Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Choice of Sacrifice

The air was thick with the scent of dust and decay as Arlen moved deeper into the ruins, the shards within her thrumming like a heartbeat. The power was intoxicating, seeping into her bones with each passing moment. It was the only thing that had ever made her feel alive, that had ever made her feel like she mattered.

*You’re so close, Arlen…* The voice of the shard whispered inside her mind, its tone soft and coaxing, a dark lullaby that wrapped around her thoughts.

She shook her head, but the thoughts wouldn’t leave. The shard had become too entwined with her sense of purpose. What else do you have left? What other choice is there?

Her footsteps faltered, and her breath hitched as she clenched her fists. The need to claim the relic, to seize the power that awaited her, was becoming unbearable. The shard’s whispers had grown louder, more insistent, feeding into the depths of her insecurities. It had always told her she was weak, that she was nothing.

That she had no purpose, no value. But the relic—this legendary force—would change that. She would become someone. She would finally matter.

What do you owe to anyone else? The shard’s voice was now a seductive murmur. *Caleb’s just a distraction. You think he’ll understand? He’ll hold you back. You know he will. He won’t sacrifice himself for you. He never would. This is your only chance. *Don’t let him stand in your way.

Arlen stopped in her tracks, the weight of the shard’s words sinking into her like a poison. She felt a knot of panic twist in her chest. She didn’t want to admit it, but the shard was right. Caleb had always been there for her, always trying to protect her, but deep down, hadn’t she known? Hadn’t she always known he would never truly understand? He couldn’t. No one could. This was her burden to bear.

She glanced behind her, and Caleb’s form was a shadow in the distance, limping slowly toward her. His injuries were becoming too much for him, the blood from his last fight staining his clothes, but his eyes—his eyes still held that concern, that determination to protect her. He was fighting to save her from herself.

“Arlen…” His voice cracked through the air, weak but steady. His words were quiet, but they felt like a blade scraping against her chest.

She turned slowly to face him, her hands trembling at her sides. “You shouldn’t have followed me,” she whispered, her voice broken. “Look at what following me done to you.”

But Caleb didn’t stop. His lips parted, but he seemed unsure of what to say, his chest rising and falling with the effort of speaking. There was desperation in his gaze, but also a calm resolve. He was pushing himself through pain, through his own suffering, because he believed in her.

“Arlen… please,” he continued, his voice hoarse, barely audible over the wind. “I don’t want to lose you to this. You don’t need the relic to be worth something. You already matter to me.”

His words were a knife in her gut. She felt herself falter, the weight of them almost too much to bear. She had told herself she was doing this for herself, for a chance at purpose, but hearing him say that—hearing him offer her the one thing she had never been able to give herself—was like a punch to the soul.

But the shard’s voice was louder now, drowning out Caleb’s plea. He can’t help you. He never could. You have to do this. You’re nothing without this power. Don’t let him pull you back. He’ll never understand.

Arlen squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel the shard pushing against the walls of her mind, its power pressing in on her. It was so easy to give in. So easy to listen. And yet, part of her was still reaching for something more.

She didn’t want to be this way. She didn’t want to be the person who cast aside everything, even Caleb, just for a chance at power. But how many times had she been told she wasn’t enough? How many times had she been treated like she didn’t matter?

The relic was her chance. Her chance to finally make the world see her.

She reached out for the relic before she could stop herself. Her fingers brushed its surface, and a shock of raw, electric power coursed through her body. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. The world around her seemed to blur, the whispers of the shard merging with the pulsing energy in her veins.

You’ve done it. Now you’re finally whole.

But just as the power surged through her, she felt a tug in her chest—an agonizing pull. She turned to Caleb, and his eyes were filled with the kind of pain she had never wanted to cause. His form swayed slightly as he took a step toward her, blood staining his clothes, his breath ragged. She could see the desperation in his gaze, the unspoken words hanging between them.

“Arlen,” Caleb said, his voice a rasp. “I… I don’t care about the relic. I care about you. This… this isn’t you. Don’t let this thing change you. You can still make the right choice!”

Her breath caught in her throat. But she didn’t know what else to do. The shard’s voice was insistent, a dark symphony filling her mind. *Do you want to live for him, Arlen? Or do you want to live for *yourself?

Her hands shook, and her heart raced in her chest. She wanted to scream, to break down in front of him and tell him that she didn’t know anymore. But she couldn’t. She had come this far. Time ticked by, with one last glance towards Caleb, her hand reached for the relic and she gripped it tightly. Thus, a sacrifice has been made.

The energy surged again, and the relic’s power enveloped her, drowning out Caleb’s words. She couldn’t hear him anymore, couldn’t see the hurt in his eyes. Everything blurred, and she was left with only the power, only the feeling of finally being something.

The moment the relic’s power fully settled within her, she turned away, the weight of the decision already beginning to gnaw at her. Caleb was no longer behind her, and she couldn’t bring herself to look back.

The shard’s voice whispered once more, but this time it wasn’t sweet and coaxing. It was triumphant. You’ve made the right choice. You’re no longer weak.

Arlen felt the relic’s power seeping into her, corrupting her with every passing second. Her body was changing—trembling with raw energy, her heart beating faster, her thoughts sharpening and darkening. She had no idea who she was anymore, but the power felt like the only thing that could keep her alive.

But as she took another step forward, the world around her seemed to fall silent. The wind had stopped blowing. The echoes of the world around her had faded.

Did I make the right choice? She asked herself, but no answer came.

She could feel the shard laughing in her mind.

It doesn’t matter now.

Suddenly, she heard a voice—Caleb’s voice—shouting her name, his voice breaking through the silence.

“Arlen! Please… don’t do this. You’re losing yourself!”

But Arlen couldn’t stop. She was already lost, already so deep into the power that the world outside her no longer existed. She felt the last remnants of her humanity slipping away with each step she took toward the unknown. Her body started morphing, she could feel it change, as if adjusting to contain this magnitude of power.

As the relic’s energy flooded her, a part of her mind screamed, trying to break free from the torrent of power. Her body felt like it was on fire, everything hurts, but the shard’s influence was too strong. It whispered sweet affirming words to my ears, trying to ease me through the pain. *This is who you are now. This is your purpose.*

She looked around once more. Caleb’s figure was just a shadow in the distance, and his voice was drowned out by the overwhelming surge of the shard’s power. He had no place in this world anymore. Neither did she.

Then, as she reached the final stretch of the ruins, the relic’s full power enveloped her, and everything went black.

Did I make the right choice? Her last thought echoed in the void, unanswered, as her consciousness faded.

But in the deep silence of the desolate world, a single thought lingered, one that hadn’t come from the shard, or even from Caleb.

What if I’ve lost everything?

And then—nothing.

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