The next morning came far too quickly, and Ravenna was no closer to making her decision than she had been the night before. She had spent hours tossing and turning, her mind a battlefield of conflicting thoughts. Should she help Damien break his curse, despite the heavy toll it would take on her own life? Or should she walk away and let him face the consequences of his actions alone?
Her mother's warning echoed in her mind: The curse is dangerous. It is not something you can play with, Ravenna. Not everyone is meant to carry such a burden.
Yet every time she looked into Damien's eyes, that gnawing feeling inside her grew stronger. There was a destiny intertwined with his, one that felt as though it was pulling her deeper into his world, even as she resisted.
As the day wore on, Ravenna found herself at the edge of the forest, standing before the ancient oak tree that marked the boundary between her village and the wild lands beyond. The place had always felt sacred to her, a spot of quiet reflection, but today it felt different. Today, it felt like the threshold of a great change.
Behind her, the cottage was quiet. Her mother had gone into town to gather more supplies, leaving Ravenna alone with her thoughts.
She felt a presence before she saw him. A cold, prickling sensation washed over her, and when she turned, Damien was standing just beyond the treeline, his silver eyes locked on hers.
"I knew you would come," he said, his voice low, almost mournful. "I thought... I thought I might have lost you forever."
Ravenna didn't know how to respond. There was so much she still didn't understand about him, about the curse, about the price she would pay for freeing him. Yet there was something in his voice, something raw and vulnerable, that made her heart ache.
"I've made my decision," she said, her voice steady despite the fear that gripped her heart. "I'll help you. But I need to know everything, Damien. I can't make this choice blindly."
Damien stepped closer, his expression serious. "I've told you everything that matters. But there's more you must know. The curse is not just an affliction—it's a prison. I am not only bound by the pendant, but by the very land itself. The Shadowborne... my people... we were cursed to live in the shadows, forever running, never finding peace."
He looked away, a shadow crossing his face. "When I betrayed the gods, I condemned not only myself but every soul tied to my bloodline. They destroyed my kingdom, slaughtered my people. The curse has followed me through every century, a never-ending torment. And now, the only way to break it is through you."
That evening, they met under the cloak of nightfall, the full moon rising high in the sky as the winds whispered through the trees. Ravenna stood beside Damien, her heart hammering in her chest. She had never felt so small, so insignificant, in the presence of something so powerful.
Damien's silver hair shimmered in the moonlight as he held the pendant in his hands. The pendant that had kept him imprisoned for so long.
"You must understand, Ravenna," he said quietly, "This will change you. Forever. Your soul will bind with mine, and though the curse will lift from me, it will pass onto you."
Ravenna swallowed hard, her eyes locked on the pendant. "And I will lose my magic?"
"Yes," Damien answered softly, his eyes filled with sorrow. "And your freedom. But you will gain something else in return. You will become something more than you are now."
Ravenna closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. She could feel the pull of the decision, like a weight pressing on her chest. But this was her choice. This was her path to walk.
"Do it," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind.
Damien hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward. His fingers brushed against her skin as he placed the pendant around her neck, his touch sending a jolt of energy coursing through her. A wave of warmth spread through her body, and for a brief moment, it felt as though time itself had frozen.
The ritual had begun.
As soon as the pendant touched her skin, Ravenna felt an overwhelming surge of power rush through her veins. It was as though the very essence of Damien's curse had merged with her own, flooding her senses with a dizzying array of emotions. Pain, sorrow, anger, and regret all crashed over her in waves, and she staggered back, clutching her head as if trying to keep her sanity intact.
"Ravenna!" Damien shouted, his voice frantic. "Stay with me!"
But Ravenna could barely hear him over the roaring in her mind. The connection between them was growing stronger, a bond that could not be broken.
And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped. Ravenna stood still, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The world around her seemed different, sharper, as if her very perception had shifted. Her magic—the magic that had always been a part of her—felt distant, fading away like a dream.
But something else lingered, something stronger than the magic she had once possessed. It was a power, an energy, that flowed from Damien into her, and from her into him. They were bound, not just by the curse, but by something deeper, something that went beyond the physical.
Damien collapsed to his knees, his face contorted in pain. Ravenna rushed to him, her hands trembling as she reached out to steady him.
"It's done," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "The curse is broken. But now... we are bound. In ways I can't explain."
Ravenna looked at him, her heart racing, and for the first time, she understood what it meant to truly share someone's soul. She could feel his pain, his grief, his rage—and now, she would carry it with him, for better or for worse.