Chapter 625: Cold as ice
Her throat hurt so much that she could no longer call his name out anymore. She started to push his sword back with all that she can.
Evie had not realized how her anger and despair tremendously fuelled her power. Her light magic came out stronger, brighter and more powerful than ever before.
Then she watched as his dark sword shattered from the onslaught of her light magic and turned back into smoke before flowing back to join the rest of the wispy smoky tendrils curling around him again.
That very moment, Evie closed her palms to stop the powerful magic from flowing out of her. However, it was a little too late. Her magic had already shot forth and hit Gav before she could stop it.
"Gav!!!" Evie yelped out anxiously as she watched him get blown away by her own powers.
Her wings flapped opened and with the help of her strong magic, she surged forward powerfully and managed to catch him mid-air. Upon wrapping her arms tenderly around his neck, she then created a protective barrier around them both before he could slam into the massive obsidian crystal he was headed towards.
The barrier served as soft wall behind him, positively stopping anymore harm to fall on him.
"Gav!!" Evie exclaimed, as she pulled away a little to look down at his face.
She was finally holding him, touching him. It felt so good having him in her arms again. "Oh, Gav…" she felt tears brimming in her eyes when he met her gaze. "Did I hit you too hard?"
Her gaze filled with worry as she held his face cupped within both her palms. Her eyes were worriedly scanning him to check if he was wounded in other places.
When they landed on the ground, Evie did not release him. He fell onto his knees, so Evie knelt as well, never letting go of his face.
His darkness was being overpowered by her glowing light. And Evie almost thought that it was a good thing, only if Gav did not look so blinded that it was as though he could not stand looking straight at her.
"Gav…" Evie caressed his face gently, trying to pull his attention to her voice and touch. She suppressed her power little by little until her glow dulled down to a bearable level. "Please open your eyes and look at me. Gav."
He listened. But when his eyes opened, the colours of his eyes still remained ever changing.
"It's me, Evie… I'm here, love. Can you hear me?" she felt like crying now as she uttered those words. Then she kissed his lips softly. He was… cold… bitingly cold… and that scared her. He had never been as cold as this before.
Still, Evie continued kissing him, not minding how icy his soft lips felt on hers. She remembered that she had done something similar to this before. Back during the time when he was down in that secret dungeon below the library in Dacria.
When he lifted his hand and touched her wrist, Evie stilled. Her heart thumped in anticipation and hope that her Gav was back.
She slowly tore her lips off his, her heart hammering even faster, hoping and praying that she would be seeing her Gav back, safe and sound and that he would be able to recognize her now.
"E… Evie…" he uttered in a broken whisper. That one sound flooded Evie's heart with utter relief.
"Yes, Gav. I'm here." Her voice trembled as her eyes teared up and threatened to overflow.
Even though the colours of his eyes did not change, the fact that he had called out her name was enough for her.
She threw herself at him and hugged him as tight as she could. "Oh Gav…" she cried, trembling a little. "You… you really scared me… are you okay? I think my magic harmed you."
"Evie…" he hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her. She could feel a slight tremor running through his arms as they enfolded her in his embrace. His body was still so cold, as cold as ice. "Listen…"
Feeling his heartbeat pounding so hard within his chest, Evie moved to pull away and wanted to look at his face. But he did not allow her to get out of his tight hold.
"I'm so sorry…" his voice cracked as he apologised, and Evie did not know why but her heartbeat hastened as well. Fear and despair suddenly returned in waves before she could even know why he was saying sorry. "Evie… something's about to… happen to me… I think… I'm going to –"
"No! No! Nothing will happen –" Evie shook her head rapidly as she wanted to deny what he was about to say.
"Listen… please… Evie…" He spoke softly, begging her to listen.
"No… Gav! You can fight it! I believe in you."
His body trembled. She could feel darkness pulsating within him again. He kissed her forehead, then the crown of her head.
"I'm so sorry, my love… I… we did a grave mistake… and I don't think any of us can stop this anymore –" his voice was pained, agonized, as if it was getting harder for him to speak.
"No… Please… stop… don't say that –" Tears were already leaking from the corners of her eyes, trekking a trail down both sides of her smooth cheeks. She clung desperately onto him, hugging his waist tight.
His cold lips captured her mouth. Then he released her reluctantly, his fingers quivering even harder as he wiped her tear-stained cheeks.
"Evie, my love… listen to me…" she saw a lone tear that flowed from the corner of his eye, before he bent and whispered something in her ears.
Then all too soon, something seemed to blast within him. And he was gone. He had vanished from her arms.
Paralyzed, Evie could only move her eyeballs to look up and saw him there, suspended in the air a little farther away from her. His arms were spread wide to his sides and the storm of darkness was heading towards him, swirling around his body as his entire being pulsed with a thick, malevolent darkness. It was happening now… the merging and the awakening…