A hidden truth

The journey back to the city felt longer than it should have. The weight of their recent battle and the looming threat of Alekos’s followers pressed on Lyra’s mind. The forest stretched endlessly before them, dark and foreboding, as if mirroring the uncertainty that clouded her thoughts. But it wasn’t just the physical exhaustion that weighed on her—it was Thalor’s worsening condition.

His symptoms had grown more severe since the ambush. At first, it was subtle: the occasional stumble, the tension in his muscles as if he were fighting off some unseen force. But now, his skin had taken on a pallor that worried Lyra deeply. His breaths came out in shallow, ragged bursts, and though he tried to keep pace, she could feel him faltering.

“Thalor,” Lyra said softly, stopping in her tracks. The city still lay miles ahead, but they couldn’t go on like this. “We need to stop. You’re getting worse.”

Thalor shook his head, his eyes glassy but determined. “We can’t stop now. The city… they need us.”

“We won’t be of any use if you collapse before we get there,” she argued, her tone more forceful than she intended. She stepped closer, taking his hand in hers. His fingers were cold, almost unnaturally so, and it sent a chill through her.

He winced but didn’t pull away. “I’m fine,” he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.

“You’re not,” Lyra insisted, her eyes searching his face for answers. “There’s something more going on, isn’t there? You’ve been hiding something.”

Thalor’s gaze dropped, avoiding her question. The silence that followed was thick with tension, the kind that Lyra had hoped wouldn’t exist between them anymore. After everything they had been through—the battles, the sacrifices—she thought they had built a bond strong enough for trust. But this? This felt like something far deeper than a mere injury.

“Thalor,” she said, her voice softening. “Please. Tell me the truth. What’s happening to you?”

For a long moment, Thalor didn’t speak. The only sounds around them were the distant rustling of the trees and the soft hum of the wind. Finally, he sighed, the weight of whatever he was holding back seeming to crash down upon him.

“I didn’t want to burden you with this,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper. “Not when you’ve already faced so much. But I can’t hide it any longer.”

Lyra’s heart pounded in her chest as she listened, her grip tightening on his hand. “What is it?”

Thalor’s gaze lifted, meeting hers with a depth of emotion she hadn’t seen before. “I’m connected to the Void, Lyra. In a way that goes beyond anything you’ve imagined.”

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and full of meaning. Lyra felt her breath catch in her throat, confusion and shock swirling in her mind.

“The Void?” she repeated, her voice trembling slightly. “What do you mean? How could you—”

“It’s part of who I am,” Thalor said, cutting her off gently. “My origins… they’re not as simple as I led you to believe. I wasn’t just a warrior who fought Alekos out of some sense of duty. My connection to the Void runs deeper. It’s in my blood.”

Lyra stared at him, trying to process what he was saying. “In your blood? I don’t understand. How… how is that possible?”

Thalor let out a shaky breath, his hand slipping from hers as he turned away, as if the weight of his secret was too much to bear. “My mother… she wasn’t from this world. She was a being of the Void, a creature born from the same darkness that we’ve been fighting against. She fell in love with my father, a mortal man, and from their union… I was born.”

Lyra’s mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. Thalor was part Void? It explained so much—the way he had always seemed to understand the darkness that lurked around them, the way he had survived battles that should have killed him. But it also raised so many questions, questions she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear the answers to.

“So you’re part… Void?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Thalor nodded, his face grim. “Yes. And because of that, the Void has always had a hold on me. I’ve been able to control it, to keep it at bay, but now… now that Alekos’s magic has infected me, it’s waking something inside me. Something I’ve fought to suppress my entire life.”

Lyra’s heart clenched at his words. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“I didn’t want you to see me differently,” Thalor said quietly. “I didn’t want you to fear me.”

“I could never fear you,” Lyra said, stepping closer to him. She placed a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. “You should have told me. We could have faced this together.”

Thalor’s eyes softened at her touch, but there was still a shadow of doubt in them. “I didn’t want to lose you. Not after everything we’ve been through.”

“You’re not going to lose me,” Lyra said firmly. “We’re in this together, no matter what. I don’t care where you come from or what your connection to the Void is. You’re still Thalor, and I’m still with you.”

His expression softened, and for a moment, Lyra thought she saw the flicker of a smile. But the darkness in his eyes remained, a reminder of the danger that lurked beneath the surface.

“I don’t know how much time we have before the Void takes over completely,” Thalor admitted, his voice laced with fear. “The magic Alekos’s followers used—it’s triggering something in me. I can feel it spreading.”

Lyra’s heart raced, fear clenching her chest. “There has to be a way to stop it. We’ll find a way.”

Thalor shook his head. “It’s not that simple. The Void is relentless, and once it takes hold… I don’t know if I’ll be able to fight it.”

Lyra’s mind raced with possibilities. She knew they couldn’t afford to lose Thalor, not when they were so close to stopping Alekos’s followers and recovering the artifact. But more than that, she couldn’t bear the thought of losing him—not to the darkness, not to the Void.

“There’s always a way,” she said, her voice filled with determination. “We’ll find it. We’ll find a way to save you.”

Thalor looked at her, his expression torn between hope and despair. “Lyra, I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me. If it comes to it, you have to let me go.”

“No,” Lyra said, her voice firm. “I won’t let that happen. We’re going to fight this together, Thalor. You and me.”

For a long moment, they stood there in the darkness, the weight of Thalor’s revelation hanging heavy between them. But Lyra refused to give in to the fear. They had faced impossible odds before, and they had come out stronger because of it. This would be no different.

“We’ll figure this out,” she promised, her hand still resting on his cheek. “I won’t let the Void take you.”

Thalor nodded, though the doubt still lingered in his eyes. “I hope you’re right.”

Lyra smiled, though the weight of what lay ahead pressed on her heart. “I am,” she said, her voice filled with certainty. “We’ve come too far to lose now.”

Together, they continued their journey back to the city, the future uncertain but their resolve unshaken. No matter what darkness lay ahead, Lyra knew they would face it together—because they had no other choice.