THE HEIRESS VOW - Chapter 191

Chapter 191: The Price of Power
The ground trembled beneath Ava as the Abyss closed in, each tremor a reminder that time was slipping away. She cradled him—his body limp, his face pale, his chest still. Her fingers trembled against his cold skin, willing his heart to beat, begging the air to fill his lungs.

But there was nothing.

The darkness, thick and suffocating, spiraled around them. It was no longer just a place; it was a living force. The Abyss had become a predator, its shadows like claws reaching out, eager to claim them both. The edges of her vision blurred as the malevolent energy pressed in from all sides, seeking to consume her, to erase him.

“Don’t take him from me,” Ava whispered, her voice barely audible, but filled with desperation. “Please…”

But the Abyss only laughed in response. It didn’t have a voice, not in the way a person spoke, but its cold, oppressive presence mocked her, sneered at her pain. Her power, the power that had once surged through her with the ferocity of a storm, was waning. She could feel it slipping away, as if the very essence of her strength was being drained into the void.

Her hands trembled as she pressed harder against his chest, trying to force life back into him. “Come on,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. “Come back to me.” She couldn’t lose him. Not now. Not after everything. The pain of that thought was unbearable, far worse than any physical wound she had endured. The emptiness of a future without him stretched before her like a yawning chasm.

Suddenly, the Abyss surged forward, a wave of black tendrils twisting around her legs, pulling her down, dragging her deeper into the dark. The coldness seeped into her bones, as if the Abyss was siphoning what little hope remained within her.

“You failed him,” a voice slithered through the darkness. It was her voice, distorted and cruel, the same voice that had haunted her nightmares. “Just like you failed everyone else. You are weak. Useless.”

Ava’s breath caught in her throat. The words pierced her heart, reopening the wounds she had tried so hard to bury. She had failed before. So many times. The child she couldn’t save. The lives lost because of her hesitation. And now… now, the man who had fought for her, who had believed in her, lay lifeless in her arms.

Tears blurred her vision as the shadows pressed tighter, suffocating her, drowning her in guilt. “I’m not strong enough,” she whispered to herself, the weight of her failures crushing her spirit. She could feel the energy slipping away, faster now, as if the Abyss itself was feeding on her despair.

But then, from somewhere deep within her, a faint whisper echoed, cutting through the cacophony of self-doubt. His voice.

“Ava…”

Her heart lurched, and for a moment, everything stilled. Time, the Abyss, even her thoughts—everything paused. She could hear him. He wasn’t gone. Not yet.

The memory surfaced, clear and vivid. His words, spoken so long ago, when they had first stood together against the darkness. “You’re stronger than you think. Your power isn’t just yours. It’s ours. It’s because we’re together.”

Together. The word reverberated through her soul. The power she had fought so hard to wield, the strength she had believed was her own, was never meant to be hers alone. It had always been their bond, their connection, that made her strong. Without him, she was lost. But with him… with him, she could be unstoppable.

Ava’s hands stilled on his chest as the realization dawned on her. She had been fighting the Abyss with brute force, trying to conquer it alone, but that wasn’t the way. Her power wasn’t something to be wielded like a weapon—it was something to be shared, something that flowed between them. It wasn’t just about saving him. It was about saving them.

She closed her eyes, shutting out the darkness, the taunting voices, the overwhelming despair. Her focus shifted inward, toward the bond they shared, the unspoken connection that had been there from the start. Slowly, she let the remnants of her power flow not just into him, but through him, into the space between them, intertwining their fates as one.

The Abyss reacted instantly, recoiling as if burned, the shadows hissing and writhing in agony. Ava could feel it fighting back, trying to tear them apart, trying to isolate her, but she held on tighter, refusing to let go. The pain, the guilt, the fear—they were all still there, but they no longer controlled her.

“I’m not alone,” Ava said, her voice gaining strength. “I’ve never been alone.”

The words weren’t just for the Abyss—they were for her. She had been running from the truth, hiding behind her pain, but now she saw it clearly. The power she had sought wasn’t something to be mastered. It was something to be shared. And with that understanding, came a new surge of strength, stronger and more vibrant than anything she had felt before.

The Abyss howled in rage, its shadows thrashing wildly, but Ava didn’t flinch. She poured everything she had into the connection between them, every ounce of energy, every shred of hope. She could feel him stirring, his heartbeat faint but steady, his breath shallow but present.

And then, like a flame catching fire, he came back to life.

His eyes fluttered open, the faintest flicker of light returning to them. “Ava…” His voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough. Enough to break the chains of the Abyss, enough to dispel the darkness that had wrapped around her heart.

Relief flooded through her, so overwhelming that she almost collapsed beside him. She had done it. They had done it. Together.

But the victory was bittersweet.

As the Abyss began to recede, Ava felt her strength drain away completely. She had given everything to bring him back, and now there was nothing left. Her vision blurred, and her body grew heavy, collapsing beside him.

“No… no, no, no…” his voice was frantic now, his hands shaking as he cradled her face. “Ava, don’t leave me.”

But she couldn’t answer. Her body was numb, her thoughts slow and heavy. The Abyss had taken its toll, and now, she could feel herself slipping away.

“Ava, please,” he begged, his voice breaking with emotion. “You brought me back… don’t leave me now.”

She wanted to reassure him, to tell him that she wasn’t going anywhere, but the words wouldn’t come. The world around her was fading, the edges of her vision growing dark.

But even as consciousness slipped away, Ava smiled. Because she knew. She knew that she had saved him, that they had saved each other. And no matter what happened next, they would always be together.

Her last thought before the darkness claimed her was of him—his face, his voice, the way he had fought for her, just as she had fought for him. And that was enough.

The Abyss may have been defeated, but as Ava’s vision went black, she couldn’t help but feel a new, darker presence looming just beyond the horizon. Something worse, something far more dangerous than anything they had faced before.

But for now, there was only darkness.

The Abyss retreated, but the cost was high. Ava’s body lay motionless beside the male lead, her energy drained, her fate uncertain. The darkness had gone, but as the ground trembled once more, a new shadow stretched across the horizon, far more ominous than before.

What awaited them next?