CHAPTER 17: Shadows and Confessions
657 Words
The capital was quiet when May, Zayn, and Ze returned from Darkwood Forest. The villagers were safe, the immediate threat contained, but the shadow of Kaelthorn’s influence still clung to Zayn like a second skin.
May watched him carefully. The A-rank monster had been defeated, the smaller ones dispatched, but Zayn wasn’t the same. His jaw was tight, his movements tense, and there was a storm in his eyes that even she could sense.
“He hasn’t rested properly,” Ze said softly, glancing at Zayn. “The visions… they’re still taunting him. He needs sleep, or he’ll break himself trying to hold it all in.”
May crossed her arms, frowning. “He won’t rest until he feels he’s done enough. That’s Zayn.”
Ze shrugged. “Then let him be. Just… be careful.”
Zayn sat alone in a quiet chamber, shadows barely flickering around him. His fists clenched, and images of failure haunted his mind: May hurt, his team falling, monsters overwhelming them all. Kaelthorn’s whispers taunted him, reminding him of every perceived failure.
May appeared at the doorway, hesitating before stepping closer. “Zayn… you need to rest. Come lie down with the others,” she urged gently, her hand brushing his arm. “We’re here. Let yourself breathe.”
He shook his head, voice tight. “I can’t. I… I can’t let my guard down. Not yet.”
May’s eyes softened. “You’ve carried too much alone for too long. I see it. Let me in, Zayn. Let someone care for you.”
For a long moment, he just stared at her, shadows flickering with every inhale. Then, with a deep, ragged sigh, he finally allowed himself to lean closer. “I… never let anyone get close before. I didn’t want them hurt because of me.”
May knelt beside him, her hand reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair from his face. “You’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to carry it all yourself. Not me. Not the others. Not ever.”
Slowly, the walls Zayn had built began to crumble. He told her about his childhood, about being adopted after the first Monster King’s fall, about the burden of shadows, loss, and Kaelthorn’s manipulations. He spoke of his guilt, his fears of failing those he loved, and the nights haunted by visions of death and destruction.
May listened, her own heart aching. She told him about her life before the Old Third had returned to the Realm, about growing up without a mother, about the emptiness that shaped her into the stubborn, fiery girl he now knew. She told him how that night in Darkwood — the fear, the chaos — had changed everything.
The air between them thickened with unspoken tension, vulnerability, and mutual understanding. Zayn reached for her, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw.
“I shouldn’t…” he murmured, voice low.
“You should,” May whispered back, closing the distance. “We’ve both been through too much. Let this be ours… just for tonight.”
The kiss was soft at first, tentative, then deepened, carrying the weight of fear, relief, and longing. Their bodies pressed together, hands exploring, the emotional storm finally finding a physical release. Shadows flickered around Zayn, but for once, they didn’t threaten — they seemed to curl protectively around them.
Hours later, they lay tangled in each other’s arms, breathing slowly. The weight of Kaelthorn’s visions hadn’t vanished, but for a moment, the world had softened.
Zayn’s voice broke the silence. “Thank you, May… for seeing me. For staying.”
May smiled, resting her forehead against his. “Always, Zayn. Always.”
Outside, the night wind carried the faint echoes of Darkwood Forest, a reminder that the fight was far from over. But inside that quiet chamber, for the first time in years, Zayn allowed himself to feel human again — loved, understood, and not alone.
- Writer
