Chapter 74: The Final Grain of Sand and the Ultimate Ransom
The Fading of the Emerald Light
The hour was up. The glowing emerald mark on Rina's father's forehead began to flicker and dim. His body, once bolstered by the ancient earth-power, was now thin and frail, his skin resembling parched parchment. With one final, thunderous strike, Malakor's shadow broke through his defense, sending him crashing into the ruins of the hearth. The silence that followed was heavy; the shield had fallen, and the father lay motionless, his sacrifice buying them time, but at the cost of his very life force.
Diari's Desperate Surge
Seeing the barrier fall, Diari felt a cold clarity ignite within his crimson soul. He didn't have much strength left, but the sight of Elias being torn apart by the demons was more than he could bear. Using the remaining spark of the 'Crimson Eternal,' he forced his body to move despite the agonizing chains. He lunged toward the demons, his fists wreathed in a dying but fierce fire. He managed to knock the demons away from Elias's broken body, shielding the old man with his own wounded frame. "Elias, stay with us!" he gasped, blood staining his teeth.
The Cruel Ultimatum
But Malakor was playing a deeper game. As Diari protected Elias, the shadows gathered around Rina, forming a ring of jagged obsidian blades pointed directly at her heart. Malakor's voice, cold as the void, filled the room. "A noble effort, Crimson King. But look at your Queen. One move closer to the sage, and these blades will finish what the shadow-dagger started."
The Choice of the Ransom
Malakor continued, his voice dripping with venom. "I offer you a choice, Diari. Surrender your remaining life force to me, and I will let the old man and the father live. If you refuse, I kill Rina first, and let you watch as I feast on their souls. Your sacrifice for her life—that is the ransom." Rina, still paralyzed and poisoned, tried to shake her head, her eyes pleading with Diari not to listen. She found a new strength in her pain, a silver spark glowing deeper than before, but the cost of saving everyone seemed to be the very bond that held her and Diari together.
Written by: Dlin_myth