The room was eerily silent as Lucinda and Olivia stood facing each other, their breaths shallow. The ancient artifact that had caused their bizarre body swap lay between them, its glow fading with every second.
"Are you sure this will work?" Olivia's voice trembled, though it sounded odd coming from Lucinda's body.
Lucinda, in Olivia's body, nodded firmly. "We don't have a choice. The artifact's energy is almost depleted. It's now or never."
Olivia swallowed hard and placed her hand on the artifact. Lucinda mirrored her actions. The moment their hands connected with the cold, pulsating surface, a surge of energy shot through the room. A blinding light engulfed them, and they felt the unbearable pull of their souls being wrenched from their borrowed vessels.
When the light dimmed, Olivia gasped. She looked down at her hands—her own hands. Relief and an odd sense of unfamiliarity washed over her. Across from her, Lucinda staggered, now back in her own body.
"It worked," Olivia whispered, her voice finally her own.
Lucinda exhaled shakily, looking at her hands. Then she met Olivia's gaze and said softly, "So… what now?"
Olivia hesitated. "We need to face the consequences… everything Derek and Sophia set in motion. We can't pretend this didn't happen."
Lucinda's eyes flickered with guilt. "I tried to stop Sophia, you know. When I realized what she and Derek were planning, it was already too late. But no one would believe me."
"I believe you," Olivia said quietly. She took a step closer, her voice steady. "Lucinda, you've changed. Whatever bad blood we had before this… it doesn't matter now. We're on the same side."
Lucinda's lips quirked into a faint smile, though her eyes were still clouded with doubt. "Thanks… I think."
Before either of them could say more, a distant scream echoed through the corridors, chilling them both to the bone.
"What was that?" Olivia asked, her voice rising in panic.
Lucinda's expression hardened. "Derek…"
They both ran toward the source of the sound, their footsteps pounding against the cold stone floors. When they reached the main hall, the sight before them made Olivia's heart stop.
Derek lay on the ground, a dagger in his hand and blood pooling beneath him. His face was pale, but he managed to lift his head slightly as they approached.
"Why?" Olivia choked, dropping to her knees beside him. Tears streamed down her face as she pressed her hands against the wound, trying desperately to stop the bleeding.
Derek's lips curled into a weak smile. "I couldn't live with it," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Everything Sophia and I caused… it's my fault. I thought I was protecting you, Olivia. But all I did was make things worse."
"You didn't have to do this!" Olivia sobbed. "We could have fixed it together!"
Lucinda stood frozen, her face pale as she stared at Derek. For all the anger she'd held toward him, seeing him like this broke something inside her. She knelt beside Olivia, her voice trembling. "We need to get him help. Now."
Derek's hand weakly reached for Olivia's. "No," he murmured. "It's better this way. Maybe now… you can have peace."
His eyes fluttered closed, and his hand went limp. Olivia screamed his name, shaking him desperately, but it was too late. Derek's breathing had stopped.
The room fell into a deafening silence, broken only by Olivia's sobs. Lucinda placed a hand on her shoulder, her own eyes glistening with tears. "We'll carry this with us," she said softly. "But we'll make sure it wasn't in vain."
Olivia didn't respond, her heart shattered. Derek's sacrifice would haunt her forever, but she knew she couldn't let his death be meaningless. She would find a way to honor him and ensure that the pain and chaos he and Sophia had unleashed would never happen again.
THE END