The air in the hidden chamber was stifling, heavy with secrets Maeva wished had stayed buried. Her hands trembled as she held the ancient scroll, the crumbling parchment whispering of doom with every line she read. The words blurred as her vision swam, but the chilling truth carved itself into her mind.
*To break the curse, a life close to the heart must be severed.*
She stepped back, the weight of the revelation suffocating. Magnus stood at her side, his jaw tight and his eyes scanning her face.
"What does it say?" His voice was quiet, but it carried an edge of urgency.
She swallowed hard, shaking her head as if that could erase the reality of it. "It's worse than we thought."
Magnus's hand brushed hers, steadying her even as his own tension crackled in the air. "Maeva, talk to me. What does it mean?"
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them away. "To end the curse, I have to" She couldn't finish.
He stepped closer, his presence grounding yet overwhelming. "You have to what?"
Her breath hitched, and the words tumbled out. "Sacrifice someone. Someone I care about."
The silence that followed was deafening. Magnus's face darkened, his expression a mix of anger and disbelief. "No. Absolutely not. There has to be another way."
She turned to him, her voice breaking. "It's written in blood, Magnus. This isn't some riddle we can outsmart. It's the law of the curse."
"We'll find a way around it," he said firmly, his tone brooking no argument. "I won't let you do this."
A bitter laugh escaped her. "You think I *want* this? Do you think I want to choose between my mother and" Her voice faltered, but the unspoken word hung heavy between them.
Magnus's shoulders tensed. "Me."
She nodded, her throat tight. "I don't know how to make that choice. I can't."
Before he could respond, the torches lining the chamber flared, their flames turning an eerie shade of blue. The walls seemed to close in, and a low, haunting whisper filled the air.
"Choose," the voice hissed, cold and unrelenting.
Maeva clutched Magnus's arm, her nails digging into his skin. The chamber pulsed with dark energy, pressing against her, suffocating her with its malevolence.
Magnus drew her closer, his grip firm as he scanned the room for the source of the voice. "Show yourself!" he demanded, his voice ringing with authority.
The shadows twisted, and a figure emerged from the darkness, its form indistinct but its presence undeniable. The voice deepened, resonating with cruel amusement. "Time is fleeting, little one. The curse demands its due."
The figure stepped forward, its outline sharpening into something almost human. Its eyes glowed with a piercing light, boring into Maeva with an intensity that made her flinch.
"You cannot outrun fate," it said, its tone dripping with disdain. "The longer you wait, the stronger the curse will grow. It will consume you. And everyone you love."
Maeva's legs threatened to give out, but she stood her ground. "Why should I believe you?" she demanded, though her voice trembled.
The figure chuckled, a sound that sent chills down her spine. "Because you've already seen the beginning of the end. Or have you forgotten how your powers slipped through your fingers? How you nearly destroyed him?"
Her gaze flicked to Magnus, guilt tightening her chest. She hadn't forgotten. She could still see the look on his face when she lost control the pain, the fear.
Magnus stepped forward, placing himself between Maeva and the figure. "If you think we're going to play your twisted game, you're sorely mistaken."
The figure tilted its head, regarding him with mock curiosity. "Ah, the protector. Always so noble, so blind. Tell me, Magnus, are you willing to die for her? To give yourself willingly to the curse?"
Magnus didn't hesitate. "If it comes to that, yes."
Maeva's heart clenched. "No! You can't"
"Maeva," he said, his tone soft but firm. "If it's the only way to save you, I'll do it."
The figure's laughter echoed in the chamber. "Such devotion. It's almost touching. But it won't be that simple. The curse demands *her* choice. She must decide who will bleed for her salvation."
Maeva's breath came in short gasps, her mind spinning. "Why are you doing this? What do you gain from our suffering?"
The figure's expression turned cold. "Balance. Order. The curse exists to correct the chaos your kind creates. You've tipped the scales, and now you must pay the price."
The air around them grew colder, and the figure began to dissolve into shadows. Its parting words lingered like a poison. "Tick-tock, little one. The clock is ticking."
As the chamber returned to its oppressive silence, Maeva turned to Magnus, her voice barely a whisper. "What are we going to do?"
Magnus's jaw tightened, his eyes burning with determination. "We fight this. Together. No matter what it takes."
Maeva wanted to believe him, but the weight of the curse pressed heavily on her. Deep down, she knew the figure was right. Time was running out, and the price would have to be paid.
The oppressive silence lingered long after the shadowed figure had vanished. Maeva and Magnus climbed the worn stone steps out of the chamber, their breaths echoing like whispers of a curse that wouldn't let go. The ancient scroll still burned in Maeva's grip, though its edges were icy cold.
