The golden light surrounding Eleana flickered, pulsing in rhythm with her racing heart. The moment her fingers brushed against Leon's, an overwhelming sensation surged through her—like a door in her mind had creaked open just enough to let something slip through.
Flashes of images—not of this life, but of something else—swirled in her thoughts. A distant voice whispered her name, filled with urgency and sorrow.
"Forgive us, our daughter... This was the only way to keep you safe."
Her breath hitched.
Leon saw her face pale, her grip tightening around his. "Eleana, what is it?"
She blinked rapidly, shaking her head. "I—" The words caught in her throat. What was happening to her?
Victor's sharp gaze flickered between them, his expression unreadable. But deep in his golden eyes, there was something new.
Worry.
Eleana staggered back, pressing a hand to her temple. The visions weren't stopping. They came in fragmented flashes—pieces of a past she didn't remember.
A tall man and woman standing before her, their faces blurred but their warmth unmistakable.
"You must forget, my love. It's the only way to protect you."
A cup pressed to her lips—a drink, bitter but laced with something ancient and powerful.
A warm embrace—the scent of familiarity.
And then... darkness.
The Truth Buried in Shadows
Eleana gasped, her knees nearly giving out. Leon caught her just in time, steadying her.
"What did you see?" he asked, his voice softer now, concerned.
She swallowed hard, staring at the ground. "I don't know," she whispered. "It was like... I was somewhere else. And someone—someone I should know—was speaking to me."
Leon's jaw tightened. "It's your memories. They're trying to return."
Victor stepped forward, his smile forced. "Eleana, don't listen to him," he said smoothly, but there was an edge to his voice. "You're overwhelmed, that's all. The wedding is tomorrow. You just need rest."
Eleana lifted her gaze to him, a sudden sharpness in her eyes.
"You knew," she said slowly.
Victor's expression didn't falter, but something cold flickered across his face. "Knew what, my love?"
Her fingers curled into fists. "That I've forgotten something. That my past... was taken from me."
Leon stiffened. "Eleana, listen to me. There's a reason you don't remember. Someone took those memories away, and it wasn't by accident."
Her chest tightened. The voices in her head—the whispers of her parents—felt so real.
"Forgive us, our daughter... This was the only way to keep you safe."
Safe from what?
Her breath came in short gasps. What had she forgotten? Who was she before all of this?
And why... did it feel like Victor had known the truth all along?
Leon's Realization
Leon clenched his fists as he pieced it together.
Her parents had erased her memories. They had sealed away her power to protect her from something—or someone.
And Victor...
Victor had always known.
"You planned this from the beginning," Leon murmured, his wings glowing faintly in the dim light. "You didn't just want Eleana's love—you wanted control over her power."
Victor's lips curled slightly, but he said nothing.
Leon turned back to Eleana. "They made you drink something, didn't they?"
Eleana inhaled sharply. "Yes," she whispered. "I saw it. A potion… something that took my memories away."
Leon's heart pounded. "Then that means your power—"
"Still exists," Victor interrupted. His golden eyes gleamed. "But it's locked away."
Leon's breath caught. If Eleana's powers had been sealed, then it meant there was only one way to bring them back.
A powerful, honest love.
The realization struck him like lightning. That's why Victor wanted her to love him.
If Eleana chose him willingly, her celestial bond would awaken—but she'd be bound to Victor, under his control.
And if she ever chose someone else...
The seal would break.
Everything made sense now.
Victor had manipulated her, isolated her, convinced her that she belonged to him—all to keep her from realizing the truth.
Because if she ever truly fell in love with Leon, she would remember everything.
The Edge of a Choice
Eleana looked between them, her heart racing. The weight of their gazes—their truths—pressed down on her like an unseen force.
She felt torn in two.
Victor had always been there, whispering reassurances, offering protection, guiding her toward the life she thought she wanted.
But Leon...
Leon's presence made her feel.
A warmth, a pull, a sense of something unfinished, like a song missing its final notes.
A love she didn't remember—but somehow knew had existed before.
Victor saw the hesitation in her eyes and took a step closer.
"Eleana," he said gently, his voice honeyed with persuasion. "Don't let these illusions confuse you. Tomorrow, we'll be together. That's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"
Leon held out his hand, his voice steady but full of emotion.
"You don't have to choose right now," he said. "Just… trust what you feel."
Eleana swallowed hard, her heart pulling in two different directions.
She didn't know the full truth.
She didn't know what she had lost.
But she was starting to remember.
And something inside her whispered that this was only the beginning.
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