The blinding light beyond the darkest door swallowed me whole. I stumbled inside, unsure if I was still in the real world or had stepped into a nightmare. But this wasn't a dream. It felt too real. Too painful.
The figure before me stared without blinking. My face—yet sharper, colder, and covered in wounds that hadn't healed.
"I am the you who once chose destruction," she said again. "I am Elara, but also Seraphine. I am every choice you regret, every love you rejected, every betrayal you allowed to happen."
"I'm not you," I replied, my voice trembling. "I won't make the same mistakes."
She gave a bitter smile. "Everyone says that… until the moment they must choose between power or love. Between saving themselves or someone else."
"Then I'll choose love," I said firmly. "This time, I won't betray him."
"Will you, truly?" my Elara-self asked, stepping closer until she was just an inch away. Her eyes glowed faint red, like embers about to fade. "If this curse can only be broken by sacrificing your soul, would you do it? If losing Aldric—again—was the price, would you still choose this path?"
I didn't answer. My throat tightened.
"Look."
She waved her hand, and the space around us trembled. Shadows ignited, revealing fragments of a past that wasn't entirely mine—but hurt like my own wounds.
I saw a woman—me, or Elara—kneeling before a throne, blood dripping from her fingertips and lips. Opposite her, a man collapsed, a sword driven through his body.
Aldric.
"He begged you to stop," Elara whispered. "And you ignored him. You chose the throne."
"Because I was forced—"
"No. You chose."
The vision shifted. Now, I saw a younger version of myself, a small body curled beneath the rain, hugging her knees while harsh voices screamed curses. My mother was dragged away, and all I could do was cry.
"I didn't choose any of this!" I shouted. "I never wanted any of this to happen!"
Elara just looked at me, then quietly said, "Then choose now."
Three figures emerged from the shadows. Aldric stood on the left, his face gentle but burdened. In the center, my mother and father, just as I last remembered them—too soon, too far. And on the right… myself. Small. Innocent. Afraid.
"Who will you save?"
My breath caught. I turned, looking at each of them. "No… this isn't fair."
"This curse isn't about fairness," Elara said. "It's about decisions. A soul that cannot choose will remain trapped forever. One of them will be lost. Choose who you will carry forward."
"I can't…"
"Aldric will vanish if you choose your family. Your family will fade if you choose yourself. And if you choose Aldric… you'll have to let go of your younger self. Your safety. Your old identity."
Tears streamed down my face. My body shook. I wanted to refuse this cruel game, but a deeper part of me knew… this was the heart of everything. Choice. Sacrifice.
I looked at Aldric. "What would you do if you were in my place?"
He looked at me with eyes dimmer than usual. "I… don't know. But I believe in you. Whatever you choose, I will still love you. Even if you forget me."
I broke into sobs. "Why does it have to be like this?"
Because this curse wasn't just about magic. It was about wounds that never healed.
I approached the small version of myself. That little body stared at me, eyes full of hope, silently pleading to be taken home. But I knew… she was part of the past. Part of the fear that had always held me back from truly loving. If I clung to her, I could never change.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "But this time, I'm choosing to move forward."
I reached out and touched Aldric. Light spread from that touch, wrapping around us both. My younger self faded, as did the shadows of my parents.
My sobs deepened, but my heart felt lighter.
Elara nodded from afar. "You have chosen. The curse is ready to be broken."
Suddenly, the ground began to crack. The black sky split open, and the sound of screams and laughter swirled together. Elara's form turned into light, then merged into me.
My chest pulsed violently. It felt like a thousand stars ignited in a single breath. I collapsed, my breath cut off for a moment. Aldric knelt and embraced me.
"Seraphine—hold on!"
I clutched his shirt, my heart racing too fast. "I… I can feel it. My soul… is changing."
Then, another voice echoed—cold, foreign, filled with hatred.
"Fool."
We both turned. From the darkness emerged another figure. Her face resembled Elara's, but it was broken. Half of it looked burned, and one eye glowed a sickly green.
"I am the side of Elara you refused to accept," she said. "The side that craves revenge. The side that should never have been sealed away."
Aldric stood and drew his sword. "What is this?"
"A soul's shadow," I answered weakly. "The darkest part of Elara… and of me… that was left behind."
The figure chuckled softly. "You thought breaking the curse would be that easy? No, Seraphine. You've cast away a part of yourself. So now I will take control."
The ground beneath us began to shatter. The light that had embraced my body was being sucked into the darkness. I screamed, my body pulled back into the vortex of shadow.
"Don't let go of me!" I cried to Aldric.
"I won't let you go!" he shouted. But his grip was weakening. The shadow coiled around my legs.
"I will come back," I said, my voice fading. "Aldric—don't forget me…"
And suddenly, the world flipped.
I fell into the void.
Alone.
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