Part 6: The weight of Sacrifice 1

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Aria staggered out of the forest, her legs trembling and her mind racing. The sunlight filtering through the trees felt foreign, almost mocking in its warmth. She had only hours left before the full moon, and the ultimatum Elowen had given her replayed in her mind like a broken record.

“A soul for a soul.”

By the time she reached the manor, her hands were shaking so badly she could barely turn the doorknob. Ethan was still in the same spot where she had left him, his form flickering faintly like a dying candle flame. His face lit up at the sight of her, though it was a weak, shadow of the smile she had once known.

“You’re back,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “What did she say?”

Aria sank to her knees beside him, her eyes welling with tears. “She said… she’ll free you, but there’s a cost.” Her voice cracked as she continued. “She wants my life in exchange for yours.”

Ethan’s expression darkened, and his form seemed to flicker more violently. “No,” he said firmly, his voice stronger than it had been in days. “Absolutely not, Aria. I won’t let you do this.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Aria shot back, her voice rising with desperation. “Ethan, you’re fading away. If I don’t do something, you’ll be gone forever.”

“I’d rather disappear than let you throw your life away for me,” he said, his ghostly figure leaning toward her. “Don’t you see? This is exactly what Elowen wants. She feeds on sacrifice, on suffering. If you give her what she wants, she wins.”

Aria clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. “And what if I do nothing? You’ll die, Ethan. You’ll die, and I’ll have to live the rest of my life knowing I could’ve saved you.”

The room fell silent, the only sound the faint rustle of the wind outside. Ethan’s translucent hand hovered near hers, as if he wanted to touch her but couldn’t.

“Aria,” he said softly, his voice filled with pain. “You’ve already saved me. You’ve given me hope, even when everything seemed lost. That’s enough.”

Aria shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “It’s not enough for me,” she whispered. “I can’t lose you, Ethan. I won’t.”

As the hours ticked by, Aria poured over every scrap of information she could find about Elowen’s curse. She read and reread the journal and the book Legends of the Forgotten, searching for some loophole, some way to break the curse without giving up her life. But the words on the pages seemed to blur together, offering no answers.

Finally, as the moon began to rise, Aria made her decision. She slipped the silver locket into her pocket and left the manor, her heart heavy with resolve. Ethan called after her, his voice desperate and pleading, but she didn’t look back. She couldn’t.

The forest was even darker than before, the mist thicker, as if the woods themselves knew what was coming. Aria’s breath came in short gasps as she pushed through the underbrush, her flashlight casting eerie shadows on the gnarled trees. When she reached the clearing, Elowen was already there, her ghostly form illuminated by the pale light of the moon.

“You’ve returned,” Elowen said, her voice cold and emotionless........

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