Shadows Of Destiny

Chapter- XII

The Guardian

The moment I saw her, something inside me broke.

Helen.

There she was, huddled against the cold stone wall, her body trembling, her eyes wide with fear and exhaustion. My chest tightened as I took in the sight of her—pale, bruised, her clothes torn, barely covering her fragile form. The marks on her wrists, the way she was clutching her arms to herself, like she was trying to hold together what little remained of her dignity. It was unbearable.

I had fought wars. I had seen countless horrors, endured unimaginable pain. But this—seeing her like this—was worse than anything I had ever faced.

She wasn't just my princess. She was her. The woman who had managed to slip through the cracks in my armor, the woman I had promised myself I would never care about, and yet somehow couldn't stop thinking about. And I had failed her. I had let this happen to her.

Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, everything else fell away—the cold, the danger, the mission. There was only her. Her gaze was searching, desperate, as if she couldn't quite believe I was real. I took a step toward her, my heart pounding in my chest, but I had no idea what to say, no words that could fix this.

She tried to stand, but her legs gave way beneath her, and instinctively, I rushed forward, catching her before she hit the ground. Her body was so light, so fragile in my arms, and as I held her close, I could feel her trembling. I hated it—hated that she had been reduced to this, hated that I hadn't been there when she needed me most.

"Elana..." Her voice was weak, barely a whisper, but it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. Her breath was warm against my neck, and I could feel her heartbeat racing as she leaned into me.

"Shit. Shit. I'm here," I said softly, my voice barely holding together. "I'm not leaving you."

For a second, I wasn't the soldier, wasn't the protector. I was just Elana, and all I wanted was to make her feel safe, to erase every nightmare she had endured. I held her tighter, trying to convey in that touch what I couldn't say in words.

I had been too late. Too slow. And now, she was paying the price.

Her fingers clutched at my tunic, desperate, as if she was afraid I might disappear. I felt her shaking, and it made my heart ache in a way I hadn't thought possible. I could kill for her, fight for her, but I couldn't undo what had been done. That was the worst of it. That helplessness.

"Elana," she whispered again, her voice breaking. "He... he..."

She didn't finish, and she didn't have to. I knew. I could see it in her eyes, hear it in the quiver of her voice. Rage like I had never known surged through me, hot and vicious. I gritted my teeth, my hand tightening around the hilt of my sword as the image of the man who had hurt her filled my mind.

I was going to find him. I was going to make him pay.

But first, I had to get her out of here.

"I know," I whispered, my voice low and dangerous. "I know what they did to you. But they'll never touch you again. I swear it."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she pressed her face against my chest, as if trying to hide from the world. I wanted to say more, to tell her everything I had been holding back for so long—that I would protect her with everything I had, that I would never let anyone hurt her again—but there wasn't time.

We needed to move.

"We have to go," I said, gently pulling her back so I could look into her eyes. "Can you stand?"