Chapter 274
The clearing was eerily quiet, the trees standing sentinel as Elyra, Dain, and Matthew emerged from the dense forest. The pull of the portal was stronger here, a hum that seemed to vibrate in Elyra’s chest. She glanced at Dain, whose expression mirrored her unease.
“This is it,” Elyra whispered, her voice barely audible over the thrumming energy.
Before they could take another step, the shadows around them erupted into chaos. Jason stepped into the clearing, flanked by shadow beasts whose forms twisted and writhed unnaturally. His red eyes locked onto Elyra, and a sinister grin spread across his face.
“You can’t run anymore,” Jason growled. “This ends here.”
The shadow beasts surged forward, their guttural snarls filling the air. Matthew, despite his injuries, gripped his axe with both hands and stepped between Elyra and the advancing monsters. “Go!” he shouted, his voice commanding. “Find the portal!”
“No!” Elyra cried, her silver eyes wide with panic.
Matthew turned to her, his face fierce but soft with affection. “It’s my turn to protect you, Elyra. Go!”
Dain grabbed Elyra’s arm, pulling her back as the shadow beasts closed in. Matthew swung his axe with precision, his movements slower but no less determined. Each strike took down a beast, but more replaced them, their claws slashing and their teeth gnashing.
Jason watched, his lips curling into a sneer. “Your hero won’t save you, Elyra. Come to me, and I’ll spare him.”
Elyra’s sob caught in her throat, but Dain’s grip tightened. “We have to go,” he said, his voice trembling with both urgency and grief.
“I can’t leave him!” Elyra screamed, tears streaming down her face.
“You have to,” Dain growled, dragging her away. “He’s buying us time.”
As they fled, Elyra looked back just in time to see Matthew take down one final beast before Jason struck. The last thing she saw was Matthew’s defiant gaze, his lips moving in what she knew were words of love and farewell, before the shadows consumed him.
Her scream pierced the night, raw and full of anguish. Dain held her tightly, his own grief tearing at him as they ran. The clearing faded behind them, but the memory of Matthew’s sacrifice burned brightly in their minds, driving them forward toward a destiny they couldn’t yet comprehend.
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