Chapter 275
The forest seemed darker without Matthew’s presence. Every rustling leaf and distant animal cry felt like a reminder of their loss. Elyra walked ahead of Dain, her silver hair disheveled and streaked with dirt. Her face was pale, her eyes hollow as if the weight of guilt had drained her.
Dain watched her, unsure how to help. He was grieving too, but seeing Elyra like this was unbearable. “Elyra,” he said gently, stepping closer.
She stopped abruptly, her shoulders shaking. “Don’t,” she whispered, her voice raw. “Don’t tell me it’s going to be okay. It won’t be.”
Dain hesitated, then took another step forward. “He wanted us to live. He chose to fight so we could keep going.”
Elyra turned to him, her golden eyes glistening with tears. “And I let him die, Dain. I stood there and watched him—” Her voice broke, and she clutched at her pendant as if it could somehow bring Matthew back. “I should’ve fought harder. I should’ve saved him.”
“You can’t carry this alone,” Dain said firmly, reaching for her hands. “We’re still alive because of him. Don’t let that sacrifice go to waste.”
She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “It feels like every step we take makes us lose more. First our home, now him. What’s next, Dain? You? Me?”
Dain’s jaw tightened as he cupped her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I won’t let that happen. We’ll make his sacrifice mean something, Elyra. We’ll keep going—for him.”
Elyra collapsed into his chest, her sobs muffled by his embrace. Dain held her tightly, his own grief threatening to surface. “You’re not alone in this,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “We’ll find a way to make it right.”
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