Kalle's hand trembled slightly. Feeling Darlene's tightly clasped palm, the pain in his heart was torn open once again. This stranger seemed to carry an aura from hell. Every step he took closer made the air heavy and difficult to breathe. Kalle's heart was pounding violently, and every second felt like it was about to burst. The enemy in front of him just calmly looked at them, as if he had already foreseen their despair.
"You said the pain is far from over?" Kalle asked in a hoarse whisper. He almost gritted his teeth as he said these words, his gaze fixed on the man in black.
The man in black didn't answer. He just showed a meaningful smile, as if everything was under his control.
"You think you can find the light by running away from pain and darkness? Your struggles are just self-deception." The man in black said coldly. "The real test has just begun."
Kalle's face turned even paler. His throat seemed to be tightly blocked, and his breathing became rapid. At this moment, he could feel a huge fear rising from the depths of his heart. That suffocating oppressive feeling was like a time bomb exploding inside him. He had experienced similar fear before, but today's fear was different. It was deeper, like a biting cold that seeped into every inch of his skin and penetrated every nerve.
"Kalle, stay calm." Darlene whispered softly in his ear, her voice low but firm. "No matter what happens, we have to face it together. You can't let him affect you."
Kalle's eyes turned to Darlene, and his gaze was filled with pain and struggle. Her words were like a shot in the arm, making him regain some clarity. But the deep self-blame and the torment in his heart still lingered.
"If I could have been stronger, if I could have shown up earlier and saved you from the dire situation..." This sentence echoed in his mind like an ineradicable shadow.
"You don't need to blame yourself for that." Darlene gently stroked his back, as if trying to soothe his soul.
"But I can't forgive myself." Kalle replied in a low voice, a hard trace of pain flashing in his eyes. "Every time I think of that night, I feel like a useless person, unable to do anything."
"Kalle, stop blaming yourself." A trace of pain also flashed in Darlene's eyes, but she remained firm. "You did it for my own good. You've never abandoned me. Even when I was most helpless, you still protected me."
"So what?" Kalle's tone became more and more urgent. "If I could really have been stronger, maybe you wouldn't have suffered those pains. You wouldn't have lost so much."
Darlene was stunned. She had never seen Kalle so vulnerable. Her heart ached deeply, and she felt great pity. She knew that Kalle's heart was already almost suffocated by self-blame and pain, but she also knew that if she didn't firmly support him, he would never be able to get out of that abyss of despair.
She tightly grasped Kalle's hand, not allowing him to continue swirling in the vortex of self-blame.
"Kalle, listen to me," her voice was low and firm. "You are my only support. No matter how
difficult the road ahead is, I don't want to give up on you. You are my everything, and that will never change."
Kalle's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had heard the truest voice from the depths of his soul. Just then, the man in black spoke again, breaking the silence.
"Your obsession is really laughable." The man in black sneered, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Just for a useless belief, you dare to dream of changing your destined fate. Do you think you can change all this?"
Kalle's anger was instantly ignited. He clenched his fists and stared at the man in black angrily. "If you dare to hurt her, I'll make you regret it."
The man in black smiled slightly, and that smile was full of provocation and contempt. "I don't need you to teach me what regret is, Kalle. You're just a loser, a coward who can't face his own failure."
These words stabbed into Kalle's heart like a knife, making him instantly fall into endless pain. Yes, he had failed before. He had missed too many opportunities, and he had even missed the most important moment to protect Darlene.
"You're right." Kalle's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible. "I am a loser. Because I've never been able to be the hero in your eyes."
His eyes filled with despair and self-blame, Kalle tightly closed his eyes, as if he really couldn't face everything anymore.
Darlene looked at his painful appearance, and a strong wave of emotions surged in her heart. She knew that Kalle couldn't bear any more self-blame. If he continued to be consumed by this emotion, even if they escaped the danger in front of them, his heart would sink forever.
She took a deep breath and suddenly, without hesitation, threw herself into Kalle's arms and hugged him tightly.
"Kalle," her voice was no longer gentle but full of strength. "You are never a loser. You have never failed. You are the bravest person in my heart."
Kalle's body stiffened slightly, as if shocked by this sudden burst of strength. He didn't expect that Darlene would rely on him so firmly at this moment and give him such powerful strength.
"We're in this together." Darlene whispered, a determined light shining in her eyes. "No matter what you've been through, no matter how much you blame yourself, remember, I've never given up on you. You are my only support. No matter what the future holds, I will always stand by your side."
At this moment, Kalle's heart seemed to be surrounded by a warm force. He felt Darlene's firmness and trust, that selfless love and support, which made him briefly forget the pain in his heart.
He finally raised his head and stared deeply into Darlene's eyes, his eyes flickering with complex emotions.
"I promise you that no matter what, I won't let you get hurt again." His voice was hoarse but full of determination.
The man in black stood aside, watching coldly. But he didn't seem to be in a hurry to act. It was as if he knew that no matter what happened, Kalle's determination had been formed, and what followed would be a real trial.
"Your obsession is destined to destroy you." The man in black said coldly, but there was a trace of an inexplicable mockery in his tone. "Do you realize that the real test has just begun?"
Kalle took a deep breath and felt an unprecedented force gathering inside him. Yes, perhaps there was some truth in the man in black's words, but he decided not to back down anymore. He was no longer that cowardly young man. He had become more determined and resolute.
"No matter how you challenge us, we won't give up." A fearless light flashed in Kalle's eyes. He tightly held Darlene's hand, ready to face the coming storm.
At this moment, he finally let go of the pain and self-blame in his heart. No matter what the future held, he would fight side by side with Darlene until the end.