The scene unfolded before her eyes, vivid and undeniable. Elden standing before the king, the cold, calculating glare of the monarch fixed upon him. She heard the king's voice, a silken whisper laced with venom, giving the command that shattered her world.

He stood before King Hazrael, the air was thick with the scent of incense and the underlying stench of fear. The throne room was vast and cold, dominated by the imposing figure of the king seated upon his iron throne. Hazrael's eyes, cold and calculating, regarded Elden with a mixture of interest and contempt.

"Elden," the king said, his voice as cold as the steel of his throne. "I have a task for you, one that requires the utmost secrecy and loyalty."

Elden knelt, his heart hammering in his chest. This mission wasn’t anything he asked for. "Your majesty, I am at your service."

King Hazrael's smile was a cruel twist of his lips, sending a shiver down Elden's spine. "There is a threat to my reign, a girl named Aerin. She must be eliminated. But this task is delicate. She is surrounded by those who would see her protected. You must gain their trust, find her weaknesses, and ensure she does not live to challenge me."

The enormity of the task hit Elden like a blow. Aerin was not just any girl; she was rumored to be the last hope of a rebellion that sought to overthrow the king. Refusing Hazrael was not an option. To deny the king was to court death, and so Elden had accepted, his fate sealed by the brutal demands of his sovereign.

As he left the throne room, the weight of his mission pressed down upon him. The corridors of the palace were filled with the hushed conversations of nobles, each one vying for power and favor, their schemes as dark as the shadows that clung to the walls. Elden passed by a series of barred windows, beyond which the dungeons lay. The faint sounds of suffering drifted up, a grim reminder of what awaited those who defied the king.

Elden's thoughts drifted back to the moment he had been selected for this mission. He was known for his loyalty and skill, attributes that had earned him the king’s trust. But it was also his ability to navigate the treacherous waters of the court that made him the perfect candidate. The king needed someone who could blend in, who could gain the trust of the rebels without arousing suspicion. Elden was that man, but the price of his loyalty was high. He had never shown loyalty to anyone, he was his own ally. He would never be loyal to this king, not to Hazrael. His life was on the line now. Loyalty or no.

As he rode away from the palace and back into the forest, Elden’s mind was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. The king’s command was clear, yet the morality of his mission gnawed at him. He knew of Aerin’s strength and kindness, traits that stood in stark contrast to the darkness of the king’s court.

Another scene showed in Eldens mind.

He reached the hidden camp in the forest of Nyxia, his arrival met with silent acknowledgment from the guards. The atmosphere was tense, the air heavy with the scent of pine and damp earth. Elden was led to the king’s tent, where Hazrael awaited him, surrounded by maps and documents.

“Report,” the king commanded, his tone brooking no argument.

Elden swallowed hard, his mind racing. He gave a detailed account of his infiltration, careful to omit his growing doubts and the conflicted feelings that gnawed at him. The king listened intently, his expression unreadable.

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“And the girl?” Hazrael asked, his eyes narrowing.

“She is well-guarded,” Elden replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil within him.

The king leaned back, a calculating look on his face. “Remember, Elden, you are my blade in the shadows. Do not fail me.”

As Elden left the tent, the weight of his mission pressed down upon him more heavily than ever. He had chosen this path, but the road ahead was fraught with moral peril. The king’s brutality and the stakes of his task loomed over him like a dark cloud. Yet, he could not shake the image of Aerin, her spirit and determination a beacon in his darkest hours.

He rode back to his companions, the forest closing in around him once more. The shadows of Nyxia whispered secrets he dared not utter, and as he rejoined his friends, he knew his struggle was far from over. He was a man torn between duty and desire, his heart a battlefield of conflicting loyalties. The path he walked was one of treachery and deceit, but for now, he would tread it alone, the king’s commands a dark specter over his soul. This was not what he wanted. This was not his purpose.

Aerin's heart clenched in agony as she watched Elden nod, his face a mask of conflicted resolve. She felt his turmoil, his fear, but also a dark resolve that he had hidden from her. Her magic recoiled from the revelation, withdrawing like a wounded animal, leaving her raw and exposed.

Tears blurred her vision as she pulled away from him, her body trembling with the force of her discovery. "How could you?" she choked out, her voice breaking with the weight of her betrayal. "How could you deceive me like this?"

Elden's eyes widened in shock and despair, his hands reaching for her as if to pull her back into him. "Aerin, wait, I can explain—"

But she was already on her own, backing away from him as if his touch burned her. The fire of the candle seemed to flare in response to her turmoil, casting harsh light on the shattered remnants of her trust. "No," she whispered, her voice a broken whisper. "I trusted you… and you… you were sent to kill me."

The weight of her words hung in the air, a cruel testament to the fragility of their bond. Elden reached for her again, but she was already turning away, her heart breaking with each step.

Aerin started pacing, "So this was your plan all along? To hand me over to the king like some bargaining chip?"

Elden’s eyes was wide with shock, "Aerin, it’s not—"

"Don’t. Don’t you dare try to justify this. I trusted you, Elden!" Aerin's breath started to get more shallow and her head tingled.

"I didn’t have a choice! You don’t understand the position I’m in." The agony in his voice was thick, his throat closing.

“No choice? You always have a choice. You chose your loyalty to the king over… over everything else." Her voice rose, her frustration simmered through her as her magic responded. Loud thumping in her ears as she paced and paced and paced.

"I never wanted this! Damn it, Aerin, do you think this is easy for me? I’ve been torn apart every moment since I met you." He tried to step closer, to touch her again.

She backed away, her hands up in front of her, "Then why? Why do this if you care at all?"

Tears started to fog his eyes, his otherwise calm exterior had fallen, "Because caring for you doesn’t change the fact that I owe him everything! But—"

"But what? You think that makes it okay? That it somehow excuses the fact that you were going to betray me?" She countered.

"I was trying to protect you, in the only way I knew how."

"Protect me? By delivering me straight into the hands of the one person who wants to destroy me?" Her eyes lined with silver as she tried to force her emotions down, down, deep within her. He would not break her.

"I didn’t… I couldn’t… I would never Aerin"

"You couldn't do what? Go through with it? Because some shred of decency stopped you at the last second?" She backed closer to the door, ready to leave, to never see him again.

"Because I realized that I care more about you than I ever thought I could! But it’s too late now, isn’t it?" He followed her, but kept his distance as he didn't want her to leave.

"Yes, Elden. It’s too late." Aering clenched her jaw, still fighting the tears stinging her eyes.

"Aerin, please—" Elden didn't fight his tears anymore, they stained his cheeks. Dripping down his shirt, leaving dark wet stains.

"No. You’ve already made your choice. And now I have to make mine." She opened the door to her room and left.

As soon as she felt the crisp night air, she wept.