Natasha collapsed and felt a cold, stiff, and wet something under her knees between her fingertip, goosebumps raised, and then the deadly chill entered her bones. She lost her voice for a moment at the impact, it felt like a thousand needles were piercing her at the same time, and when she managed to open her eyes, her teeth shattered, and she shivered violently. Natasha opened her eyes to see snowflakes brushing past her eyelids while her teeth stuttered. She scrambled in the snow, trying to stand up but fell for a few moments before getting up.
“I’m sorry about the cold,” Sahir said as he stepped around her, his black robes brushing the surface and the shadows following. Natasha struggles to turn her head to meet his gaze.
He lowers himself to meet her eye level. Natasha’s eyes couldn’t move away from his terrifying face. Dark hollow eyes and shadows came from the corner of his eyes like a vapor, his hand and movement floating with it, and behind him, the darkness gathered in waves creating a wall around them. She could feel the crisp air turning to frost against her skin.
“Would it make you feel any better if I told you that this cold isn’t going to kill you?”
The chill freezer Natasha’s legs and lungs, and she couldn’t feel her legs or lungs, but she managed to raise her frozen eyelids to gaze at him, “what do you want?!” her voice scratchy and strangled? She tries to wrap her arms around herself, her teeth shuttered. How is she going to survive this?
“Whatever you want,” Sahir replied.
“Wh-wh-what?” Natasha closed her eyes.
“Truly,” Sahir’s dark sunken eyes expand, followed by a sneer, “all I want to do is help you.”
“Why don’t I….” Natasha flinched so hard it hurt to breathe, “Believe you,” “You still got your snark!” He stood up. “There is no reason for you to believe me except….” “I can make sure you and Little Rae stroll to the sunset and have a happily ever after,” he hesitated.
“What exactly do you mean?” She shuddered.
“This is what you need,” something resembling a rope materialized in his grasp as the golden glow faded, adopting the form of a root.
“This is a root from a rare and extinct tree from the Garden of Creation,” Sahir’s voice changed, almost human-like, it was hard to think clearly in this cold, but Natasha attempted to gather some sense to listen to this.
“The Garden was destroyed in the conflict, and the tree with it, leaving only this one thing behind.”
“Words are power; our master uses to say. In ancient times, people promised their eternal mates their souls and bound them together. The roots of This tree were used to create a celestial union; once two souls are bound with the sacred promise, it doesn’t matter who or what you are; it will keep them together,” his eyes shifted. He returned his gaze to Natasha, his eyes empty and his voice sinister, “You can tell that this is your only chance,” He extended it towards her, and she raised her shaky hand to grab it.
“Aa! No! Of course, there is a catch,” he said.
Natasha’s hand slipped back to her side.
“You didn’t expect it to be so easy, did you?” With his head tilted, he nearly appeared concerned.
“What…” Natasha was at a loss for words.
“I only need a tiny little favor with this tiny little thing; there’s a spark in the shadows,” says the Shadow King, his face hardening, “You must find it.”
A flood of darkness washed over them, ready to devour them or her whole.
“However, there is something you must do before you can enter the shadows,”
“W-w-what?”
“You must die.”