I don't need to be told twice. My hand tightens around the hilt of my dagger, and I feel the familiar surge of power as my dragon magic stirs within me. It's a primal force, raw and untamed, but it's also a double-edged sword. The black diamond in my heart amplifies it, but it also makes me a target, a beacon for every creature that craves power. Running isn't an option. Not yet. Not when Alden is here, vulnerable, his human form no match for the creatures closing in on us.
The vampires lunge forward with inhuman speed, their movements fluid and deadly. Alden steps in front of me, his body a shield, and for a moment, I'm paralyzed, torn between the instinct to protect him and the need to survive. But Alden is already moving, his hands glowing with heat as he summons his fire magic. A blast of flame erupts from his palms, engulfing the nearest vampire in a wall of fire. The creature screams, its flesh charring, smoke rising from its burning skin, but it doesn't stop. It keeps coming, driven by an unholy hunger that defies reason.
I act without thinking, shifting into my dragon form in an explosion of iridescent black scales and shimmering wings. The transformation is both agony and ecstasy, my bones cracking and reforming, my skin stretching and hardening into scales that glimmer like the night sky. The witch's spell hits me like a physical blow, a wave of dark energy that slams into my chest, but my dragon magic is stronger, my will unyielding. I roar, the sound reverberating through the bayou, a primal declaration of defiance. Fire erupts from my throat, the flames engulfing the remaining vampires. They stumble back, their forms flickering, but they're not done. Not by a long shot.
Alden is fighting valiantly, his movements graceful and precise, but he's outnumbered, outmatched. One of the vampires manages to land a blow, its claws sinking into his shoulder. He cries out in pain, the sound raw and guttural, his body staggering under the impact. Blood blooms on his crimson shirt, a stark, grotesque contrast to the vibrant color. My heart seizes in my chest, a vise tightening around it as I watch him struggle to stay on his feet.
"Alden!" I shout, lunging forward, my dragon form towering over him, but he waves me off, his face contorted in pain.
"Go!" he gasps, his voice strained, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "I'll hold them off. Just go!"
I hesitate, torn between my desire to stay and fight and the knowledge that he's right. If I stay, we'll both die. But if I leave, if I force him to shift and flee with me, we might just stand a chance. The conflict rages within me, a battle between my heart and my head, between my instinct to protect him and the cold, hard reality of our situation.
"Shift!" I roar, my voice echoing through the bayou, a command laced with desperation. "Now, Alden! Shift and run!"
For a moment, he hesitates, his eyes locking with mine, and I see the fear, the reluctance, the love. It's a look that speaks volumes, a silent plea for understanding, for forgiveness. Then, with a pained grunt, he closes his eyes and lets out a low, keening sound. His body begins to shift, his form contorting and twisting as he transforms into his lava snail shape. His shell glows with an intense, molten light, the heat radiating off him in waves. For a moment, the bayou is bathed in an otherworldly radiance, the darkness retreating before the brilliance of his transformation.
I don't wait. I spread my wings, the iridescent black scales catching the light, and take to the sky, my heart pounding in my chest. The air rushes past me, cool against my scales, as I soar above the treetops. Below me, Alden's snail form leaves a trail of faint embers as he moves with surprising speed, his shell glowing like a beacon in the darkness. His movements are deliberate, each step calculated, but I can see the strain in the way his shell flickers, in the way the embers sputter and fade.
The vampires and the witch are still pursuing us, their forms blurring as they give chase. I breathe fire, the flames raining down on them, but they keep coming, relentless, unyielding. The witch's magic tugs at me, a dark force trying to pull me down, to drag me from the sky. I fight against it, my dragon magic surging in response, a battle of wills waged in the air above the bayou. The strain is immense, every muscle in my body screaming in protest, but I can't stop. I won't stop. Not when Alden is counting on me.
We're gaining distance, but it's not enough. Not yet. The bayou stretches out before us, an endless maze of water and trees, and I have no idea where to go, where to hide. All I know is that we need to keep moving, keep running, until we find a place where we can catch our breath, where we can plan our next move. The uncertainty is suffocating, the fear a constant companion, but I push it aside, focusing on the here and now, on keeping us both alive.
But as I look down at Alden's glowing shell, at the trail of embers he's leaving behind, I realize that we're not just running from our pursuers. We're running from the inevitable. From the truth that's been staring us in the face since the beginning. The black diamond in my heart is a curse, a burden that will never let me rest. It's a beacon, a siren call to every creature that craves power, and it's slowly killing me. And Alden, my protector, my friend, is willing to sacrifice everything to keep me safe. He's given up his humanity, his very essence, to stay by my side, to shield me from the darkness that seeks to consume me.
But how long can we keep running? How long before the hunters catch us, before the weight of our pasts crushes us? The questions haunt me, a relentless chorus in the back of my mind, but I push them aside. I have to. Because if I stop, if I give up, we're as good as dead.