The Demon king's Last oath

The fire crackled softly, its glow illuminating the small clearing in the forest. The flames danced across Caius's face, casting shadows over his sharp features. He sat on a low rock, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. His black hair fell over his eyes as he stared at the embers, lost in thought.

Elara sat across from him, her legs crossed, her silver hair gleaming in the flickering light. She had her arms folded, her gaze fixed on Caius with a mixture of curiosity and frustration. It was clear to her that he was avoiding saying something.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you?" she asked, her voice soft but steady.

Caius didn't lift his head. "About what?"

"Our first meeting," Elara said, tilting her head slightly. "You've been staring at me like you're seeing a ghost."

Caius blinked, startled by how perceptive she was. He let out a quiet sigh and finally looked up, his piercing blue eyes meeting hers. "It's strange… I thought I'd left all of that behind."

"You didn't leave it behind," Elara said firmly, sitting up straighter. "You carried it with you, whether you wanted to or not."

Her words struck something deep within him. Memories of their first meeting flashed through his mind—the nervous stiffness in his movements, the sharpness in her gaze, and the way she had smiled at him, unbothered by his quiet awkwardness.

"You always ask difficult questions," Caius said quietly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Elara raised an eyebrow, her expression softening. "And you always avoid answering them."

Caius let out a short laugh, surprising even himself. "Some things never change."

Elara leaned forward slightly, resting her chin in her palm. "Do you remember what I said to you that day in the garden?"

Caius frowned, his mind working to untangle the memory. "You said… that I was too serious."

Elara smiled faintly. "And I was right, wasn't I?"

Caius shook his head, his voice soft. "Maybe."

"I remember more than that, you know," Elara said, her tone more serious now. "I remember how nervous you were, how unsure. You didn't even know how to look me in the eye back then."

Caius hesitated, his gaze dropping to the flames. "I didn't know how to talk to people. Especially someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Elara repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"You were confident," Caius explained, his voice quieter. "You didn't seem to care about the formalities, or what people expected. It… caught me off guard."

Elara tilted her head, studying him. "And now? Do I still catch you off guard?"

Caius glanced at her, the faintest flicker of a smile returning. "Sometimes."

The conversation fell quiet for a moment, the crackle of the fire filling the space between them.

"You stopped responding to my letters," Elara said suddenly, her voice steady but tinged with hurt.

Caius froze, his chest tightening. "I—"

"You don't have to explain," Elara said quickly, though her gaze didn't waver. "I know why you did it. Or I think I do. You were afraid, weren't you? Afraid of letting me in."

Caius sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It wasn't just that. After… after the fight with the Shadowborn, everything changed. I didn't know how to talk to anyone. And when I realized I had to leave, writing to you felt… pointless."

"Pointless?" Elara repeated, her voice rising slightly.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Caius admitted, his tone flat. "And I didn't want to drag you into something you didn't ask for."

Elara stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "You know what frustrates me the most about you, Caius?"

Caius met her gaze warily. "What?"

"You assume you're the only one who has to make sacrifices," Elara said, her voice calm but firm. "You think you're protecting people by shutting them out, but all you're doing is making it harder for them to help you."

Caius frowned, his jaw tightening. "It's not that simple."

"It is," Elara said, leaning forward. "You don't trust people. Not fully. Not even me."

Her words cut deeper than Caius wanted to admit. He looked away, his shoulders tense. "Maybe I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't care."

Elara softened slightly, leaning back. "I know you care, Caius. You wouldn't have saved your family if you didn't. You wouldn't be fighting so hard now if you didn't."

Caius glanced at her, his blue eyes searching hers. For a moment, he allowed himself to believe she understood.

"I left because I thought it was the only way to keep you safe," Caius said quietly. "Maybe I was wrong, but it's the only choice I had at the time."

Elara nodded slowly, her emerald eyes softening. "I believe you. But things are different now, Caius. You don't have to do this alone."

Caius hesitated, the weight of her words pressing against him. "You keep saying that."

"Because it's true," Elara said simply.

From the edge of the clearing, the stranger shifted, sitting up with a lazy grin. "You two are cute, you know that?"

Caius shot them a glare. "Don't start."

Elara turned to the stranger, raising an eyebrow. "And you? What's your story? You seem to know a lot about Caius, but I don't even know your name."

The stranger smirked, their silver eyes gleaming. "Name's not important. You can call me the person who keeps this boy alive."

Elara crossed her arms. "Vague. I'll take that as an admission you're hiding something."

The stranger chuckled, leaning back. "Oh, I like her. She's sharp."

Caius sighed, rubbing his temples. "Can we not do this right now?"

"Fine, fine," the stranger said, waving a hand. "But I'm telling you, boy—she's going to keep you on your toes."

Elara smirked. "I plan to."

As the fire burned lower, Caius lay awake, his mind spinning with the weight of his memories and Elara's words. She had a way of breaking through his defenses, forcing him to confront things he'd buried long ago.

"You don't have to do this alone."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Caius allowed himself to hope that might be true.