The days that followed passed in a haze of uncertainty. Ravenna had never known what it was like to feel truly torn between two choices, but now, with Damien's curse hanging in the balance, she felt as if she were drowning. The decision—whether to offer up her magic to break the curse—was becoming increasingly difficult, and she couldn't shake the feeling that whatever choice she made would alter her life forever.
Her mother, though protective, seemed to harbor a deep fear that only intensified with each passing day. She warned Ravenna to stay away from Damien, to sever the ties that bound them before things went too far. But how could she? Each time she looked into Damien's haunted eyes, she saw more than just the beast he claimed to be—she saw a man lost in sorrow, a man desperate for freedom.
---
Ravenna found herself visiting Damien every day, even when she knew her mother would scold her for it. There was an undeniable pull that drew her to him, something far stronger than mere sympathy. Each time their gazes locked, it was as though an invisible thread connected them, weaving their fates together.
But it wasn't just the emotional connection that weighed heavily on Ravenna's heart—it was the curse itself. She had learned more about it in the days that followed her meeting with Damien. The prince had been bound by the curse of the Shadowborne after betraying an ancient pact with the gods. His people, once a proud clan of werewolves, were wiped out when the curse spread through their bloodline. It was said that only a human of rare magical lineage could lift the curse, but at a cost: the sacrifice of the human's magic, and perhaps more.
Ravenna had no idea whether she could even trust Damien's words. She had never heard of such a curse, and there was so much about him—about the dark world he hailed from—that she didn't understand. But the more she was around him, the more she saw the truth in his eyes. He was trapped—not just by the curse, but by his own guilt.
It was on the fourth evening since Damien's arrival that the proposal was made. Ravenna had spent the entire day gathering herbs, working as her mother instructed her to do, but her thoughts never left the prince. The evening sky was streaked with the colors of twilight when she entered the cottage. Damien was waiting for her, his eyes glowing in the dim firelight.
"I've been thinking," he said, his voice more firm than it had been in days. "There may be another way. A more dangerous way."
Ravenna stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Damien leaned forward, the intensity in his gaze deepening. "The pendant that binds me—there is a way to shatter it. But it requires more than just your blood, Ravenna. It requires a bond of the soul, a deep connection that can only be forged through sacrifice."
Ravenna's heart skipped a beat. "What kind of sacrifice?"
He hesitated, his expression clouded with doubt. "The kind that can never be undone. If you bond with me in this way, your very essence—your soul—will become tethered to mine. The curse will break, but the consequences will be permanent. You will never be free again."
Ravenna's breath caught in her throat. "You mean... I would be bound to you for all eternity?"
Damien nodded gravely. "Yes. You would become my equal. Not just in body, but in spirit. And though the curse would be lifted from me, it would never leave you. Our fates would be tied together, in life and death."
---
The words hung in the air like a dense fog. Ravenna felt as though the world itself had paused, waiting for her response. How could she make such a decision? Could she really sacrifice herself for someone she barely knew? Even if it meant breaking a curse that had tormented him for centuries?
Her heart raced, torn between the duty she felt to help Damien and the fear that this connection—this bond—was something she could never undo. Her mother's warnings echoed in her mind, but something in her own heart kept her from turning away.
"I don't know," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I don't know if I can."
Damien's gaze softened, and for a moment, the hardness that had once defined him seemed to fade. He reached out, his hand gently resting on hers. "You don't have to decide right now, Ravenna. But the longer you wait, the more dangerous it becomes. There are forces at play here—forces that will stop at nothing to keep us apart."
Ravenna pulled her hand back, her pulse quickening. "What forces?"
Damien's expression darkened. "There are others—creatures who feed off the curse, who thrive in its darkness. They will do anything to prevent me from being freed. I've been running from them for centuries."
Ravenna felt a chill settle in her bones. She had heard of such creatures—beasts, monsters that hunted in the shadows, but to hear that Damien had been fleeing them for so long made her blood run cold. Whatever he had gotten himself tangled in was far deeper than she had imagined.
That night, Ravenna lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. The weight of Damien's words pressed on her chest, suffocating her. How could she choose? How could she willingly bond herself to a cursed prince, knowing the price it would cost?
But deep down, Ravenna felt a stirring in her heart—a sense of purpose she couldn't ignore. She had been given a gift, a rare power that allowed her to heal, to mend broken bodies and souls. Was this not her chance to do the greatest healing of all?
Her mind raced with thoughts of sacrifice, of the future she could never have if she chose to free Damien from his curse. But as her heart whispered that this was her destiny, the deeper part of her knew that this decision was not just about saving him—it was about saving herself, too.