The lion pt.3

Havel gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain burning inside him. 

"Don't listen to him, Ada! It doesn't matter what he says! It doesn't matter what happened in the past! You are different! You are strong! You have to move! If you don't do it now… we'll both die here!"

Havel's heart pounded in his chest. He had always been reckless, but he wasn't attacking for the group, he wasn't facing just any monster. 

He had to protect her, he had to.

He would sacrifice his soul and body if necessary.

The lion lost interest in Havel and began walking towards Ada with his hand outstretched, an invitation for their personal last hunt together.

Inside the girl's mind there was great chaos, she was a slave of her fears. 

What should I do? I have to help him. I'm scared, damn, I'm so scared. Why? This lion, he never killed me, but he was going to, now he's here for me. The lion is hunting, I'm the prey he intends to kill. What should I do. Should I run? Hide? Havel is here… I… I… why? Move body, move! I have to do something!

Rutia's daughter took a few steps back, trembling.

"It's useless, panther. You can't-…" the sentence wasn't finished.

Havel threw a very violent punch against the monster's kidney. A bright crimson light illuminated the hallway, only to be followed by a mirror shot. 

Havel gasped and staggered towards Ada holding his right arm, the armor protecting it completely pulverized. Under closer scrutiny, it was possible to notice the silver vessels pulsating and various dense spots of blue dotting the demigod's skin.

Rutia's daughter stammered: "H-Havel… your arm…"

"I'll be fine," the leader tried to reassure her.

To cause massive damage, Sidal's son had chosen to concentrate the energy of his technique on his entire arm and not just in one point. A very risky, but necessary move.

I could have broken my arm on impact, or lost it entirely… however, the evolved form of the 'crimson meteor' combined with the 'double affliction' and 'bloodlust' enhancement, should have managed to put him out of action.

As if the enemy could read his thoughts, the demigods heard the wayfarer's deep voice utter a single word.

"No."

Nadim suddenly began to change before their eyes. His massive body stretched as the darkness clung to him and began to mass, as if it was fusing with his flesh. His muscles thickened, his skin became covered in a pitch-black coat, and his human face disappeared, giving way to a lion's head, with the same feline eyes that blazed with an even more evil golden darkness.

Havel had wondered why Ada had called him a lion, but in that moment it became quite clear. They were in the presence of a mammoth lion, made of tangible darkness and powerful paws that scratched the floor with dark claws.

Nadim growled menacingly and grabbed Havel with one of his paws, lifting him as if he was a simple toy. The boy struggled, trying to free himself, but the lion's strength was immense. Without any effort, he hurled it away, sending it flying across the room until it crashed violently into a column shrouded in darkness. The dull sound of the impact echoed throughout the hallway.

Havel fell back to the ground with a groan, the pain radiating through his body was unbearable. He took a deep breath, trying to muster up as much strength as he had left, and stood up once again, wavering. His face was tense, marked by fatigue and blood dripping from his side, but there was still a light in his eyes.

Nadim didn't stop him and watched him move back in front of Ada, his hands were trembling but ready to fight to protect his friend with his own body.

Stop, Havel… stop, please… Ada whispered in her mind, unable to speak out loud. She couldn't bear to see him in that state, just as she couldn't imagine the idea of ​​losing him. She was terrified, and the darkness that surrounded the traveler seemed to reflect the darkness inside her.

Havel turned and smiled, a tired but sincere smile. 

"Don't worry," he said with unexpected calm. "I won't stop. Not while you're here with me."

His words pierced her, like a knife opening a wound deeper than the lion ever could. 

Havel was there, ready to sacrifice himself for her, and she couldn't do anything. 

Fear continued to hold her prisoner, the chains of the past gripped her, making her helpless.

She closed her eyes. 

Everything reminded her of what she had already experienced, the moments when she had been alone, abandoned to herself, when she was just a defenseless child in the orphanage, unable to fight against forces bigger than her. The terror she had known then returned to invade her, suffocating her.

In her mind, she began to relive the days when she had remained hidden, silent, while the darkness of the past hovered around her. 

The same shadows that took shape in Nadim, the monster that had haunted her all that time.