CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
(When Darkness Pressures the World)
In the depths of the Evil Land, unrest spread like wildfire. The Ruler of that cursed realm could no longer sit still upon his throne. Each passing day that Mako and Linah remained unharmed felt like an insult to his power.
"They grow stronger," he growled. "And love is making them dangerous."
Summoning Tonde and Lyold, he released a wave of suffocating pressure that bent the air itself. The two warriors struggled to remain standing as his voice thundered through the chamber.
"You will attack them," he commanded. "Not directly — not yet. You will weaken them first. Confuse them. Separate their hearts if you must."
Tonde hesitated. "Mako is not an ordinary man. His blood—"
"—will spill like any other," the ruler snapped. "And Linah will fall with him."
Meanwhile, the Water Spirits rose in alarm, their ancient forms glowing beneath restless currents. They sensed a storm approaching — one that could tear through realms.
"The uncles must be warned," they whispered.
On the human plane, Mako's maternal uncles, the revered Sense Dancers, were already moving. Their bodies swayed in ritual motion as visions poured through them: a wedding stained with shadow, laughter turning into screams, love standing against death itself.
"The evil waits for a crossing," one elder said gravely.
"They plan to strike during a sacred union in the underworld."
That same night, Linah jolted awake, breath uneven. The familiar inner voice echoed again — sharper, more urgent than before.
Do not leave the human world.
The enemy waits for the wedding.
War is coming — prepare.
Linah placed a hand over her heart, fear and determination intertwining. Whatever was coming, she knew one thing clearly:
They would not be caught unprepared.
(The Distance Between Two Hearts)
Though they shared the same home, Mako felt as though Linah was slipping further away each day.
She smiled — but not the way she used to.
She spoke — but often drifted into silence.
She lay beside him — yet felt miles away.
It unsettled him.
One morning, long before dawn, Mako rose quietly from bed. He stood there for a moment, watching Linah sleep, her face pale and tired even in rest.
When did I stop being her comfort? he wondered painfully.
Determined to bring back the warmth between them, Mako went to the kitchen himself. He prepared breakfast with careful hands — tea, fresh fruit, warm bread — things she loved. When Aunt Rose appeared, ready to help as always, Mako gently stopped her.
"No," he said softly. "Let me do this."
He set the table personally, adjusting every detail, hoping the effort would remind Linah that she was cherished — deeply, desperately.
"Linah," he called gently. "Breakfast is ready."
She joined him a few minutes later, trying to smile. But the moment she lifted the spoon, her face drained of color. A wave of nausea struck her suddenly.
"I—" she barely whispered before standing abruptly.
She ran to the bathroom, barely making it in time before vomiting violently.
Mako froze.
Fear clenched his chest as he rushed after her, kneeling beside her, holding her hair back with shaking hands.
"What's wrong?" he asked, panic lacing his voice. "Talk to me, Linah."
She couldn't answer — her body betrayed her.
Without wasting another second, Mako grabbed his phone and called the doctor. His voice trembled as he explained everything, refusing to leave Linah's side.
After the examination, the doctor looked up with a calm smile that confused Mako.
"There's nothing wrong," he said gently.
"In fact… congratulations. She's three weeks pregnant."
The words didn't register at first.
"Pregnant?" Mako repeated faintly.
Linah looked away, tears filling her eyes. "I didn't know how to tell you," she admitted softly. "I was scared… everything felt overwhelming."
Mako's heart shattered — then rebuilt itself in an instant.
He pulled her into his arms, holding her like she might disappear if he loosened his grip.
"I thought I was losing you," he confessed quietly. "But you were carrying our future."
Linah broke down in his embrace, and for the first time in weeks, the distance between them vanished.
Unseen by them, fate shifted.
And in the Evil Land, something ancient and furious awoke.
Because the war ahead was no longer just about love.
It was about what that love had created.
END OF CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN