SWNOVELS Chapter 52
The road stretched endlessly before Lyra and Fenris, winding through rolling hills and dense forests. They had left Thornhaven three days ago, their packs heavy with
supplies and their hearts heavier still with the knowledge of what lay ahead. The nexus point where they would perform the ritual was still a week’s journey away, and every step brought them closer to an impossible choice.
As they made camp for the night in a small clearing, the tension between them was palpable. They went about their usual routines – gathering firewood, setting up their bedrolls, preparing a simple meal – but the easy camaraderie that had defined their relationship for so long was noticeably absent.
Fenris was the first to break the silence as they sat by the flickering fire. “We can’t keep avoiding this conversation, Lyra. We need to talk about what’s going to happen when we reach the nexus.”
Lyra poked at the embers with a stick, not meeting his gaze. “What’s there to talk about? We both know what needs to be done.”
“Yes, but we haven’t decided who_”
“No,” Lyra cut him off sharply, finally looking up. Her eyes blazed with a mixture of fear and determination. “We’re not having that discussion. Not yet.”
Fenris leaned forward, his voice gentle but insistent. “We can’t put it off forever. The new moon is approaching, and we need to be prepared.”
“Prepared?” Lyra laughed bitterly. “How does one prepare to die, Fenris? Or to watch the person they love sacrifice themselves?”
The words hung heavy in the air between them. Fenris reached out, taking Lyra’s hand in his own. “I don’t know,” he admitted softly. “But I do know that facing it together is better than trying to bear this burden alone.”
Lyra’s anger deflated, replaced by a bone-deep weariness. “I keep thinking about all the people we’ve met on this journey. The lives we’ve touched, the ones we’ve saved. How can we weigh one life against so many?”
“We can’t,” Fenris replied. “That’s what makes this choice so difficult. But also what makes it necessary.”
They fell into silence once more, each lost in their own thoughts as the fire burned low. When they finally retired to their bedrolls, sleep was long in coming.
The next few days passed in a blur of travel and tense silences. They encountered few other travelers on the road, for which Lyra was grateful. She wasn’t sure she could bear to interact with others, knowing that their fate hung in the balance of the choice she and Fenris faced.
On the fifth day of their journey, they came upon a village that had been ravaged by the growing chaos seeping into the world. Buildings lay in ruins, crops withered in the fields, and the few survivors huddled in makeshift shelters, their eyes hollow with despair.
As they helped distribute what supplies they could spare, Lyra felt a renewed sense of purpose. This was why they had embarked on this quest in the first place – to prevent scenes like this from becoming commonplace across the land.
That night, as they made camp a short distance from the village, Fenris broached the subject again. “Seeing those people today… it makes our task feel more real, doesn’t it?”
Lyra nodded, her expression somber. “It does. But it also makes the cost feel that much higher.”
“Lyra,” Fenris said, his voice filled with resolve, “I want you to know that I’m prepared to make the sacrifice. To be the one who—”
“No,” Lyra interrupted fiercely. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence. If anyone is going to do this, it should be me.”
Fenris’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? Lyra, no. I can’t let you do that.”
“Let me?” Lyra’s voice rose, anger flashing in her eyes. “This isn’t your decision to make, Fenris. It’s mine. I’m the one who started us on this path. I’m the one who deciphered the first part of the prophecy. It’s my responsibility to see it through to the end.”
Fenris shook his head vehemently. “Your responsibility? Lyra, we’ve been in this together from the beginning. Every step of the way, every challenge we’ve faced – we’ve done it as a team. You don’t get to shoulder this burden alone.”
“Why not?” Lyra demanded. “Why shouldn’t I be the one to make this sacrifice? You have so much to live for, Fenris. Your family, your clan – they need you.”
“And what about you?” Fenris countered. “You have just as much to live for. Your knowledge, your skills – the world needs people like you to help rebuild after all this is over.”
Their voices had risen to near-shouts, the argument echoing through the quiet night. Lyra stood abruptly, pacing back and forth. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to have this conversation. How are we supposed to decide something like this?”
Fenris rose as well, moving to stand in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze. “We decide it together,” he said firmly. “We weigh all the factors, consider every angle, and make the choice that will do the most good for the most people.”
Lyra’s anger crumbled, replaced by a wave of anguish. She leaned forward, burying her face in Fenris’s chest as sobs wracked her body. He held her close, his own tears falling silently.
“I can’t lose you,” Lyra whispered brokenly. “The thought of going on without you by my side… it’s unbearable.”