Arthur x Tessia fan fiction -: A promise broken

Chapter 5: The Abyss of Resolve

The wind screamed through the narrow pass, carrying with it the scent of blood and the echo of distant screams. My hand tightened around Dawn's Ballad, its familiar weight a tenuous anchor in the chaos.

The battle had been relentless, each skirmish another test of our resolve. Yet, as the horizon bled into the darkness of night, a chilling aura began to seep through the air-a suffocating pressure that gnawed at the edges of my focus.

"Regis," I murmured, my voice barely audible over the cacophony of combat.

"I feel it too," the shadowy wolf replied, his form coiled with tension.

Ahead, Tessia darted through the fray, her blade a blur as it struck down one foe after another. She fought with a desperation that bordered on reckless, her movements precise but fueled by something deeper-something raw.

"Arthur, on your right!" Ellie's voice cut through my thoughts.

I spun, deflecting the strike of a Vritra soldier with a burst of Aether. The force sent him stumbling, and I didn't hesitate to finish him with a clean slash.

Helen's gale roared through the battlefield, scattering the enemy ranks and buying us a moment's reprieve.

"Everyone okay?" I called out, my gaze sweeping over our group.

Ellie nodded, her fire mana flickering around her hands. Helen gave a terse thumbs-up, her sharp eyes scanning for the next wave.

But Tessia... Tessia was gone.

A scream tore through the air, sharp and guttural. My blood ran cold.

"Tessia!"

I sprinted toward the sound, my boots skidding over loose gravel as I ascended a jagged incline. The suffocating aura intensified, each step like wading through quicksand.

At the summit, I froze.

Tessia was on one knee, her sword buried in the ground for support. Blood dripped from a gash across her side, staining her tattered armor. She was surrounded by bodies-both allies and foes-but it wasn't the carnage that rooted me in place.

It was him.

The figure standing before her was cloaked in a veil of shadows, his form barely discernible except for the glowing crimson of his eyes. His movements were deliberate, each step exuding malice.

"Kordri," I whispered, my grip tightening on my sword.

The Wraith. Agrona's right hand. A nightmare made flesh.

Tessia surged to her feet, her breathing labored but her stance unyielding. Her emerald eyes burned with defiance as she raised her blade.

"You won't take another step," she growled, her voice low but steady.

Kordri chuckled, the sound resonating like a death knell. "You think you can stop me, child? You're barely standing."

He moved, faster than I could track. His blade arced toward her with lethal precision, and Tessia barely managed to block. The force of the strike sent her crashing to the ground, her sword skittering out of reach.

"No!" I roared, Aether flooding my limbs as I charged.

Kordri turned, his gaze locking onto me. A flicker of recognition passed through his eyes, followed by a cruel smile.

"Ah, the prodigy returns," he sneered. "Come to die like the rest?"

I didn't respond. Words were a waste against someone like him. Instead, I launched myself forward, Dawn's Ballad glowing with Aetheric energy as it clashed against his blade.

The impact jarred my arms, the sheer weight of his strength nearly overwhelming me.

Regis materialized beside me, his shadowy form lunging for Kordri's flank. The Wraith twisted, deflecting the attack with ease.

"You'll need more than tricks to best me," he taunted, his movements a blur as he pressed the attack.

I gritted my teeth, parrying his strikes while searching for an opening. But he was relentless, each blow heavier and more precise than the last.

Behind him, Tessia struggled to her feet, clutching her side. Blood seeped through her fingers, her breaths shallow.

"You shouldn't be here," I growled, dodging another swing.

"And leave you to die?" she snapped, though her voice wavered.

Kordri's blade came down in a devastating arc, forcing me to channel a surge of Aether into my defense. The clash sent shockwaves through the air, cracking the ground beneath us.

"Tessia, get out of here!" I shouted, glancing at her over my shoulder.

But she didn't move. Instead, she raised her hand, summoning a torrent of roots from the ground. They surged toward Kordri, wrapping around his limbs and forcing him back.

I seized the opportunity, striking at his exposed flank. My blade cut deep, eliciting a snarl of pain as he lashed out, his blade grazing my shoulder.

"Impressive," he hissed, his crimson eyes narrowing. "But not enough."

He broke free of the roots with a burst of dark energy, sending shards of debris flying. One struck Tessia, and she crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

"No!"

Adrenaline surged through me as I threw myself between Kordri and Tessia. His blade arced toward her prone form, but I intercepted it, the force driving me to one knee.

"You can't save her," he said, his voice dripping with malice.

"I don't need to save her," I shot back, my grip tightening on Dawn's Ballad. "I need to stop you."

I unleashed a burst of Aether, the energy exploding outward and forcing Kordri to retreat. Without hesitation, I scooped Tessia into my arms and bolted, Regis covering our retreat with a barrage of shadowy tendrils.

We didn't stop until the oppressive aura faded, the sounds of battle replaced by the whisper of the wind.

I set Tessia down gently, my hands trembling as I assessed her injuries. Her breathing was shallow, her skin pale, but she was alive.

"Stay with me, Tess," I muttered, tearing strips of fabric from my cloak to staunch the bleeding.

Her eyes fluttered open, the fire in them dim but still burning. "You... didn't have to..."

"Yes, I did," I said firmly, my voice softer than I intended.

As I held her close in my arms , her breath faint against my chest, I felt the weight of her body-littered with deep,deadly horrendous scars, her skin pale, and an infection already taking root in the deep wounds. My heart clenched as I stared at her battered form, remembering who Tessia had become-so different from the fearless, radiant woman I once knew. She was still fighting, still giving everything she had, but at what cost?

No matter the scars on her body, no matter the wounds that would never fully heal no matter how much she pushed me away , I would never let her face this world alone again .