#12

Arwenzylle gasped, her heart pounding as the world around her spun violently. The battlefield, the blood, the devastation—all of it vanished in an instant. She collapsed to the ground, her vision blurred, and her body trembling as if the earth itself had been pulled from beneath her.

When her eyes fluttered open, she found herself standing before an ancient, radiant tree—the Tree of Life. Its towering branches stretched endlessly into the heavens, shimmering with a golden light that bathed the surroundings in an ethereal glow. The air was heavy with the scent of blooming flowers, and the soft hum of energy resonated through her very being.

She blinked, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Wasn’t I… on the battlefield? Wasn’t Duke Veynar… dying? Her hands instinctively reached for the blood she had seen staining her clothes, but there was nothing. No wound. No dirt. Just her trembling hands clutching the ground beneath her.

The ground wasn’t the cracked, scorched earth of the battlefield. It was soft, blanketed in luminous grass that seemed to pulse with life. Her chest tightened as the reality of where she was sank in. The Tree of Life…

“Impossible,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the low hum.

Before her, the tree’s bark shifted and pulsed, as though alive. A voice—soft yet powerful—echoed in her mind.

“Arwenzylle,” it called, and her name sounded like a hymn carried on the wind. “You have reached the precipice of despair and unleashed a power that the world was never meant to bear. The cycle has broken, and now… you stand at the crossroads of fate.”

She staggered to her feet, her legs weak but her mind racing. “Why?” she demanded, her voice trembling. “Why bring me back here? Why show me this? I… I was so close. I was finally fighting back. I was—”

“Out of control,” the voice interrupted, resonating with both authority and sorrow. “Your grief, your rage—they consumed you. If left unchecked, they would destroy not only you but the very balance of this world.”

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. “Then what am I supposed to do? Let everyone suffer? Let them die? I was protecting them—protecting him! He… he…” Her voice broke, and tears streamed down her face.

The tree’s golden light dimmed slightly, as if sharing her sorrow. “Your heart is noble, child, but your soul carries the burden of too many lifetimes. You have been given this second chance not to repeat the mistakes of the past but to reshape the future. However, you cannot do so recklessly. The power you wield is a gift and a curse. It must be mastered.”

Arwenzylle fell to her knees, her head bowed as exhaustion and frustration overwhelmed her. “I don’t know how,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Tell me… please.”

The tree’s voice softened, almost like a parent comforting a child. “Your path has always been your own to walk, but you are not alone. The Duke of Whales, the knights, even those who have betrayed you—they all play a role in the tapestry of your destiny. You must learn to trust, to forgive, and to harness the storm within you.”

As the words sank in, the golden light began to intensify, wrapping around her like a warm embrace. Her breathing slowed, and a sense of clarity began to wash over her.

“I’ll do it,” she said, her voice steady despite the tears still streaming down her cheeks. “I’ll control it. I’ll find a way to protect them without losing myself. I’ll… I’ll face my destiny.”

The tree seemed to nod, its branches swaying gently as the light grew brighter and brighter. “Remember, Arwenzylle. The power of life and death flows within you, but it is your choices that define who you are. Go forth… and shape the future.”

The light consumed her, and for a moment, all was silent.

When she opened her eyes again, she was back to the time when she was 12, learning swordsmanship and magic. Yet, no matter how much she wanted to change destiny, the Duke of Whales still died in front of her. Again, she was brought back to the Tree of Life—again and again, for the 40th time—but destiny remained the same.

She tried once more to change things. This time, she escaped the orphanage, avoided meeting the Duke of Whales, and lived on her own. For a while, she was happy. She fell in love with a Norman man and had a family. But when the war broke out, her husband and daughter were killed in front of her, and so was she.

Determined to rewrite her fate, she tried to change destiny once more, returning again and again for ten more lifetimes. But no matter what she did, everyone she loved died in front of her.

This time, she stood once more before the Tree of Life. Its ethereal glow bathed her weary figure in golden light as she collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm tired," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I've tried everything. I've fought, I've run, I've sacrificed. No matter what I do, everyone I care about dies. Why? Why do you keep sending me back when I can’t change anything?"

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