Chapter 43

In the cave, dimly lit by torches, Geralt stayed close to Aiden, casting a protective glance toward the werewolf who sat further away. Beside them, the little girl they had freed watched in silence, her eyes still filled with fear. The shadows cast by the flames seemed to dance across the stone, adding weight to the already tense atmosphere.

Suddenly, a glow caught everyone's attention: on Aiden's neck, a snowflake appeared and shone with an intense blue light before fading back to a black tattoo. The subtle symbol seemed to carry an unspoken message. Aiden slowly opened his eyes, struggling to sit up, one hand pressed against his temple as if an invisible weight was crushing his mind.

Geralt, his face etched with worry, leaned toward him. "Are you alright, Aiden?"

Aiden nodded, though his voice betrayed his confusion. "Yes, but… there's so much information flooding my mind."

The werewolf, who had remained silent until now, tilted his head, his voice resonating like a distant whisper. "So, you've finally uncovered the truth about this world?"

Aiden looked up at him, his voice firmer yet tinged with doubt.

"Yes… It showed me so many things, including… my role. But… was all of this decided beforehand?"

Geralt listened in silence. The word "destiny" echoed within him, a word he both despised and cherished because of all it represented for him and his past choices.

The werewolf, whose name was Gaurfain, nodded slowly.

"Most of the time, we don't choose our fate. But you, Aiden, you can."

Aiden furrowed his brows.

"I don't understand. What I saw… I have a role, don't I?"

Gaurfain nodded.

"Yes, you do. But you're forgetting something important: you're not obligated to anything."

Aiden shook his head, visibly troubled.

"What do you mean? If I do nothing, the world will be destroyed."

Gaurfain's gaze hardened, though his voice remained calm.

"That's true, but who's forcing you? No one, Aiden. You have a choice."

A heavy silence fell in the cave, with the flames casting shadows that seemed to dance around them. Aiden, frozen, searched for meaning in those words.

"Look, when we went to war, we did it because our creator demanded it," Gaurfain continued. "We had no other choice. But you… you're free. You could, if you wanted, become powerful enough to travel across dimensions and abandon this world, leaving it to collapse without you."

Aiden stared at him, shocked.

"You're suggesting that I let everyone die just because I'm not obligated to intervene? What about my family, my friends? And you, your dreams? Why abandon everything?"

Gaurfain watched Aiden with an indifferent gaze, but something glimmered in his eyes—a sort of respect, perhaps. Aiden was no longer the hesitant teenager he had met. He stood his ground, determined.

Slowly, Gaurfain rose from his throne and approached Aiden. Geralt, ever alert, drew his sword, ready to protect the one he regarded as a son.

But something unexpected happened: Gaurfain noticed that Aiden had followed his every movement, and that, had he wanted to, he would have had time to draw his own weapon. Yet, Aiden hadn't moved.

In a deep tone, Gaurfain said softly,

"I gave up long ago. Those battles, those betrayals… especially the one by the vampires. All I want now is to find peace, next to the one I love."

His eyes fixed intently on Aiden.

"Choose wisely, Aquila. Are you willing to sacrifice your life to save this world? Or will you choose to live for yourself? That is your true destiny. But if you choose to protect this world, know that you risk death."

The words resonated in the cave, and Geralt, stunned, wanted to protest. But a simple gesture from Aiden let him know he would explain everything later. Geralt stepped back, though his gaze remained vigilant.

Gaurfain watched as Aiden lowered his head, fists clenched, as if preparing to make a decisive choice.

Aiden took a deep breath, then lifted his head, his eyes filled with calm resolve. He turned to Geralt.

"Geralt, take the girl and go."

Geralt, serious, stared at him.

"What are you planning to do, Aiden?"

Aiden gave him a faint smile.

"Trust me. Don't interfere. This is my fight."

Geralt clenched his fists, understanding what that meant.

"Aiden… you don't mean that…"

Aiden's voice rose, firm, almost sharp.

"Geralt, please. Trust me."

Without another word, he moved toward Gaurfain, determined.

With a heavy heart, Geralt watched his protégé walk away. He clenched his fists, a dull anger welling up within him. He knew there was nothing he could do in this battle. Powerless, he took the little girl's hand and left the cave, whispering a prayer for Aiden's safe return.

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I stepped toward Gaurfain, my heart pounding harder with each step. He was enormous, a towering mass of shadow and muscle that loomed over me. Taking a deep breath, I drew my sword, letting the scabbard drop heavily to the ground with a dull thud that echoed through the cave. The sword felt almost light, as if it understood that this fight was inevitable, necessary.

I raised my eyes to meet Gaurfain's piercing gaze.

"Have you made your choice, Aquila?" he asked, his deep voice breaking the silence.

I tightened my grip on the sword's hilt, grounding my feet, and replied with a voice steadier than I expected:

"Yes. You will be my trial, the test of my resolve to save this world."

