The Princess Knight

Who Is He

Slowly, panic began to creep in, creeping up my spine as my breathing turned ragged and uneven. I struggled to wrench myself free, twisting and kicking while not being able to see anything, but its grip only tightened—unyielding, inhuman. My body trembled as it lifted me once more, holding me helpless against the cold air that stung my skin.

"Mother…" I whispered through clenched teeth, tears slipping down my cheeks. "Please…"

And then__suddenly__it released me.

I stumbled to the ground, gasping for breath. Silence took over the cave whole. My pulse pounded so loud I could almost hear it echo. Slowly, my nerves began to calm, just enough for me to steady my shaking hands.

Then, her voice again—soft, melodic, heartbreakingly familiar.

"Elowen," it whispered.

"Elowen, my dear…"

Hearing it again made my blood boil.

The audacity of this creature__to use my mother's voice.

I grabbed the stone and smashed it into its face again. It shrieked again, a monstrous, guttural sound.

As I turned to run, its claws lashed out, seizing my wrist. Before I could react, it dragged me across the floor, scraping against the rough stone until we stopped before a massive stone basin, carved deep into the ground. The thing forced me forward, ripping the sleeve from my arm as I Struggled.

Then came the sharp sting of bone it held pressing against my skin. I gasped, eyes snapping open instinctively.

The creature lunged closer, its face twisting toward mine.

It wanted my eyes.

Just as our eyes were about to meet, something struck it.

A sudden force, unseen and powerful, hurled the creature backward with a heavy crash against the cave wall. I gasped, frozen in place, My heart thudded against my ribs as I lifted my head__and there he was.

A tall man stood between me and the creature, sword drawn, its blade faintly glinting in the dim light. He wore full knight armor, dark as midnight, from his boots to the edges of his gauntlets. His hair was thick, long and black, blending into the shadows around him. Across his chest, a deep crimson cross was etched into his armor.

My breath caught.

A paladin knight.

And not just any__ He was one of the Order of Twelve. The rarest of the holy knights, said to be chosen by the divine themselves. For a moment, disbelief and awe twisted inside me. A paladin, here, of all places.

something about him felt… different.

The air around him was thick, It was the kind of presence that whispered both danger and safety, like a storm that could either destroy or protect. When I met his gaze, I froze. His eyes__pitch black. No light, no color. Just endless darkness staring back at me.

I stumbled backward, instinctively reaching for something to hold onto, my pulse racing.

Then a low, guttural growl echoed behind him. The demon was standing again, its shape twisting, bones cracking as it returned to its true, hideous form.

I shut my eyes tightly.

"Don't look at its eyes!" I yelled__then immediately realized how ridiculous that sounded. What on earth made me think this guy needed any of my advice? Slowly, I peeked one eye open, and... There, turns out, the demon was the one who should've listened. The way they were facing off, it looked like it was the one in real danger. His gaze was locked dead on the creature's eyes__cold, unblinking. Even the beast hesitated, confusion flickering across its distorted face. It tilted its head slightly, almost… studying him, as if trying to understand who or what stood before it.

Then, in one swift, fluid motion, the knight thrust both palms into the demon's chest.

He lowered his head slightly, his voice deep and calm as he uttered words that rippled through the silence of the cave like a sacred echos...

"By His name… fall to dust."

The phrase wasn't shouted. It was murmured, yet it carried like thunder through the stone walls.

Suddenly a light__red at first, then golden, burst from the knight's hands, glowing through the demon's chest before tearing it apart from within.

The creature shrieked, split in half, and dissolved into nothingness__its body fading like smoke meeting sunlight.

Silence followed.

The knight stood there__unmoving, his dark eyes fixed on the fading traces of the demon's remains. When he finally turned his head toward me, those eyes__pitch black and end less, met mine. I flinched, instinctively stepping back.

By then, the strength in my legs began to fade. Maybe it was because I'd finally let my guard down, or perhaps I simply hadn't realized how much the adrenaline had carried me until it ran dry. My vision blurred, the edges of the cave seemed to ripple and tilt. My knees shaked, dragging me toward the ground.

"No… no, no…" I muttered under my breath, my voice thin. I can't pass out. Not yet.

I didn't know who he truly was__and I couldn't guarantee my safety if I lost consciousness. Paladins were supposed to be human. And what I just witnessed... that wasn't human.

Through the haze, I saw him, still standing, silent as he watched me fall. There was no urgency in his movements, no emotion, only stillness.

Just as the darkness began to claim me, I felt a sudden pull__strong, effortless. My body lifted from the cold stone floor, cradled in arms that felt like steel beneath the armor. I tried to push myself free, pressing a weak fist against his chestplate, but it was like striking a wall.

He didn't react.

He simply turned and began to walk, his steps calm, measured, almost echoing in rhythm with my fading heartbeat.

The last thing I remember was the faint sound of metal brushing against stone… and the strange comfort of knowing that, somehow, in the arms of this cold, inhuman knight—I was safe.