Page 82 of Eternal Thorns

No, he tried to scream, but the entity used his voice for its own purpose.

Thorne felt his corrupted form move with terrible grace, each gesture a twisted mockery of his natural ethereal beauty. The shadow entity knew exactly how to use his body, his memories, his power to create the perfect lure. Even the way it made him tilt his head carried echoes of intimate moments between them.

But through their weakened bond came something that burned like sunrise. That pure connection sent fresh agony through Thorne's corrupted essence, the entity punishing him for every moment of genuine feeling between them.

“Stop,” he managed to force out, though the word emerged mangled. “You have to...”

The shadow slammed through him before he could finish, using his own power to create illusions of everything they'd dreamed of having together. The sacred grove restored to perfectbeauty. Their magic harmonizing without fear or limitation. A future where love didn't mean constant sacrifice.

“All this could be yours,” it offered through his voice, reaching for Silas with Thorne's own gentle gesture. “Everything we wanted, everything we dreamed. Just accept a small touch of darkness. Let me show you how beautiful shadow can be.”

The pain of watching his love face this perfect temptation nearly broke Thorne completely. But through their damaged bond came something unexpected.

Silas kept approaching. Even as corruption began crawling up his arm the moment he reached for Thorne, he didn't hesitate or flinch away.

The entity's hold on Thorne's voice wavered, its control fracturing against such pure dedication. Through this crack in its defenses, he managed to force out his own words:

“Don't... trust what you see...”

Fresh agony crashed through him as the shadow retaliated, but that brief moment of true connection gave him strength to keep fighting. Through their strengthening bond came Silas's fierce recognition, his complete acceptance of everything Thorne had become.

“I trust what I feel,” Silas answered, and those simple words carried more power than any magic.

The entity screamed through Thorne's corrupted form, making shadows writhe while sickly light pulsed faster beneath his skin. But it couldn't quite maintain its hold against the truth flowing between them. Every genuine moment of connection burned it like acid, every freely chosen touch weakened its control.

Thorne felt himself fragment as the battle for his essence intensified. The entity tried to use his memories as weapon, but Silas's unwavering presence cut through those twisted visions with terrible clarity.

The entity sensed this dangerous realization. It gathered corruption around them like a closing fist, using Thorne's power to create the perfect trap. But even as darkness tried to consume them both, something pure and impossible bloomed in his corrupted heart.

Hope.

Not the desperate kind born from fear of loss, but the steady certainty that came from being truly seen and chosen anyway. Silas didn't need him to be unchanged or uncorrupted. Didn't need perfection or purity.

He just needed him to be real.

The shadow entity's realization hit like arctic wind. Thorne felt it seize control of his corrupted form with renewed violence, understanding exactly how dangerous their strengthening connection had become. Through their healing bond came Silas's answering surge of determination, making the entity's hold fracture further.

“No,” it snarled through Thorne's voice. “You don't get to save each other.”

Power gathered around them like a closing fist. Thorne fought desperately as the entity forced his magic to twist into weapon, corrupting centuries of protective instinct into something meant to destroy. Dark energy crackled through his veins while his crown of branches dripped liquid shadow.

“Silas, run!” He managed to force out the warning before corruption slammed through him completely.

But it was too late. The shadow entity released its attack through Thorne's hands, turning his love's own power against him. Corrupted magic exploded outward in devastating waves, aimed directly at Silas's heart.

Time seemed to slow as darkness raced toward his lover. Thorne felt Silas's complete acceptance of whatever came next. That pure trust hurt worse than any corruption.

The entity wasn't done torturing them. As its magic struck, it forced them both to face their deepest fears. Thorne watched in horror as Silas's love turned to hatred, those storm-gray eyes filling with justified loathing for what he'd become. Every tender moment between them twisted into poison, every shared joy corrupted by the monster he truly was.

See what you really are?See how love always ends?

Simultaneously, Silas faced his own nightmare. Through their bond came his lover’s anguish at watching corruption consume everything that made Thorne himself, leaving only beautiful hollow shadow behind.

The attack should have broken them both. Should have turned their connection into final weapon, their love into ultimate poison. But something unexpected happened as their pain and fear crashed together.

The key around Silas's neck suddenly flared with brilliant light, matching the bracelet's silver glow. Their combined magic responded not to the shadow's lies, but to the truth beneath their fears.

“No,” Silas breathed, reaching through corruption with desperate purpose. “This isn't how our story ends.”

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