Chapter 31 — When the Light Almost Fades
The Obsidian Wilds were silent after the blast, the kind of silence that feels like the world is holding its breath. Leaves still drifted from the trees where the Wraithbound Guardian's attack had torn through the air.
Kai's body hit the forest floor with a heavy, sickening thud.
"Kai!" Lyra sprinted toward him, her heart pounding so violently she could barely breathe. She slid to her knees beside him, lifting his shoulders into her arms. His head lolled, eyes half-open but unfocused.
His skin was pale. Too pale.
"Kai, no—Kai, look at me. Hey, stay awake," she whispered frantically.
He tried to speak, but the breath caught in his throat, leaving only a trembling exhale.
The Guardian's voice echoed over them, resonant and merciless:
"TURN BACK OR FALL."
Lyra clenched her jaw. "Not a chance."
She pulled Kai tighter against her, holding him as if her arms alone could anchor him to life. He felt so light—too light. The Shadow Compass rolled from his limp hand and landed beside them, its needle flickering weakly.
Lyra raised her eyes to the monstrous Guardian, anger and fear tangled inside her chest like fire and ice.
"You don't get to take him," she said softly, fiercely.
She wasn't a warrior. She wasn't blessed with magic. She didn't carry ancient runes or enchanted weapons.
What she had was him.
And she wasn't losing him in this cursed forest.
The Guardian stepped forward. The ground cracked under its shadowy weight.
Lyra grabbed the Compass.
The moment her fingers touched it, a flash of silver light surged through the trees, pouring from the Compass into her palms. The glow wrapped around Kai's chest like a gentle breath of warmth, and for a heartbeat his eyelids fluttered.
"Kai…? Kai, please."
Her voice trembled, desperate but soft.
He blinked—just barely. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make her breath catch in relief.
The Guardian howled, enraged by the Compass's light.
Lyra rose to her feet, still shielding Kai with her body. Her pulse hammered, but she didn't step back.
"If you want him," she said, "you'll have to go through me."
The Guardian lifted its massive arm again, gathering another blast of darkness.
The Compass trembled violently in Lyra's grip, its needle spinning so fast sparks of silver popped from its surface. Lyra didn't understand how to use it—but deep inside, the Compass knew what she wanted.
Not power. Not glory.
Just Kai.
The Compass answered.
A burst of radiant energy shot upward, forming a shimmering barrier in front of her just as the Guardian released its attack. The shadow-blast collided with the silvery shield in an explosion of light and darkness.
The shockwave threw Lyra backward, but she twisted mid-fall, cradling Kai to keep him from hitting the ground again.
When the dust settled, the Guardian was staggering, its form collapsing inward like smoke losing its shape.
"Impossible…" it hissed.
Lyra looked down at Kai. His breathing was slow, shallow, but no longer fading.
"You're okay," she whispered, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. Her hands shook uncontrollably. "Don't scare me like that again."
Kai's eyes fluttered open a little more this time, meeting hers with a fragile, unfocused gaze.
"Lyra… you saved me," he murmured.
Tears stung her eyes. "Of course I did."
As the Guardian dissolved completely, the forest lights returned—small firefly-like motes drifting around them in soft golden arcs.
Lyra leaned down, pressing her forehead gently to Kai's, her breath trembling.
"Stay with me, okay? I'm not letting you go."
Kai exhaled—a weak, warm breath against her cheek—and whispered,
"I'm not going anywhere…"
And for the first time since the blast, she believed him.