The night greeted them with an eerie stillness. The moon hung low, casting long shadows that seemed to reach for them. Magnus walked ahead, his back straight, his posture a defiant shield against the dread clawing at both of them.
"Magnus," Maeva called, her voice strained as she hurried to catch up.
He stopped abruptly, turning to face her. His face, usually unreadable in its stoic calm, betrayed the storm within.
"We're not letting it win," he said, his voice sharp, as though trying to convince himself as much as her.
"How?" Her voice cracked. "We don't even know where to start. There's no map for this, Magnus! It's"
"It's impossible?" he cut in, stepping closer. "Maeva, nothing about you has ever been impossible. You've survived everything thrown at you. You will survive this."
His certainty rattled her, but not as much as the helplessness she saw flicker behind his words. She reached out, placing a trembling hand against his chest. His heart pounded beneath her palm, a steady rhythm that tethered her to something real.
"Even if I survive, what about you? What about my" She couldn't say it. Her mother's face flashed in her mind, followed by the searing image of Magnus offering himself to the curse without hesitation.
Magnus's hand covered hers, his touch warm despite the chill in the air. "We'll find another way," he murmured, his voice softer now, filled with a tenderness that made her ache.
Her fingers curled against his shirt. "And if there isn't one?"
His silence spoke louder than any answer.
A rustle in the underbrush snapped their attention to the woods. Magnus instinctively stepped in front of Maeva, his eyes scanning the darkness.
"Stay behind me," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Before she could reply, a low growl echoed from the shadows. It was guttural, inhuman, and too close. Maeva's pulse quickened as two yellow eyes gleamed from the darkness, then another pair, and another.
"Wolves," she whispered, her throat tightening.
"Not just wolves," Magnus muttered grimly, his hands curling into fists.
The creatures stepped into the moonlight, their forms shifting as they emerged. Their bodies were grotesque, twisted amalgamations of human and beast. Cursed beings, their suffering evident in every mangled movement.
One of them snarled, its elongated jaw snapping as it advanced. Magnus moved forward, his body radiating the kind of confidence that didn't require weapons.
"Stay back," he warned, his voice like steel.
The lead creature hesitated, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air. It let out a guttural laugh, a chilling sound that sent Maeva stumbling backward.
"She smells like death," it rasped, its voice a broken echo. "The curse has claimed her."
"Not yet," Magnus snapped, his muscles taut as he prepared to strike.
Another creature stepped forward, this one larger, its eyes glowing with malevolence. "She's one of us now. You can't save her, human."
Maeva's anger flared, momentarily drowning her fear. "I'm not yours," she spat, stepping out from behind Magnus.
The creatures laughed again, their voices a cacophony of despair. The leader tilted its head, regarding her with a mixture of pity and amusement. "The choice will break you," it said. "You'll either lose them or lose yourself."
Magnus lunged, his movement a blur as he tackled the leader to the ground. The other creatures howled and surged forward, and Maeva screamed his name as the forest erupted into chaos.
The fight was brutal and fast, a whirlwind of claws, teeth, and raw fury. Magnus was relentless, his fists landing with precision, his every movement calculated to protect Maeva.
But there were too many.
Maeva stumbled back as one of the creatures lunged at her. She raised her hands instinctively, and a burst of energy shot from her palms, sending the beast flying. She stared at her trembling hands, the power surging uncontrollably within her.
"Maeva!" Magnus's shout pulled her attention.
Another creature had him pinned, its jaws snapping dangerously close to his throat. She didn't think she acted.
A scream tore from her lips as she unleashed another wave of energy. The creature disintegrated, its ashes scattering into the wind.
Magnus rolled to his feet, his chest heaving. "You're losing control!" he shouted.
"I don't have a choice!" she yelled back, tears streaming down her face.
Another beast lunged at her, but Magnus intercepted it, his strength unyielding. Maeva's power surged again, this time without her command. The energy exploded outward, knocking her to the ground and scattering the remaining creatures.
When the dust settled, the forest was eerily quiet. Maeva pushed herself up, her body trembling from the effort.
Magnus staggered to her side, blood dripping from a cut above his brow. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
She shook her head, her vision blurring. "I can't control it anymore. It's"
Her words were cut off as a deep, familiar voice echoed through the forest.
"Enough."
Both Maeva and Magnus turned toward the sound. A figure stepped into the clearing, cloaked in shadows but unmistakably powerful.
Maeva's heart stopped as recognition hit her like a blow.
"Mother," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The woman stepped forward, her face calm yet cold. "The time for running is over, Maeva. You know what must be done."
The tension in the air was suffocating. Magnus shifted closer to Maeva, his body tense. "You can't ask her to do this," he growled.
Her mother's gaze didn't waver. "The curse will not wait. And neither will I."
Maeva's knees buckled, and she sank to the ground, the weight of the impossible choice crushing her.