Counter Attacks

new start...

Iris had found a quiet spot deep in the woods, far enough from the others to be alone with her thoughts. The weight of her decision felt like an anchor around her heart, but she knew it was necessary. She had been walking for hours, lost in her mind, when she set up camp for the night. The flickering firelight cast long shadows on the trees around her, and she sat there, staring into the flames, as if the fire could somehow burn away the pain inside.

But as the night wore on, a rustle of leaves reached her ears. She froze, her heart skipping a beat as she looked around. She didn’t expect anyone to follow her, least of all Evan. He had promised to stay away.

Yet there he was, stepping out from behind a cluster of trees, his face filled with determination. She could see the concern in his eyes, the same eyes that had once been her comfort, her safe place. She had hoped he would respect her wishes and stay behind, but there he was, standing before her.

“I told you to leave,” Iris said quietly, her voice filled with both sadness and resolve. “You shouldn’t be here, Evan.”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he walked toward her, his hand reaching into his pocket. He pulled something out—a small, weathered object, wrapped carefully in cloth. He knelt beside her, his gaze never leaving hers.

“I know you don’t want me to follow you,” he said softly, “but I couldn’t just leave without giving you this.”

He unwrapped the cloth slowly, revealing a small, silver pendant on a chain. It was simple, but Iris recognized it instantly. It was the pendant they had once shared as children, back at the orphanage. It had been their secret, a symbol of the bond they had formed when everything else in their lives had been uncertain.

“Iris, this was ours,” Evan continued, his voice thick with emotion. “I kept it all these years. And I... I want you to have it now. You’ve been strong, and I know you think you’re doing the right thing, but you don’t have to carry all of this alone.”

Iris looked down at the pendant, her hands trembling as she took it from him. She felt a rush of memories flood back—the way they had supported each other, even as kids, through everything. That pendant had been a promise, a way to remind themselves they were never truly alone, no matter what happened.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. “Evan... I don’t want to take this. I don’t want to drag you back into this.”

“I’m not leaving you,” he said, his voice steady now. “You don’t have to walk this path alone. If this is really the only way to stop everything, then we’ll figure it out together. But I need you to know—you don’t have to carry that weight by yourself. You’ve got me.”

Iris shook her head, but this time, it was more out of frustration than certainty. “You don’t understand. I have to do this, Evan. If I don’t, everything else will just keep getting worse.”

Evan placed the pendant gently in her hand, closing her fingers around it. “I understand more than you think,” he whispered. “But I’ll be waiting for you. I won’t leave. Not until we finish this, together.”

With that, he stood up and took a step back, his expression soft but firm. He had said everything he needed to say, and now there was nothing left but silence. Iris’s chest tightened as she looked at the pendant, the weight of it in her hand reminding her of all the connections she was leaving behind—and the person she was becoming.

“I have to go, Evan,” she said softly, her voice shaking slightly. “But... thank you. For this.”

Without another word, Evan turned and began to walk away, his back to her as he disappeared into the dark woods. Iris watched him go, her heart heavy with the decision she had made. She had always known that leaving him behind would hurt, but it was the only way to protect him.