As the God of Life speaks, a sudden chill sweeps through the temple, its warmth now fading like a fading dream. The air grows thick with an oppressive presence, and I feel a shiver crawl down my spine. It's subtle at first; almost an imperceptible shift in the atmosphere—but it grows, tightening like a noose around my throat.
I look up at the God of Life, his serene expression unchanging, but there's something in his eyes that betrays a hint of concern. His golden eyes flicker briefly, as though sensing something far beyond what is visible.
"He's coming," he murmurs, almost to himself.
I freeze. The words hit me like a slap, and my heart begins to race. I know who he means without having to ask. The God of Death.
The room darkens as if the very walls are recoiling in the presence of something older, something more ancient. The temperature drops, and a sudden gust of wind howls through the stone structure, carrying with it an unmistakable scent of death and decay.
I feel it then—his presence. It claws at the edges of my senses, a darkness that threads through my thoughts, my very soul. It pulls at me, tugging me back toward him as though I'm nothing more than a string caught in a storm.
"No," I whisper, taking a step back. My chest tightens, the bond between us flaring to life once more, a searing pain that I thought I had finally been rid of. I drop to my knees, clutching my head, but I can't escape it. It's like he's here, even though I can't see him yet.
The God of Life looks at me, his expression darkening as he senses my pain. "He's been searching for you, hasn't he? Always. No matter how many times you run."
I grit my teeth, trying to push the connection away. "I can't let him find me. I won't go back to him."
The ground beneath my feet rumbles, faint at first, but it grows, like the distant roar of a storm rolling over the mountains. The God of Life steps forward, his hand reaching out to steady me. "You can't run forever."
I glance up at him, tears blurring my vision. "I don't have a choice."
But then, the temple's doors burst open.
A rush of cold air slams into me, and I look up to see a shadow standing in the doorway. Tall, impossibly still, with eyes that glimmer like the darkest of nights. The air around him ripples with raw, untamed power.
There he is.
The God of Death.
His red eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I feel everything I've tried to suppress over the centuries—every pain, every moment of betrayal, every drop of blood spilled in his name. The bond between us flares violently, dragging me toward him with a force I can't fight.
"You shouldn't have come here," his voice echoes through the temple, deep and resonant, a voice that could command the very earth itself.
I can't speak. His presence is overwhelming, suffocating.
The God of Life steps forward, his golden light a faint barrier against the darkness that the God of Death brings with him. "She has come to end this cycle, Death," he says, his tone measured, though there's an underlying tension. "And you cannot stop her."
The God of Death steps into the temple, his gaze never leaving mine. "You think you can take her from me?" His lips curl into a cruel smile, and his voice deepens with every syllable. "She belongs to me, now and forever."
I shake my head, the pain in my chest unbearable as the bond between us tightens like a vice. I want to scream, to run, to tear myself away from him, but it's like I'm trapped in his gravity.
"You can't have her," the God of Life warns, his voice hardening. "This ends now."
The God of Death laughs, a sound like the crackling of fire. "Do you think she can ever truly escape me? She is mine, as I am hers. We are bound by something far older than you could ever understand."
My heart races, my chest tightening with a sickening mixture of fear and longing. Every part of me is pulled toward him. I feel the pull of the curse that has haunted me for centuries, the weight of the bond we share, the love that has always been my prison.
"No," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I'm not yours. Not anymore."
The God of Death's eyes flicker with something darker, a storm brewing behind his gaze. "You think you can break free from me?" His voice softens, though the threat in it is unmistakable. "I'll never let you go, not in this life, not in any other. You belong to me, just as I belong to you."
I try to step back, but it's like the ground is pulling me toward him, the bond between us a suffocating, invisible chain that I can't escape. "I won't be your prisoner anymore," I say, my voice stronger now, even as my heart pounds in my chest.
The God of Life moves to stand between us, his golden light flaring with intensity. "This time, it ends."
For a moment, there is silence, and then the God of Death steps forward, his hand reaching out toward me. His fingers brush against my cheek, and the world goes cold.
"I'll always find you," he says softly. "You can't outrun me."