A brief silence hung in the air before Gaurfain slowly nodded, his claws extending in a threatening moment.

"Then come, Aquila… bearer of hope and the weight of this world. Show me the strength of your determination."

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Gaurfain suddenly leaped toward me, his massive claws slicing through the air aimed at my head. I barely had time to raise my sword to block his attack, causing a powerful impact that sent sparks flying in the darkness of the cave. The force pushed me back, but I spun to regain my balance and released a blast of icy air. The freezing wave forced Gaurfain to retreat, covering his fur in frost and freezing everything around him.

Unfazed, Gaurfain tore through the ice with his claws, thin trails of blood appearing where the frost had cut into his skin. Surprised, he glanced at me, watching as I rushed toward him once more. In a low growl, he murmured,

"Freezing my fur… then striking with ice spikes lodged in my body… that damned god really did give you his dreams, didn't he?"

With a brutal motion, he stomped the ground, opening a wide fissure that spread in my direction. I leapt aside to dodge the crevasse and sprinted toward him. Gaurfain flashed a fierce grin, and suddenly, his fur bristled as a bright, shimmering aura emanated from his body. The ground beneath him cracked under the intensity of his power. He roared,

"COME, AQUILA! SHOW ME WHAT THESE DAMN GODS AND MORTALS EXPECT FROM YOU!"

In a flash, he charged at me with incredible speed, slamming me against the cave wall. The impact knocked the air from my lungs, but I held myself against the icy wall with my feet, using the frost to steady myself. I pushed off and launched myself straight at him, sword at the ready, determined to meet him head-on.

What followed was a rapid exchange of blows. Every strike I delivered met his claws, sparking showers with each collision. Blood splattered onto the rocks, droplets falling in rhythm with our duel. I could feel the burning fatigue in my muscles, but I refused to give in. One of us was smiling; the other remained impassive as the once torch-lit cave darkened, the flames flickering under the chilling air. The cold invaded every corner, and the walls were now coated with ice, claw marks, and holes, an indelible record of our battle.

The duel was fierce, a pure clash of wills, where neither of us seemed willing to yield. Gaurfain dropped to all fours, his speed doubling as he circled me, searching for any opening to strike. I defended myself, but his attacks left me with deeper and deeper wounds, each blow further draining my strength.

A brutal strike forced blood from my mouth, doubling me over in pain before I collapsed to my knees. Gaurfain stopped, covered in wounds himself. Frostbite marked his skin, cuts crisscrossed his body, and his left eye, swollen, was now shut. But he approached me with a triumphant look.

"You've lost, Aquila," he murmured with a cruel smile. "Give up your hopes and watch this world crumble."

I looked up at him, and despite the pain consuming my body, a smile appeared on my face. Gaurfain seemed to hesitate, noticing this unexpected smile. Suddenly, ice spikes erupted from within his body, piercing his skin in several places. He fell to his knees, eyes wide, as I approached him, my broken sword in hand, stained with blood and frost.

"How…?" he murmured, spitting blood.

I stopped just in front of him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I played the waiting game. I knew I didn't have your strength, your speed, or your experience. But I had a strategy."

I let my gaze drift around the cave, observing the walls now coated in frost.

"You were so focused on the fight that you didn't notice the temperature dropping. Little by little, your own blood started to freeze."

I crouched to his level, locking eyes with him.

"Remember, I am the master of all that freezes. Your blood became my weapon, Gaurfain. My plan worked."

A bitter laugh escaped Gaurfain, even through the agony that wracked his body. He shook his head weakly.

"You've proven… that you're capable… of saving this world."

He lifted his gaze to the cave ceiling, his stare distant.

"Selina… she was a seer, a servant of the goddess Tuilë. Ironic, isn't it?" A faint smile appeared on his battle-worn face. "My love was devoted to my former enemy… and yet, even after her passing, that goddess blessed my wife and gave us a child… until the massacre…"

Tears streamed down his face, mingling with drops of blood.

"I watched my family, my tribe… die in betrayals. I was filled with hatred for this world. But she… she told me to smile. She told me I was destined to guide Aquila, the bearer of hope. And here I am, today…"

His gaze softened as he looked at me. He grasped my armor with a trembling hand, pulling me closer, and his eyes met mine. In his gaze, I saw something different, a look filled with hope and anticipation, unlike the impassive stare he'd had all this time.

"Now I understand why Selina had faith in you. So, please… save this world. Follow no one but your own convictions, Aquila."

Gaurfain released his hold, his gaze shifting one last time to the frozen ceiling of the cave. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he murmured, almost to himself,

"I'm coming, Selina… I've fulfilled your dream… He's ready to face what awaits him. And I… I die a warrior…"

His breathing slowed, then stopped. Silence filled the cave, and the cold settled in. Gaurfain, lying in the frost, closed his eyes for the last time, joining those he loved in eternal rest.