Isle of Beasts and Shadows (The Forgotten Isle Saga #1)

Chapter 41

Alikad snapped back to reality, his eyes locking onto the mysterious, darkly clad woman before him. Her dark hair cascaded around her pale, flawless skin like a cloak of shadows. Bewilderment clouded his features as he struggled to place her amidst the chaos. Taking in the decaying forest, he sprang to his feet effortlessly, a newfound clarity washing over him. Arii and Jonathan’s safety weighed heavily, reminding himself that he sent them to Limbo before his mind went dark.

It took Alikad a moment to fully view his surroundings. Fear filled his mind as he took in the scene. His vision pulsed and blurred as he rubbed his head, seeking comfort from a major headache that seemed to intensify with each passing second.

That moment of disorientation passed swiftly as his gaze fell upon the blonde-haired girl gasping for air on the ground before him. The metallic tang of blood hung heavy in the air, saturating the area around her as she tightly clutched the wound on her stomach, her fingers slick with crimson.

“No!” Alikad’s voice cracked with urgency as he scrambled to her side, his heart pounding in his chest. “No, no, no, no,” With trembling hands, he reached for one of hers, his touch gentle yet firm as he applied pressure to the grievous wound.

Sitting on the ground beside her, he cradled her in his arms, a mix of fear and determination etched into his features. A pained groan escaped her colorless lips, a flicker of life amidst the despair that threatened to engulf them both.

With quick thinking born of desperation, Alikad summoned a reserve of strength and used a weak swing of his scythe to tear open the fabric of reality, creating a shimmering portal to the realm of Limbo. Within moments, Arii emerged from the otherworldly gateway, his eyes wide with shock and concern, followed closely by Jonathan. They had witnessed the unfolding tragedy from the vantage point of Limbo’s dimension.

Sadness weighed heavily upon them all as Alikad wept, his tears mingling with the bloodstains on her torn clothing. Placing his head against hers, he whispered words of reassurance, his voice choked with emotion. As she weakly opened her eyes and gazed up at him, a glimmer of recognition and gratitude shone in her gaze.

“Sirius… are you in there…?” Blood trickled from a corner of Airella’s mouth.

“Shhh! Don’t speak. I remember everything, Airella. I have all of Sirius’s memories and feelings. We are one now. Just wait, I—I can fix this,” Alikad’s eyes widened as her breathing slowed. Yet, in truth, he couldn’t fix this. He knew he couldn’t. The wound was too deep, and he knew nothing of healing, only death. The closest thing he could do to help Airella was to remove her soul like he did Jonathan and find her a new body, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had nowhere to keep her soul, and he loved her far too much to send her to the dark depths of Limbo, as he knew that’s where her Miscreant soul would linger for eternity, never truly succumbing to death. She would be stuck in a cage there, similar to how he had been trapped there for centuries.

Alikad’s heart ached at the thought of losing Airella, a pain so deep it felt like a physical weight on his chest. He couldn’t fathom a world without her by his side, her presence filling every corner of his being with warmth and light. The love he held for her was unlike anything he had ever known, a love that anchored him in a sea of uncertainty. He, or more like Sirius, never took the chance to tell her these things, and now she’ll die without ever knowing.

“I… I don’t know what to do.” Alikad growled, clenching her hand. His voice trembled with the raw agony of impending loss. To lose her would be to lose a part of himself, a part he never knew he had until she entered his life. Every fiber of his being rebelled against the idea of her absence, the mere thought of it creating a chasm of emptiness within him.

The memories they shared played out like a vivid tapestry in his mind, each moment a precious gem in the treasure trove of their bond. The fear of losing her consumed him, a relentless storm raging in his soul. In that moment, Alikad faced a choice no one should have to make—to save the one he loved at the cost of the unknown or to let her slip away into the shadows.

Alikad clung to her hand as if holding on for dear life, his grip tight with desperation and love intertwined. The minutes felt like hours, the seconds like an eternity. Her breaths came shallower, each one a cruel reminder of her dwindling time. He couldn’t imagine a tomorrow without her laughter, without her presence. The thought of waking up to a world without her was a nightmare from which he couldn’t wake. The surrounding air seemed to thicken with the weight of unspoken words and unfulfilled promises.

“Airella, please stay with me,” he whispered, his voice breaking. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the blood and dirt on his cheeks. He wished he could stop time, capture every fleeting second they had left, but reality was a cruel mistress, pulling her further away with each passing breath.

“I can’t do this without you,” he choked out, his heart breaking with every word. The world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them in a cocoon of shared pain and love. Her eyes met his, filled with a mixture of pain, love, and acceptance. At that moment, they both knew the inevitable truth. Alikad leaned closer, pressing his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling as one. The universe seemed to hold its breath, the rising sun watching over them in silent vigil.

As Airella’s eyes closed, Alikad felt a part of himself shattering. The silence that followed was deafening, filled with the echoes of their shared past and the void of a future that would never come. His soul cried out, a silent scream that resonated through the very fabric of his being. The love they shared was a beacon in the darkness, a light that would never truly be extinguished.

In the end, Alikad knew that the love they had would transcend the boundaries of life and death. Even as he held her lifeless body, he promised himself that he would carry her memory, her essence, within him forever.

Alikad gazed down at her, observing the tight grip she had on something in her hand. Upon closer inspection, he recognized it as his precious gem. With a sense of dismay, he watched as her fingers gradually slackened their hold, allowing the gem to slip from her grasp and clatter onto the icy ground below. Turning his attention to the dark-haired woman lying motionless a few meters away, Alikad felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Clutching his gem tightly, he realized that if he wished for Airella to live, he must depart to unravel the enigma of the woman before him.

Alikad, consumed by the weight of guilt and grief, pondered striking a desperate deal with Conivx, who seemed to possess an otherworldly power. The idea of bargaining for a chance to resurrect Airella, his beloved companion lost to the cruel hands of death, weighed heavily on his heart. The realm beyond Limbo, a place where the veil between the living and the dead grew thin, tantalized his thoughts. While the afterlife beyond Limbo remained a distant and elusive concept, out of reach even for the most skilled reapers, Alikad found a flicker of hope in the possibility that Conivx, with her enigmatic abilities, could somehow breach that ethereal barrier.

Conivx, like Alikad, was a Miscreant and wielded immense power. As a dark enchantress, she fed off the power of others, growing stronger with each life force she absorbed. Perhaps, if Alikad could offer her his own power to feed off of, she could be brought back to life. And in return for this life-giving force, Conivx might do him the favor of bringing Airella back to life as well. The very notion of such a feat seemed preposterous at first glance, especially considering that it was Airella herself who had made the ultimate sacrifice to break him free from Conivx’s grasp.

Now, burdened by the haunting memories of her sacrifice and the void left in her absence, Alikad knew he must do this one thing, even if it meant risking everything to bring her back from the abyss of death. Conivx’s death had already taken its toll on the island, causing it to wither and decay. The once lush and vibrant landscape was now a shadow of its former self, struggling to sustain life without the enchantress’s powerful presence. The life of the island and Conivx had an intrinsic connection, with her essence intertwined with every living thing.

As a great sorceress tied to so much life, Conivx had the potential to bring back Airella. But if she refused his request, Alikad was prepared to offer anything, even pledging to stay by her side for eternity. He would do whatever it took to get Airella back, no matter the cost. The thought of Airella’s return, of seeing her smile and hearing her laughter once more, was the only thing that kept him going. Alikad was ready to face any challenge, to confront any danger, if it meant bringing his beloved Airella back to life.