"I never wanted you to know this, Seraphina. But the prophecy... it was never meant to save me. It was meant to destroy you."
Seraphina gasped as Caelan's voice echoed in her mind. Her body felt weightless, suspended in an endless void of darkness, yet she wasn't falling anymore. The blinding light she'd seen before had disappeared, leaving her in eerie silence.
"What do you mean?" she whispered into the stillness. "Destroy me? Why would the prophecy—?"
Her words faltered as the void shifted. The air turned cold and heavy, pressing against her chest like an unseen force. Shapes began to emerge from the darkness—shadowy, indistinct figures that whispered her name in haunting tones.
"Seraphina," they called, their voices weaving a melody that made her skin crawl. "Why did you come here? Why do you think you can save him?"
"I... I don't understand," she stammered, her voice trembling.
The figures grew clearer, their forms twisting into replicas of people she recognized: her father, her sister, and the beast she'd faced in the cavern. They surrounded her, their eyes gleaming with a cold, unnatural light.
"Because she's a fool," one of them hissed—her father's voice, sharp and cruel. "A naive girl who believes love can conquer curses."
"No," Seraphina said, her voice firming. "I'm not a fool. I'm doing what no one else has dared to do. I'm facing him, facing this curse, because—"
"Because you have no choice," the figure of her sister interrupted, stepping closer. "You're nothing more than a pawn, Seraphina. A pretty little pawn in a game you'll never understand."
Her sister's face twisted into a malicious smile, and Seraphina took a step back, her heart pounding.
"That's not true," she said, but her words felt hollow, even to herself.
The shadows laughed, their voices merging into a cacophony that echoed in her ears. "Isn't it? You've always been the obedient princess, haven't you? Always doing what you're told. Even now, you're walking straight into your doom because someone else told you it's your destiny."
Seraphina clenched her fists, anger flaring in her chest. "No," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm here because I choose to be. I choose to fight for Caelan, for the truth, and for myself!"
The shadows hesitated, their laughter fading. For a moment, the void was silent. Then, a voice spoke—soft, almost gentle.
"And what will you do when the truth destroys you?"
Seraphina turned, her breath catching as a new figure emerged from the darkness. It was Caelan. But not the shadowy silhouette she'd come to know. This Caelan was fully visible, his face a perfect blend of light and dark, his eyes filled with a sorrow that pierced her heart.
"Caelan," she whispered, taking a hesitant step toward him.
He shook his head, his expression grim. "You think you're fighting for me, Seraphina, but you're fighting for a lie. The prophecy doesn't want us to break the curse. It wants us to fulfill it."
His words hit her like a blow, and she staggered, her mind racing. "What are you saying? That there's no hope? That everything we've done is meaningless?"
Caelan's gaze softened, and he reached out, his hand brushing against her cheek. "I'm saying that the prophecy was never about love, Seraphina. It was about power. The kind of power that demands sacrifice."
"Sacrifice?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.
He nodded, his eyes darkening. "The curse binds us together, but only one of us can break it. And to do that, one of us must..."
His voice trailed off, and Seraphina's heart sank as she understood. "One of us must die," she finished, her voice trembling.
Caelan looked away, his jaw tightening. "That's why I didn't want you to come here. Why I tried to push you away. I'd rather live with this curse forever than let you—"
"Stop," Seraphina said, cutting him off. She stepped closer, her resolve hardening. "I didn't come here to give up, Caelan. If there's a way to break this curse without losing you, I'll find it. I don't care what the prophecy says."
He looked at her, his expression unreadable. "You don't understand what you're saying. The curse isn't just magic, Seraphina. It's alive. It feeds on fear, on doubt, on pain. It will do everything it can to break you."
"Then it will fail," she said firmly. "Because I won't let it."
For a moment, Caelan said nothing. Then, he gave a faint, bitter smile. "You're braver than I ever was."
Before she could respond, the void around them began to shift again. The shadows dissolved, replaced by a blinding light that burned her eyes. She cried out, covering her face, and when the light faded, she found herself standing in a vast, desolate wasteland.
The sky was a sickly shade of gray, and the air was heavy with the stench of decay. In the distance, a towering black spire rose from the ground, its jagged edges cutting into the sky like knives.
"What is this place?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"The heart of the curse," Caelan said, his voice grim. "This is where it all began. And where it must end."
As they started toward the spire, a low, guttural growl echoed across the wasteland. Seraphina froze, her blood turning to ice as a massive creature emerged from the shadows.
It was unlike anything she'd ever seen—a grotesque fusion of man and beast, its body twisted and deformed. Its eyes burned with an unnatural light, and its mouth was filled with rows of jagged teeth.
"The curse's guardian," Caelan said, his voice tense. "It won't let us pass without a fight."
Seraphina swallowed hard, her hands trembling. "What do we do?"
Caelan stepped in front of her, his shadowy form rippling with energy. "Stay behind me," he said, his voice low and commanding. "No matter what happens, don't let it touch you."
The creature let out a deafening roar and charged toward them, its massive claws tearing through the ground.
Seraphina's heart raced as she watched Caelan step forward, his shadow expanding until it engulfed the creature. For a moment, she thought he had it under control.
But then, the creature roared again, and Caelan's shadow wavered.
"Caelan!" she shouted, panic rising in her chest.
"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth, his voice strained. "Just stay back!"
But as the creature's claws slashed through his shadow, Seraphina realized with growing horror that he wasn't fine. He was losing.
And if he fell, the curse would claim them both.
Desperation clawed at Seraphina as she watched Caelan falter. She glanced at the spire, then back at the creature, her mind racing.
If she didn't do something, they would both be lost.
But what could she do?
As the creature prepared to strike again, Seraphina made a decision. She stepped forward, her voice ringing out across the wasteland:
"Take me instead!"
The creature froze, its glowing eyes locking onto hers.
And then, it smiled.