The Shattered Soul

When I regained consciousness, I was alone, the vast emptiness stretching out in every direction. Raelle was nowhere in sight, and the silence pressed down on me like a weight.

Sable’s voice came again, softer this time, almost a whisper. “You think you know pain? I lost everything. I was abandoned by those I loved. And now, I will make this world feel my suffering.”

As his words faded, an apparition appeared before me—a vision of Sable as he once was, a man driven by hope, standing beside the woman he’d loved. For a fleeting moment, I saw the man he used to be, before grief had twisted him into something unrecognizable.

The image dissolved, and I felt a pang of sorrow. Somewhere deep inside, Sable’s pain resonated with my own fears, my own losses. But I couldn’t let his darkness consume me, too.

With renewed resolve, I channeled my energy, calling out to Raelle. My voice echoed through the void, and moments later, a faint glow appeared in the distance.

Raelle rushed toward me, her face a mixture of relief and determination. “Elliot! I thought I’d lost you.”

Sable’s laughter broke through our reunion, a hollow sound filled with bitterness. “So touching,” he sneered. “But love is a lie. It’s a weakness—a vulnerability waiting to be shattered.”

Raelle stepped forward, her voice steady. “No, Sable. Love isn’t a weakness. It’s what gives us strength, even in the darkest moments.”

Her words seemed to strike a chord, and for a brief moment, Sable faltered, the darkness around him flickering. I saw a glimpse of the man he once was—a man caught in an endless cycle of grief and anger, unable to break free.

But before we could reach him, he unleashed a surge of energy that sent us both flying. The last thing I saw was Raelle’s outstretched hand as the shadows closed in around us once more.