The oppressive silence returned, the forest around me dark and still. My heart ached with a rawness that left me gasping for air, the weight of her words pressing down on me like a heavy shroud. I sat there for what felt like an eternity, staring at the empty space where she had stood, the echoes of her voice lingering in my mind.
When I finally looked up, my darker self stood nearby, watching me with an unreadable expression. Her glowing eyes held a mixture of disdain and something else, approval, perhaps, or pity.
“You think love is enough to protect her,” she said, her voice cool and even. “But love alone won’t save her. You’ve seen that now.”
I forced myself to my feet, my legs trembling beneath me as I faced her. “Love isn’t just words or promises,” I said, my voice firm despite th
