Page 83 of Eternal Thorns

Their shared agony, their mutual terror of losing each other, created a resonance that the shadow entity couldn't quite corrupt.

It was about facing darkness together.

“You can't break what chooses to endure,” Thorne managed through waves of corruption. The effort cost him terribly, but Silas's answering surge of fierce love made it worth any pain.

The entity screamed in rage, trying to drown them both in twisted visions. It showed Thorne every moment his love had caused pain, every time connection led to betrayal. Showed Silas every way Thorne's sacrifice would poison them both, every future where darkness won.

But those very attempts to break them only made their bond stronger. The key and bracelet blazed with impossible light as truth cut through lies.

“I'm not afraid of what you've become,” Silas declared, his voice steady despite corruption crawling up his arm. “I'm only afraid of letting you face it alone.”

SILAS

Through their damaged bond came Thorne's spike of terror as he realized what Silas intended. The forest guardian fought harder against the entity's hold, trying to force out another warning. But Silas didn't need warnings anymore.

He needed truth.

“I understand now,” he said softly, taking another step into Thorne's corrupted space.

The shadow entity's confusion manifested as ripples through the poisoned air. It had expected him to fight or flee the corruption spreading up his arm, not walk willingly into its embrace.

“Have you lost your mind?” Kai shouted from somewhere behind him. “That stuff is literally eating through our protective charms!”

But Silas kept his eyes locked on Thorne's corrupted face as he stepped fully into the void between light and shadow

Through their strengthening bond, he broadcast one pure truth. “I love you, in light or shadow. All of you. Even this.”

The simple honesty of those words made the entity's attack falter. It had prepared for resistance, for desperate attempts tomaintain purity. This complete acceptance of darkness as part of love left it reeling.

“You can't,” Thorne managed through waves of corruption, his voice cracking. “I won't let you be poisoned too.”

“That's not your choice anymore.” Silas reached for him as shadow crawled up to his shoulder.

“Beautiful sentiment,” the entity tried to mock through Thorne's voice, but uncertainty threaded through its tone. “But corruption claims everything eventually.”

“Does it?” Silas let truth flow freely through their bond - not just love, but complete acceptance of everything Thorne had become. “Or does it only claim what we try to keep pure?”

The shadow's hold on Thorne wavered as this understanding struck home. Through their connection came his love's answering surge of recognition - they'd been fighting to protect each other from darkness instead of facing it together.

“Look at what you've become,” the entity snarled, forcing Thorne's corrupted form to display its full terrible beauty. “This is what love leads to. This is what trust creates.”

“Yes,” Silas agreed simply, watching corruption spread across his chest. “This is part of love too. The hard parts, the dark parts, the moments that hurt. I choose all of it.”

“You'll both be lost,” the shadow warned, but its voice held something close to fear now.

“Maybe,” Silas acknowledged, close enough now to touch Thorne's corrupted face. “But we'll be lost together. That's what you've never understood. It is all about choosing each other knowing darkness might come.”

He felt Thorne’s true essence fighting harder against the entity's hold. The key and bracelet pulsed in perfect harmony, creating patterns of light that made shadows retreat.

THORNE

I choose all of you. Light and shadow both.

Thorne felt his true essence surge stronger. His form began to shift, not fighting corruption but accepting it as part of himself. The change felt like coming home to a truth he'd always known but forgotten.

“You can't,” it tried one last time, but the words emerged weak and uncertain. “You'll lose everything you were.”

“No,” Thorne managed through waves of transformation. “We'll become what we were always meant to be.”

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