Ravenna awoke the following morning with a heavy heart, the weight of the night's decision pressing down on her chest. The world around her seemed unchanged—the trees still whispered in the wind, the birds sang their morning songs—but to Ravenna, everything felt different. The bond between her and Damien was no longer a distant concept; it was a reality she could feel in every fiber of her being.
Her magic, once so vibrant and alive, was now a faint, distant echo in her soul. It was as though something vital had been torn from her, leaving behind only the faintest shadow of what had been. And in its place, something darker, more powerful, lingered—something that pulsed with Damien's pain, his sorrow, his curse.
As she sat up in bed, Ravenna's hand instinctively went to the pendant around her neck. The smooth, cool surface of the pendant seemed to throb beneath her fingers, as if alive with its own energy. She could still feel Damien's presence, as if a part of him was etched into her very soul.
By midday, Ravenna had ventured into the woods, seeking solitude to process the bond that had just been forged. She could hear the rustling of leaves, the familiar sounds of the forest, but they did little to calm the storm raging in her mind. Every step she took seemed to echo the connection she now shared with Damien—each beat of her heart syncing with his, each breath a reminder of their fates entwined.
She tried to focus, to think of something—anything—that would help her regain a sense of normalcy. But there was no escaping the bond. It was there, always, lurking beneath the surface, threading itself into every thought, every action.
Suddenly, a voice broke through her thoughts.
"Ravenna."
She froze. The voice was so close, so real. She turned, her heart pounding in her chest, and there he was—Damien, standing a few feet away, his eyes glowing with an eerie light.
"You're still here," she said, her voice a whisper.
Damien nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. "I never left."
The words hit her like a physical blow. She hadn't been prepared for this. She hadn't been prepared to feel him so deeply, so constantly. She had thought that once the ritual was over, the bond would fade into the background of her life, something she could control. But it wasn't like that at all. It was a part of her now, woven into her soul like the very air she breathed.
Damien stepped closer, his eyes shadowed with a mix of gratitude and guilt. "Ravenna, I know this is more than you expected. The bond… it's not just a connection. It's a force. It's going to change both of us in ways we don't understand yet."
Ravenna nodded slowly, her thoughts racing. "I can feel it. I can feel everything, Damien. It's not just you—I can feel your pain. Your rage. The curse. It's all inside me."
Damien's expression tightened, and he reached for her, his fingers brushing the pendant once more. The contact sent a jolt of energy through her, and for a brief moment, she saw flashes of his memories—fragments of his life as a prince, his betrayal, the fall of his kingdom, the endless years of torment.
"It's overwhelming," Ravenna whispered, her breath catching in her throat. "How did you survive all of this for so long?"
Damien looked away, his face a mask of sorrow. "I didn't survive, Ravenna. I existed. I've been running from the curse for centuries, trying to escape it, trying to find a way to break free. But every time I get close, it pulls me back, deeper into its darkness."
Ravenna's chest tightened. "And now? What happens to us now?"
He didn't answer immediately, but when he did, his voice was full of quiet resolve. "Now, we face the consequences of what we've done. The curse is broken, but it's not gone. It's inside you now, just as much as it's inside me. And the darkness that feeds on it… it will come for us."
That night, as the moon climbed high into the sky, the first signs of the darkness Damien had warned her about began to appear.
They were walking back to the cottage after an evening of silence, when the wind began to howl. The trees creaked and groaned as though in pain, and the air grew thick with an unnatural energy.
Ravenna's skin prickled, and she instinctively grabbed Damien's arm. "What's happening?"
Damien's face was grim. "They've found us."
Before she could ask who they were, the ground beneath them shifted. The air grew colder, the shadows deepening, swirling around them like living things. Ravenna's heart pounded in her chest, and she could feel Damien's tension as he drew her close, his body rigid with fear.
"Stay close," he murmured, his voice low and urgent.
Then, out of the shadows, they appeared.
The creatures were like nothing Ravenna had ever seen—twisted, monstrous beings that seemed to be made entirely of shadow and smoke. Their eyes glowed with an eerie green light, and their mouths were filled with jagged teeth, like those of a beast that had long forgotten its humanity.
Damien stepped forward, his stance defensive, but Ravenna could feel his fear as clearly as she could feel her own. She had never seen him so vulnerable.
"They're coming for me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "They feed on the curse, on the bond we've created. They will stop at nothing to drag me back into the shadows."
The creatures closed in, and Ravenna felt the weight of the bond growing heavier with each passing second. She could feel the curse inside her, tugging at her very soul, as if calling to the shadows.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I won't let them take you."
Damien turned to her, his eyes full of sorrow. "Ravenna, it's too late. They'll keep coming, and I can't protect you from them."
But Ravenna, her resolve hardening, shook her head again. "No. I've made my choice. We fight together."
With a flick of her wrist, the magic within her surged, though it felt weak and distant. The bond between her and Damien crackled with energy as she fought to harness it, to control it.
The creatures hesitated, sensing the magic building, but Ravenna's power was no longer enough to stop them. They moved toward her, the darkness swallowing the light.
"Damien!" Ravenna cried, desperation creeping into her voice.
He didn't hesitate. In one swift motion, he pulled her into his arms, his body surging with power. The curse within them both flared to life, and the air crackled with an electric charge.
"I won't let them take you, Ravenna," Damien said fiercely, his voice a low growl.
And in that moment, the bond between them surged to its fullest strength, releasing a wave of energy so powerful it sent the shadow creatures flying backward.