Echo of paradise: The legend of love and exile - Виктория Юрьевна Лутова Страница 5

light and shadow,

love and the hunger for power.

She knew—

a choice had to be made.

Chapter Eight

Separation

When Eve returned, Adam was no longer asleep.

He sat by the fire, eyes heavy with worry.

"Where were you?" he asked, his voice taut with strain.

Eve lowered her gaze.

"I… I was just thinking."

Adam rose and came to her.

"You heard him again, didn’t you?

You can’t let him control you, Eve.

He wants to destroy us."

Eve looked up.

"Adam, you don’t understand.

It’s not him.

It’s me.

It’s who I am.

I feel it—

I’m more than just human.

And I can’t turn away from that."

Adam took her hands.

"You are human, Eve.

You are my wife.

We lost paradise,

but we can build a new one—

together.

Isn’t that enough?"

Eve pulled her hands free.

"You don’t understand!

I can’t stop.

I can’t just live,

knowing I could become something more.

I love you, Adam,

but my love for God…

It’s greater.

It’s stronger."

Adam stepped back,

as though her words had struck him.

"You say you love God,

but you’ve turned from Him.

You say you love me,

but you would leave me for your pride.

That’s not love, Eve.

That’s destruction."

Tears streamed down Eve’s face.

"Maybe you’re right.

Maybe I am a destroyer.

But I can’t be anything else.

I have to follow my path."

Adam looked at her for a long moment

before he spoke again.

His voice was quiet, but steady.

"If you leave, I won’t stop you.

But I will search for you, Eve.

I will fight for you.

And I believe,

one day,

you’ll understand—

that love is not a hunger for power.

It’s the will to stay."

Eve turned away,

unable to meet his eyes.

She knew he was right.

But she also knew—

her path led elsewhere.

Chapter Nine

The First Sacrifice

Eve left at dawn,

leaving Adam alone

by the dying embers of the fire.

He felt the emptiness swell inside his chest—

but he knew he could not give in.

He had to find her.

He had to bring her back.

Eve walked across a barren plain,

the darkness within her

growing stronger with each step.

She knew she had made a choice

that would change everything—

but she also understood

it had always been inevitable.

The voice spoke again:

"You’ve taken the first step, Eve.

Now you are ready to embrace your fate."

Eve stopped and looked to the sky.

"I don’t know what lies ahead,"

she thought,

"but I know I must go."

And so their journeys began—

Adam, led by love,

and Eve, drawn to the Divine.

Their paths diverged,

yet their hearts remained bound.

And somewhere far beyond,

in the silence of eternity,

God watched them—

loving,

and grieving.

Very well, let us continue!

In the next part,

we will focus on Eve’s journey—

her acceptance of the darkness within,

and her search for her divine nature.

We will also explore Adam’s struggle,

his suffering,

and his attempts to understand how to bring Eve back

without losing himself.

This will be a crucial stage,

where their paths begin to intertwine

through both internal transformations

and the intervention of external forces.

PART THREE

THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE

Chapter Ten

The Path Within

Eve walked across the lifeless plain,

the scorching sun searing her skin,

and the wind kicked up dust, obscuring the horizon.

Her steps were heavy,

but within her, a fire burned brighter.

She felt the voice, once a quiet whisper, now growing louder,

as though it had become part of her very being.

"You made the right choice," the voice said.

"You rejected weakness.

You embraced your power.

Now, you must go further.

You must find the place where light and darkness merge."

Eve stopped, gazing at the endless horizon.

"Where is this place?" she asked.

"It is within you," the voice replied.

"But to find it,

you must pass through pain.

You must face that which you fear most."

Eve clenched her fists.

She knew the voice was right.

She could feel something shifting inside her,

as though her soul was splitting open to reveal something new.

But with that, she also felt fear.

She understood that the path she walked

might lead her to the loss of herself.

Chapter Eleven

Adam's Solitude

Adam walked through the forest,

a forest that seemed endless.

His legs were scraped,

and his hands were covered in scratches from the branches.

But he did not stop.

He knew he had to find Eve,

for she was an inseparable part of himself,

and without her, he felt empty.

Every night, he sat by the fire,

gazing at the stars.

Memories of paradise,

of the first days spent together,

of laughter and joy,

filled his heart with pain.

He understood that Eve had changed,

become someone else,

but he still loved her.

"Why did you leave?" he whispered one night,

speaking to the sky.

"Why did you choose the darkness over me?"

But the sky remained silent.

God kept His silence.

And Adam