Page 73 of Eternal Thorns

Some battles could only be won by refusing to surrender what mattered most. Some wars had to be fought with truth and trust rather than power or protection.

Whether that would be enough remained to be seen. But at least they faced it together, choosing each other despite knowing exactly what that choice might cost.

24

SACRIFICES

The ancient ritual grove hummed with gathered power as Silas took his position opposite Thorne. Luminous symbols carved into stone generations ago pulsed with silver light, responding to their combined magical signature. The key around his neck and bracelet on his wrist felt almost hot, resonating with the sacred space's awakening magic.

“Ready?” Thorne asked softly, his crown was catching the rays of moonlight.

“Together,” Silas answered, reaching across the ritual circle. The moment their hands connected, power surged through the grove's ancient foundations.

They'd planned this carefully, studying how the sacred space could amplify magical connections. In theory, channeling their pure bond into focused energy should create something the shadow entity couldn't corrupt. But theory felt very different from the reality of power rushing through his veins like liquid starlight.

Silver-gold light exploded outward from their point of contact, so bright it pushed back the encroaching darkness. The key's power merged seamlessly with Thorne's magic, creatingresonances that made the very air sing. Through their bond flowed everything - every scrap of feeling, every shared breath, every moment of trust built between them.

“It's working,” Silas gasped as the corruption actually began to recede. Everywhere their combined light touched, shadow retreated. Even the permanently transformed sections of forest seemed to strain toward their power like flowers seeking sun.

The grove's amplifying magic picked up their resonance, strengthening it exponentially. Silas felt Thorne's fierce joy match his own as their connection proved stronger than poison. For one shining moment, victory felt within reach.

Then the shadow entity did something completely unexpected.

Instead of fighting their combined power, it surged forward to embrace it. Darkness flowed into their magical connection like ink through water, using the very bond between them as a conduit.

“No,” Silas breathed, watching corruption spread up their joined arms.

Thorne tried to pull away, but it was already too late. Their magic had merged too completely, the bond between them now acting as a perfect vessel for darkness. The key's silver light took on an oily sheen while the bracelet's symbols twisted into new patterns.

“Silas,” Thorne's voice cracked with desperation. “Let go!”

But breaking contact now might do more damage than maintaining it. Silas felt the shadow entity's cruel satisfaction. It had evolved beyond their expectations, learning to use not just their power but the very nature of their bond against them.

The corruption racing through their combined magic felt wrong on a fundamental level. Where their shared light had pushed back darkness moments before, it now spread it faster than ever.

“Fascinating, isn't it?” The shadow entity spoke using both their voices at once, the sound making nearby crystals shatter. “How the purest bonds make the perfect conduits for corruption? All that trust, all that carefully built connection, becoming the very thing that destroys you.”

The sacred grove's amplifying magic only made things worse, strengthening the corruption flowing through their bond. Silas watched in horror as the key's silver light turned black as starless night, though it retained its ethereal glow. The bracelet burned against his wrist, its symbols rearranging themselves into patterns that hurt to look at.

Silas felt Thorne's anguish. The forest guardian's form flickered violently as corruption raced through their shared magic.

“Let go,” Thorne begged again, but Silas held firm.

The shadow entity's laughter echoed through their bond, wearing both their voices. “Even knowing how it damns you both, you refuse to break apart. Perfect.”

Darkness spread outward from their joined hands, following the grove's ritual patterns like water finding its level. Each amplifying crystal transformed as corrupted magic touched it, becoming something beautiful and terrible and wrong. The very foundations of the sacred space began to change, centuries of protective magic twisting into new forms.

“This isn't possible,” Silas gritted out, fighting to maintain some control over their shared power.

“But that's exactly why it works so well,” the entity purred, using Thorne's voice alone now. “The purer the bond, the more perfect a channel it makes. All that trust, all that carefully built resonance, creates such excellent pathways for corruption.”

The key pulsed against Silas's chest in a desperate rhythm, trying to fight the corruption flowing through it. But even its ancient power was being transformed, turned into somethingthat sang with wrong harmonies. The bracelet's symbols continued rearranging themselves, now showing patterns that spoke of twisted connection rather than true partnership.

Darkness gathered above them, drawing strength from their corrupted bond. The shadow entity had stopped manifesting in borrowed forms.

The sacred grove's amplifying magic continued strengthening everything, corruption and connection alike. Their desperate gambit had backfired spectacularly, giving their enemy exactly what it needed to evolve beyond their ability to fight.

Silas looked at Thorne and he was terrified of what he saw.

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