The air grew heavy in the room as Aria's mind reeled, piecing together fragments of a hidden life and secrets that had haunted her family for generations. Scarlett sat pale and silent, gripping her niece's hand, her own past agony freshly unearthed and raw.
David's expression softened as he watched Aria. The tension in his gaze told her he understood all too well what she was going through. "Take all the time you need," he said gently, folding his hands as he waited, his face shadowed by an inexplicable sorrow.
Scarlett's voice broke the silence, low and haunted. "If you're truly Belshazzar, then... you were with Violet, my sister, all those years ago. She used to tell me things... things I thought were nightmares or hallucinations. I wanted to believe her, but..."
The quiet confidence in David's gaze faltered, and he looked down, his tone careful and heavy with regret. "It is true, Scarlett. I knew Violet. But I won't deny that what I did was by command rather than will. My duty was to seek an heir with the Renarian witches. Violet was brought to me... and for two weeks, we—" he paused, his mouth tightening, "I attempted to fulfill that duty. She wanted none of it, I knew. But the choice was never hers. Not truly."
Aunt Scarlett's hand trembled as she whispered, "Then it's true. She was taken to Noravia, and… hurt. She wasn't the same when she returned." Her voice quivered with repressed pain. "Why? Why did you do it?"
David's face darkened with a sorrow that echoed centuries of regret. "I was a monster, Scarlett, one forged by tradition and fury. After Violet, others came. I knew I was hurting them, but I could not let myself see it that way. You see, their ancestor—Renaria herself—had placed a curse upon me. She decreed that my fated mate would be one of her bloodline, but she wanted to reserve the title of queen for herself. When I refused her, she condemned me, leaving me with a drive to search her bloodline for my mate. I believed for so long that I was bound by destiny. But destiny is a cage that's built as much by the heart as by any ancient curse."
Scarlett's face twisted in horror. "And you never thought to stop it? Never thought that you could break that cycle?"
David's gaze was steady but pained. "I was young. I thought I could defy fate, change the curse's terms. So, in my anger, I allowed the witches to become nothing but vessels for procreation. Generations later, I realized I had become the creature Renaria wanted everyone to believe I was."
In the dimly lit room, Aria saw the true depth of David's regret, a sorrow woven through centuries. The air was tense, still, laden with the weight of what lay unsaid. She could see her aunt's face etched with pain and fury, the very same pain and fury that David carried within.
But as David turned to Aria, his gaze softened, his hand reaching out for hers. "Then I met you, Aria. I thought the curse would never end—that it was all for nothing. But when I felt something… different with you, something I can't explain, I realized I'd found my freedom. I no longer felt bound by prophecy, by fate, by anything but my own heart. Whatever I have done, whatever horrors I have caused in the past… with you, I am no longer that man."
Aria's heart twisted as she looked into his eyes. She felt the pull between them, a bond that was not built on curses or prophecies, but something simpler and purer. She could sense his sincerity, even if his past cast shadows upon his every word. "David," she whispered, her voice unsteady, "despite what you were, I believe in what you are now. I choose you. Whatever darkness lies in the past, I see who you are now."
A slow, sad smile crossed David's face, and he knelt before her, his hand warm around hers. "Then, Aria, I vow to you that I will leave the throne behind and renounce my legacy. I am ready to walk away from it all—my people, my title, my past—if it means I can live freely by your side."
Scarlett shifted uneasily, struggling with her memories of Violet and the knowledge of what her niece was stepping into. "You truly intend to leave Noravia? To abandon everything?"
David's gaze was firm. "I do. My people will choose another leader. This legacy of sorrow and torment will end with me."
The quiet resolve in his voice struck Scarlett, and something softened within her. Though wary, she could see the way he looked at Aria, a sincerity that was undeniable. But then a realization crept into her thoughts, darkening her expression.
"Renaria Renaria… the last Renarian witch," Scarlett murmured. "Is she still under the curse?"
"No," David replied, glancing at Aria. "The prophecy is broken. Renaria's curse held only as long as her bloodline could produce my mate. Now she has found her own destined partner, and it is not I."
Aria's mouth parted in surprise as she connected the dots. "But... then, Gage... Gage is a werewolf?"
David's brow furrowed. "Do you know them? Renaria and Gage?"
Aria nodded, feeling her heart race. "Renaria is my best friend. I can't believe this is all connected." She turned to Scarlett, whose expression had softened in a mixture of disbelief and a faint, bitter hope.
Scarlett sighed, glancing between Aria and David, a lifetime of hurt and suspicion softening just slightly in her gaze. "For years, I thought the worst of you, Belshazzar. But maybe—just maybe—you can be redeemed."
David bowed his head, remorse heavy in his expression. "That is all I can hope for, Scarlett."
The room was silent, each person lost in thought, the weight of legacies and curses lying heavily upon them all. Yet, within that silence, there was a strange peace, an understanding that perhaps the dark circle of history had finally come to an end.
A knock sounded at the door, and Aria's heart leapt as she remembered her friends, her tangled life outside the twisted halls of ancient curses. She turned to David, hope lighting her face. "Let's go see them. Let's bring this world of shadows into the light."
David reached for her hand, and together, they walked forward, leaving the room of secrets behind. As Scarlett watched them go, she felt the shadows lifting, just a little, and in that small space, the promise of healing began.