"You were never meant to see me, Seraphina. Not until it was too late."
Caelan's voice echoed in her ears as she plunged into the Abyss, the words cutting through the rushing wind and the panic surging in her chest. Her mind reeled, the memory of his face—no, his true face—seared into her consciousness.
What had she seen? It wasn't monstrous. It wasn't terrifying. It was something far worse: tragic.
The darkness swallowed her, pulling her deeper into the void. Her screams were absorbed by the silence, and for a moment, she thought it would never end. Then, with a bone-jarring thud, she hit solid ground.
Gasping, she opened her eyes to find herself in a cold, damp cavern. The air was thick and suffocating, and the faint glow of bioluminescent moss cast eerie shadows on the jagged walls. Her heart pounded as she struggled to her feet, her knees shaking.
"Caelan?" she called, her voice trembling. "Are you there?"
A shadow moved at the edge of her vision, and she spun around, her breath catching. But it wasn't Caelan.
It was the beast from before.
Its golden eyes gleamed in the dim light, its massive form blocking the only visible exit. It didn't attack, but its presence was suffocating, its gaze unrelenting.
"You cannot run from the truth," it rumbled, its voice like thunder in the depths of the cavern.
"What truth?" Seraphina demanded, her voice shaking. "What is this trial? What am I supposed to do?"
The beast tilted its head, its molten eyes narrowing. "The truth is not given, child. It is earned."
With that, it lunged forward, and Seraphina stumbled back, her heart racing. But the beast didn't strike her. Instead, it passed through her like smoke, leaving a trail of icy cold in its wake.
The cavern dissolved around her, and she found herself standing in a grand, ancient hall. The walls were lined with towering mirrors, each one reflecting not her image, but scenes from her life.
Her childhood. Her family. Her fears.
She saw herself as a little girl, running through the palace gardens with her sister. She saw the day her father told her about the arranged marriage, his face unreadable as he spoke of duty and sacrifice.
And then, she saw herself standing before Caelan in the shadowed realm, her hand trembling as she reached for him.
"You see now, don't you?" a voice said, and she turned to see Lythra standing at the far end of the hall. "The truth is not what you expect. It is what you fear most."
"What are you talking about?" Seraphina demanded, her frustration mounting. "I've seen the truth. I saw him—Caelan. I know what he looks like."
Lythra smiled, cold and mocking. "Do you? Or do you only see what you want to see?"
Seraphina opened her mouth to argue, but before she could speak, the mirrors shattered. The sound was deafening, like a thousand screams tearing through the air. She shielded her face as shards of glass rained down around her, slicing into her skin.
When she looked up again, she was no longer in the hall. She stood on the edge of a cliff, the Abyss stretching out endlessly before her.
Caelan was there, his back to her as he stared into the void.
"Caelan!" she called, running toward him.
He didn't turn, didn't move.
"Caelan, please!" she said, her voice breaking. "I saw you. I saw the truth. I—"
"No," he said, his voice hollow. "You saw what I allowed you to see."
Seraphina froze, her heart sinking. "What do you mean?"
He turned to face her, and her breath caught. He was as she remembered—tall, imposing, his shadowy form barely visible in the dim light. But there was something different about him now. Something darker.
"You think you know me, Seraphina," he said, stepping closer. "You think you can save me. But you don't understand the curse. You don't understand what it demands."
"Then tell me," she said, her voice firm despite the fear curling in her chest. "Help me understand."
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, he reached out, his hand hovering just inches from her face.
"The curse is not just mine," he said quietly. "It's yours now, too."
Before she could react, the ground beneath them began to shake. The cliff crumbled, and she stumbled, her arms flailing as she tried to regain her balance.
"Seraphina!" Caelan shouted, grabbing her hand just as she slipped over the edge.
She dangled above the Abyss, her heart pounding as she stared into the endless void below.
"Hold on," he said, his grip tightening.
"I can't," she gasped, her fingers slipping.
"Yes, you can," he said, his voice fierce. "You're stronger than you think."
But even as he spoke, she felt herself slipping further, her strength failing.
"Caelan," she said, her voice trembling. "If I fall..."
"You won't," he said, his eyes locking onto hers.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. She saw the determination in his gaze, the fear and the guilt that he tried so hard to hide.
And then, the ground beneath him gave way, and they both fell into the Abyss.
Seraphina's scream echoed in the darkness as she and Caelan plummeted into the void.
But just as she thought all hope was lost, a faint light appeared in the distance, growing brighter and brighter until it consumed them both.
And then, everything went black.