Sarina and Lira moved through the thick forest in silence, the air heavy with the aftermath of the battle. The oppressive darkness seemed to cling to their every step, and even the faintest rustle of leaves or snap of twigs sent tension crawling up Sarina's spine. She could still feel Azrathis's presence lurking in the recesses of her mind, a reminder of the dangerous line she had crossed. The weight of the Demon Queen’s power had momentarily subsided, but its echoes were still there, gnawing at her thoughts.

Every now and then, Lira would cast a glance at her, her expression clouded with concern. Sarina could feel the unspoken questions, hanging between them like a blade poised to drop. She knew it was only a matter of time before Lira demanded answers, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to give them.

They had been walking for what felt like hours, the forest around them growing denser, the trees gnarled and twisted as though shaped by some malevolent force. The deeper they ventured, the more the shadows seemed to close in on them, and the air became thick with the scent of decay.

“We should stop,” Lira said, breaking the silence. She was breathing heavily, her face pale and drawn. “We need to tend to your wound.”

Sarina glanced down at her side. The gash the demon had left was still bleeding, the fabric of her tunic soaked through with blood. She had been ignoring the pain, pushing through it out of sheer will, but now that Lira mentioned it, the throbbing ache became impossible to dismiss.

“I’m fine,” Sarina muttered, though the words felt hollow.

Lira frowned. “You’re not fine. You’ve been bleeding since the fight. If we don’t stop and take care of it, you’ll collapse before we make it out of this cursed forest.”

Sarina knew she was right, but the thought of stopping, of sitting still in the midst of all this darkness, filled her with a sense of dread. Every moment they lingered felt like another chance for something worse to find them.

But Lira was already moving, her hands searching through her pack for bandages and herbs. Sarina sighed, relenting as she leaned against the nearest tree, its bark cold and rough against her skin. She winced as she pressed a hand to her side, trying to slow the bleeding.

Lira knelt beside her, carefully pulling back the torn fabric of her tunic. Her face tightened as she examined the wound, but she said nothing. Instead, she began working quickly, applying a salve to the cut before wrapping it tightly with bandages.

Sarina watched her in silence, her mind wandering back to the fight, to the moment when she had let Azrathis in. The memory of the power coursing through her veins was still vivid, and a part of her—a small, shameful part—craved it. She had felt invincible, unstoppable, but she knew that it had come at a cost. Each time she used Azrathis’s power, she lost a little more of herself, and it terrified her.

“There,” Lira said, tying off the bandage with a firm knot. She sat back on her heels, wiping her hands on her pants. “That should hold for now, but you need proper rest. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”

“I don’t have a choice,” Sarina replied, her voice flat. She didn’t meet Lira’s gaze. “We can’t afford to slow down.”

Lira’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of frustration crossing her face. “Sarina, you’re not invincible. You can’t keep pretending like you don’t need help.”

Sarina felt a surge of defensiveness rise within her, but she swallowed it down. Lira didn’t understand. She couldn’t. The danger they were in wasn’t just physical—it was deeper, darker, and Sarina couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Not now. Not with Azrathis’s whispers still lingering in her mind.

“We’ll move soon,” Sarina said, her tone brokering no argument. “Just a few minutes.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Lira sighed but didn’t push further. She leaned back against a fallen log, her bow resting across her lap. The silence stretched between them once more, but this time, it was filled with an unspoken tension.

After several moments, Lira finally broke the quiet, her voice soft but laced with something sharp. “What happened back there? With the demon.”

Sarina’s heart skipped a beat. She had known this conversation was coming, but now that it was here, she wasn’t sure how to answer. The truth hovered on the tip of her tongue, but the weight of it felt too heavy to speak aloud.

“What do you mean?” Sarina asked, stalling.

Lira’s gaze hardened. “You know what I mean. You were losing the fight. We both were. But then... something changed. You changed. I saw it in your eyes, Sarina. That wasn’t just adrenaline. There was something... unnatural.”

Sarina felt a cold knot of fear tighten in her chest. She had hoped Lira wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t ask. But of course, she had. Lira wasn’t stupid, and Sarina had underestimated how much she had seen.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sarina lied, her voice colder than she intended.

Lira’s expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Don’t lie to me, Sarina. I’m not blind. Something happened, and I deserve to know what it was.”

Sarina’s hands clenched into fists. She could feel the familiar pull of Azrathis’s presence, lurking in the back of her mind, waiting for the moment when she would give in again. But this time, it wasn’t a battle she could win by force. This was about trust—about the fragile bond she and Lira shared.

But how could she explain the darkness inside her? How could she admit that she had been tainted by the very evil they were fighting against?

“I...” Sarina’s voice faltered, the words catching in her throat.

Lira’s eyes softened, but the tension in her posture remained. “Sarina, whatever it is, you can tell me. We’ve been through too much for you to shut me out now.”

Sarina’s heart ached at the sincerity in Lira’s voice. She wanted to tell her. She wanted to trust her. But the truth felt like a blade poised to shatter everything between them.

“I used her power,” Sarina said, the words spilling out before she could stop them.

Lira blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Her? Who are you talking about?”

Sarina swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet Lira’s gaze. “Azrathis.”

The name hung in the air like a curse, and for a moment, Lira just stared at her, as if trying to process what she had heard. Then, slowly, understanding dawned on her face, followed by disbelief.

“You... you used the Demon Queen’s power?” Lira’s voice was barely a whisper, her eyes wide with shock.

Sarina nodded, her chest tight with shame. “I didn’t have a choice. The demon was too strong. We would have died if I hadn’t—”

“You don’t understand!” Sarina’s voice rose, her frustration bubbling over. “I didn’t want to. But she’s in my head, Lira. She’s always there, whispering, tempting me. And in that moment... I couldn’t fight her.”

Lira took a step back, her expression a mixture of fear and anger. “You said you could control her. You promised—”

“I know!” Sarina shouted, the words ripping from her throat. “But it’s not that simple! She’s stronger than I thought. And every time I use her power, it’s like I lose a piece of myself.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Lira’s face was pale, her eyes flickering with a storm of emotions. She looked at Sarina as if she didn’t recognize her—as if the person standing before her was a stranger.

Finally, Lira spoke, her voice cold and distant. “How long have you been hiding this from me?”

Sarina’s heart sank. “Since the beginning.”

Lira’s jaw tightened. “So, all this time... you’ve been lying to me?”

Sarina opened her mouth to protest, but the words wouldn’t come. Lira was right. She had been lying. She had kept the truth hidden, hoping that she could deal with it on her own, but now, everything was unraveling.

“I didn’t want to burden you,” Sarina said quietly, her voice hollow. “I thought I could handle it.”

Lira shook her head, her expression bitter. “You should have told me. We’re supposed to be in this together. How am I supposed to trust you if you’re keeping secrets?”

Sarina’s chest tightened with guilt. She wanted to make Lira understand, but the damage was already done. The trust between them had been shattered, and she wasn’t sure if it could ever be repaired.

“I’m sorry,” Sarina whispered, her voice barely audible.

Lira didn’t respond. She just turned away, her shoulders stiff with tension. “We should keep moving. The longer we stay here, the more vulnerable we are.”

Sarina nodded, though the weight of her confession still hung heavily in the air. She had done what she thought was necessary to survive, but in doing so, she had pushed away the one person she needed most.

As they walked in silence, deeper into the forest, Sarina couldn’t shake the feeling that she was standing on the edge of something dangerous—something that could either save them or destroy them both.

And with Azrathis’s whispers still echoing in her mind, she wasn’t sure which it would be.