Malekith’s voice was a weary sigh in Aric’s mind.I never wanted to entangle you in this. I know the risks I am asking you to take, and I understand if you cannot?—

Aric’s response was instant, a fierce blaze of loyalty that seared through the darkness. “I would follow you to the end of the world, my lord. There is nothing I would not do for you.”

Malekith’s laugh was a bitter thing, laced with self-doubt and regret.You say that now. But you do not know the depths of the darkness that lies within me. The things I have done, the lives I have taken in the name of our kind’s survival. You would not be so quick to offer your loyalty if you knew the true monster that I am.

Aric’s heart ached with the weight of Malekith’s pain. He could feel it in every word, the burden of a lifetime of duty and regret. And yet, it only made him more determined, more sure of his path.

“You are not a monster,” Aric insisted, his thoughts a soothing balm. “You are the strongest, most honorable being I have ever known. You fight for your people, for a better future. How can I do any less?”

There is something I must ask of you. Something that goes against every instinct, every oath I have ever sworn. But I cannot see another path. I cannot bear to watch my people suffer any longer, or yours. And I know you, Aric. I know the goodness that lives in your heart, the compassion that you try so hard to hide.

Malekith’s gaze was a searing brand, stripping away the layers that Aric used to shield himself. It was a painful, terrifying exposure, and yet he could not look away. He would never turn from those eyes, no matter what they asked of him.

If you have the chance to return to your people, you should take it. It’s the only way to warn them of what is to come.

Aric’s breath caught in his throat. It was a betrayal of everything he had sworn to do, a betrayal of his people and his duty. And yet, as he looked into Malekith’s eyes, he could not summon an ounce of regret.

“How can you ask me to do that?” Aric’s voice was a harsh rasp. “How can you ask me to betray you?”

Because it is the only way.Malekith’s voice was a soft, broken thing.The only way I can see to end this war.Malekith’s shoulders slumped, the weight of the world pressing down on him.I cannot stand by and watch any longer. I cannot be the cause of any more suffering.

“Then let me help you,” Aric pleaded. “Together, we can find another way. We can bring your people and mine to the table, we can?—”

It is too late for that.Malekith’s voice was a knife, cutting off Aric’s words.I cannot stop this war from the demon side. But you, Aric. You have the power to change the course of history. You have the power to save countless lives.

Malekith’s eyes softened, the barest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.I know you would, Aric. And it is that goodness, that compassion of yours, that I fear will be your undoing.

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