บท 44: The Gatekeeper’s Warning

"Don't you dare give up on me now!" Alex's voice was raw, desperation heavy in his tone as he shook Sarah by the shoulders. His grip tightened, holding her up as her legs weakened beneath her.

Sarah blinked, her head spinning, the darkness pressing in from all sides. Every breath was an effort, as if the air itself was fighting her, pulling her down. She could still hear the Gatekeeper's words echoing in her mind, threatening to drown out everything else.

Choose, or the darkness will consume you both.

But how could she choose? Every path led to destruction—hers, Alex's, maybe even the world's. She felt lost, standing on the precipice of something she could neither understand nor control.

"Sarah, please," Alex's voice broke through the haze, pulling her back. His face hovered inches from hers, his expression torn between fear and something deeper, something she hadn't seen before. "We can still get out of this. We can—"