Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 156210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
I have never felt such immense power. As red tints the edges of my vision, I leap up to find the sphincter gone, as if the monster has altered its form since swallowing me. Confusion only lasts a moment, and I slash through a heart, then deeper into distended flesh.
A part of me hopes Luke would soon recover and come to, but he remains immobile, the spark of life inside him flickering so weakly it’s putting me in a state of despair.
Not him. Please, anyone but him.
I'm in a frenzy, and as my form changes, overflowing with shadow, I sheathe my sword and unleash the beast within. I let my claws grow and rip at the flesh in the beast’s side. Even if the wall of Heartbreak’s body is thicker than the outer walls of my palace, they’re not endless and I will get through them.
The monster trembles, but I keep clawing through flesh, blubber, and tendons, so it takes me a while to realize I’m sensing Heartbreak’s descent.
It’s retreating. Going back into the ocean and deeper underwater.
And it’s taking us with it.
I can’t dig this gore-filled tunnel any faster, but I still try. Covered in my own shadows, I am able to swallow the eels off my body without using my hands. I’m like a maggot, but instead of burrowing into Heartbreak’s flesh, I’m set on fighting my way out. My only solace is that Luke’s still alive, and I need to get to him, the real him.
My body is covered in blood and other secretions, but I’m not terrified anymore. I consume eels every time I grow weaker, but as I take Luke’s shadow deep into my own, each second starts with new determination.
I slash, hit, drill, just to be farther from the center of the beast and closer to the surface, but when my claws cut through a thick membrane and hit water, I’m so elated that for a moment the purpose of all this suffering is forgotten. It’s only when I listen to Luke’s pulse again that I gather my remaining strength and rip myself out into the moonlit waters.
The empty depths would have been frightening any other time. Now they feel like salvation, and I flap my monstrous arms about, beckoned by the shimmering surface above.
Heartbreak is such a massive presence in the sea, its movement creates currents and whirls that keep sucking me in. But I won’t surrender. I’d give my last breath to get Luke out of here, but when I spot a familiar figure in the water, it’s a relief to know that won’t be necessary. Crab swims our way with the agility only a creature born in the sea can have. He comes close enough for me to grab his mane and then we go up, up, up, faster than if he were a balloon of air.
Exhaustion hits me with new force, and I shed my shadow form on the way to the surface, holding on to Luke. My muscles are on fire, my lungs ache from burning through all the eels, and I want to collapse into a bed.
As soon as my head is above water, I gasp for air and pull Luke close.
Heartbreak is now only a dark shape looming far below. For how long have I managed to chase him away? One day we will find out.
“Luke! Luke, wake up,” I beg, nudging Crab with my heels so he swims faster. The shore’s getting closer, but I cannot dive into the shadowild before we reach it, and the uncertainty of it is killing me.
I’m pretty sure he’s starting to loll his head on my shoulder, and as soon as Crab hits the beach, just off the arena, I jump off his back and sink into my shadowild. Someone’s yelling my name, but I ignore them, focused on Luke. I’ve heard of Dark Companions falling into month-long comas or even dying after the power of their shadows was abused, and while Luke was the one who chose to prioritize me over his own wellbeing, I cannot allow such a tragic end to our story.
Entering the other realm is second nature, and I can do so even in the state of fatigue I’m in. When I spot Luke, spread out on a pedestal of shadows and pale as if death has claimed him already, I let out a frantic whine.
“My love,” I utter, joining him, full of trepidation, but when his eyes open at my touch, a massive weight lifts off my chest. His plump lips part, and I kiss them, hoping to pass him some of my own life force.
Luke’s face is stained with blackened tears, and when he speaks, his voice is raspy as if he’s been screaming for hours. “Y-you’re okay?” He utters and tries to sit up, but his arms feel so weak around me I hold him up instead.