At night, the castle was a realm of whispers and shadows, with memories of past events seemingly evaporating from the stone walls. Celine woke up feeling as though a weird, weighty force was coursing through her body. She closed her eyes in the hopes of falling asleep, but instead she started to imagine unreal nightmares.
She was not Celine in her fantasies. She moved through memories that seemed terribly close and yet remote at the same time. She was someone else. She sensed warmth and an intense, hurting affection. Under the moonlight, she stood in a grove with her fingers entwined with Alaric's, his stare less emotionless than the one he wore these days. He gazed at her in these recollections with a fondness that filled a desire in her chest. As he leaned in and placed his palm on her face, uttering promises of eternity, she could feel her heart pounding.
But she believed that eternity was fleeting.
The dream changed, growing gloomier. Fear took hold of her as she saw Elara, the real her, walk in front of Alaric with her arms extended, giving her life to keep him safe. Her vision flickered to black, but she could still feel the surge of power, the crushing weight of pain, and most of all, his agonized howl resonating through her soul.
Gasping for breath and bathed in cold perspiration, Celine awoke with a start. With her heart racing, she staggered out of bed and clutched her chest. In those dreams, she wasn't herself, yet she was able to experience every feeling, heartbeat, and grief like it was her own. Half expecting to see someone else's reflection, she cast a quick peek into the mirror.
Celine roamed the hallways, immersed in the memories of a past existence, unable to wake up from the dream. She felt as though she was being carried by something other than her feet. She was so distracted by the distant forms of guards and staff that she hardly saw the elaborate hallways. She seemed to be pulled to something invisible as she walked.
She stopped when she realized she was at Alaric's private chamber's door. She grabbed for the doorknob, her hands shaking. Despite the fact that she shouldn't be here, she felt completely at home. Pushing open the door, she entered his chamber with an odd feeling of familiarity.
Alaric's figure was outlined in the moonlight as he stood at the window. He slowly turned, and when he spotted her, his eyes narrowed. "Celine," he said, his tone containing a hint of astonishment along with something deeper. He could feel the anguish within her, the memories and magic that clung to her like a melancholy tune.
"You..." The words stopped in her throat as she struggled to find them. She felt as though she was looking into the eyes of the guy she had loved for centuries—a man she had left behind in the dust of time—for a fleeting, dazzling instant as her gaze latched into his. Tears were hardly contained as she muttered, "Why do I see you in my dreams?"Why do I feel as though I know you—as though I once loved you?"
The brutal mask Alaric had been wearing began to fall off, revealing a man hidden under centuries of anguish and resentment. With a step closer, he reached out to brush her cheek with his hand. She felt a jolt from the warmth of his touch; it sparked memories that weren't hers and feelings that were too real to be from a stranger.
He said the word "Elara" in a whisper, forgetting to say it like a forgotten prayer. He lost himself in her gaze for a time, looking for some hint of his lost love. It was eerie how similar they were, but it was more than that; he could feel her soul resonating with his, reaching out to the pieces of his heartbroken.
But there was a sharp edge to the realization. Elara was not Celine. Not entirely, not quite yet. She was a specter of his previous love, but she had the capacity to grow into something more and lift the curse that would have condemned him to an endless life of misery.
With a crack of voice, he murmured, "You... you're not Elara." But for reasons I cannot fathom, you are obligated to her. Your soul is like a candle that flickers with her light—it holds pieces of hers. Fighting the wave of emotion that threatened to overtake him, he clinched his teeth. She stood in front of him, lighting a fire in his spirit, even though he had said he would never feel this way again.
Celine felt a tear trickle down her face. She didn't really get what he was saying, but his words hurt a deep place in her that she wasn't aware existed. "Why do I feel so... incomplete if I am... bound to her if I am carrying these pieces of her?" Her voice faltered as she questioned. "There are echoes, feelings, and memories, but they are incomplete."
Alaric's features hardened with purpose as his stare went steely. "The curse that separated us broke her spirit, strewing fragments of her spirit throughout the worlds. They must be reunited in order to break the curse. With a deep voice and a note of bitterness that suggested generations of regret, he spoke. "You could be the only one who can fully fulfill her... to accomplish the task she began when she sacrificed her life for mine.
As Celine took in what he had said, a flood of grief passed over her. She wanted to refute it, to claim that she was a unique individual and not a conduit for the memories of others. However, she knew in her heart that there was no denying the feelings, the dreams, and the inexplicable connection between them.
"Do you think I'm destined to lift this curse?" With a frail voice, she questioned.
Alaric took a stride toward her, his hand moving to the back of her neck to draw her in. She felt a chill run down her spine due to the intense look he had. He leaned in close to kiss her, saying, "I don't know what fate has in store for us, but I know that I can't lose you again." I am unable to watch you elude me.
His words held a black spell around her heart, the unsaid longing around it. She could sense his pain, his yearning, and his never-ending, lonesome suffering. She felt herself give in to fate at that same instant, letting the currents of destiny sweep her away.
She realized that this was more than a soul-to-soul meeting as he leaned closer and their breaths blended together. It was a love that had persevered through time and death and was now, despite all chances, making its way back through the darkness.
She experienced a burst of strength and had a glimpse of their potential as their lips finally connected. Promises were made in that kiss with millennia of grief intertwined with optimism. It was as though everything around them vanished, leaving just the two of them united by a love that would last forever.
Alaric realized in that hug that Celine was his downfall as much as his hope. He would be risking the same mistakes he had made in the past if he allowed himself to love her, but he was powerless against the pull of her soul. Though a gnawing worry persisted in Celine's heart, the kiss was a step toward her solving the secrets that tied them. She was a component of something greater and more sinister than she could have ever imagined.
Although their fates were linked, there were ominous clouds in the distance, and Elara's sacrifice would always be remembered.