Page 64 of His Darkest Devotion

I draw a shaking breath, letting my eyes drift shut. “Vaelin,” I murmur, voice quivering with love and desperation. “If you hear me, come back. Follow my call.” My illusions spiral outward, sensing the boundary between life and death—a dark, echoing void that chills my blood.

Olyssia inhales sharply, channeling her illusions into me. I feel the pulse of her flame illusions bolstering my magic, giving me the power to pierce the veil. My chest aches as if an invisible hand squeezes my lungs.This is unnatural.The boundary between realms resists, but I push, imagining Vaelin’s face, the brush of his lips, the fierce devotion in his eyes.

Come back, come back…

A swirl of cold rushes through my illusions. My heart jolts as I sense a flicker of Vaelin’s presence—a faint echo of his essence, drifting in the void. My illusions strain, forging a thread of connection.There he is.The weight of grief threatens to drag me under, but I grit my teeth, pulling that fragment toward me with every shred of will.

“Anchor him!” Olyssia hisses, illusions stuttering as she pours more energy into me.

I shape space-time magic like a net, casting it into the darkness. Something snags—a trembling bit of Vaelin’s soul. He’s battered, reluctant, as if the void clings to him. I sob, illusions flaring from my chest in bright streaks. “Vaelin, let me in,” I whisper, tears hot on my cheeks. “We can’t do this without you.”

A spasm rocks me—his soul writhes, torn between realms. My illusions crackle. Olyssia shouts in alarm, her illusions surging to keep the circle intact. The air thickens with pressure, so intense my ears pop. A low moan escapes Vaelin’s lips, though his eyes remain closed.Is that him or just my illusions?

No time for doubt. I channel raw life force from my core, funneling it through the circle. My veins burn as though set aflame. A dull roar fills my ears—thousands of ghosts protesting the breach of death’s domain. My illusions tremble, on the brink of collapse.I have to do this.

In a final burst of reckless love, I anchor Vaelin’s soul to the battered shell of his body, forcibly stitching them together with space-time ribbons. The agony scalds me from inside out. My illusions and Olyssia’s flames swirl in a storm of radiant energy, colliding with the gloom of death.

Vaelin’s chest arches, eyes flying open. He gasps, a wretched sound that tears through the hush. My illusions intensify, tethering him, forging a living vessel from broken flesh.It’s working… or is it killing us both?

Screams shred my throat as the magic rages, unstoppable. Olyssia cries out, illusions flickering. The ground beneath us cracks, stones levitating as we warp reality. The circle glows, a maelstrom of swirling light and darkness. My entire being feels close to rupturing, overshadowed by the cosmic forces I’ve unleashed.

And then, in one cataclysmic instant, the ritual ends. The illusions die away, the circle’s glow fading to embers. I collapse onto my back, chest heaving. Olyssia sprawls beside me, staff rolling from her grip. My vision flickers with spots, ears ringing.

For a heartbeat, I dread we failed.He’s gone.But then a soft cough pierces the hush. Slowly, I force my head to turn, seeing Vaelin’s body stir. My breath catches.

He shifts, limbs curling inward, drawing a ragged inhale as though it’s his first. The flesh along his arms is different—no longer the silver hue of a Dark Elf, nor the stony texture of a gargoyle. Something new, pale as moonlight, faintly veined with silver runes. My illusions quake at the sight, sensing a new aura enveloping him.

“Elira?” he rasps, voice frayed.

Tears flood my eyes.He’s alive.Somehow, we did the impossible. My limbs tremble as I drag myself to him, ignoring the ache in my soul. “Vaelin,” I whisper, cupping his cheek. His eyes flick open, no longer that icy hue, but a deeper swirl of color I can’t name—like a horizon at twilight, tinged with faint gold.

“Elira,” he repeats, breath hitching. “What… happened?”

I collapse forward, burying my face against his chest, relief sobbing through me. “You died,” I murmur, voice cracking. “And I… refused to let you go.”

His arms, newly formed yet trembling with lingering weakness, circle around my shoulders. The warmth of his body is real. I can feel his pulse, faint but steady. A broken laugh escapes me.He’s truly back.

Olyssia groans, rising to her knees. Her illusions sputter in relief. “You reckless fools,” she breathes, tears shining in her eyes. “It actually worked.”

Vaelin tries to sit up, confusion marking his features. He glances at his skin, noticing the shift in hue. Horror and awe flicker across his face. “I… this body… it’s not what it was.”

I swallow, illusions shimmering in empathy. “You’re… new. The space-time power reshaped you—neither Dark Elf nor gargoyle, but something else.”

He flexes a hand, staring at the faint runic patterns swirling just under the skin. Then his gaze snaps to me, realization dawning. “Am I alive? Or bound to your magic?”

My heart clenches. “Yes… and yes. The scrolls said you’d be anchored to me, drawing from my illusions to remain stable.” My voice wavers with guilt. “I’m sorry. I’ve condemned you to this.”

He lifts a trembling hand to my chin, illusions crackling between our touch. “Elira,” he says, quiet but unwavering. “You saved me. You gave me another chance. I… choose this, whatever it entails.”

A fresh wave of tears streaks my cheeks. I fold into him, illusions swirling around our entwined forms in gentle sparks, no longer savage or desperate but softly luminous. Olyssia exhales, wiping tears from her own eyes. “Then it’s done,” she murmurs. “He’s back.”

But the hush is short-lived. A sudden tumult rises from the plateau above—shouts, stamping boots, and illusions clashing. We stiffen, realizing the world beyond hasn’t paused for our miracle.Of course.The Overlord might attempt a final gambit, or the Red Purnas might still linger.

“How do you feel?” I ask Vaelin, brushing his hair back.

He grimaces, testing his limbs. “Weak, but alive. My powers… they flicker at the edge of my awareness, like I can’t control them yet.”

Olyssia nods. “Lean on us if needed. But we must see what’s happening.”

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