Chapter 12: The Choice

Eliza’s mind raced, the shadows of the curse closing in once again. Her grip on the veil was tight, her fingers aching from the tension. She couldn’t afford to let go—she couldn’t afford to lose control.

“Eliza…” Sister Clara’s voice echoed faintly in her mind.

“Sister Clara?” Eliza’s breath hitched, her body trembling with exhaustion. “I… I can’t keep doing this. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”

“You are stronger than you think,” Clara’s voice was firm but soothing. “You have the power to fight. But you must make a choice, Eliza.”

“A choice?” Eliza looked down at the veil, its faint glow offering little comfort. The room felt colder, darker than it had moments before. “What choice?”

“The curse feeds on your fear,” Clara explained. “But it also feeds on your doubts. If you give in to the darkness, it will consume you. But if you choose to stand against it, even when it feels impossible, you can still fight.”

Eliza closed her eyes, the weight of Clara’s words settling in. “I don’t know if I can anymore. It’s like it’s inside me. Every time I think I’ve pushed it away, it just comes back stronger.”

“That’s the curse’s trick,” Clara replied. “It thrives on your uncertainty. You need to stop thinking you’re powerless.”

“But I am powerless,” Eliza’s voice cracked. “I can feel it taking over. It’s already changing me.”

“You are not powerless, Eliza.” Clara’s tone grew more urgent. “You’ve resisted longer than most ever could. You’re still you, and you can still control the darkness within you. But you have to believe it.”

A cold shiver ran through Eliza. She looked down at her hands, trembling, and wondered if Clara’s words were just empty hope. She had already seen what the curse could do, and the darkness seemed so much stronger now.

The whispers started again, this time louder, sharper.

You can’t fight it. You’re mine.

Eliza squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. “No. I’m not yours. I don’t belong to you.”

The shadows twisted in the corner of the room, their forms becoming more defined, more sinister. Eliza stepped back, her heart pounding in her chest.

“I won’t let you take me,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

The dark figure emerged from the shadows, its face twisted in an unsettling grin. “You think you’re free? You think you’ve chosen? You’re nothing without me. You’ll always be mine.”

“No,” Eliza said, more firmly this time. She raised her chin, defiant. “I am not yours.”

The figure laughed, a chilling sound. “You’ve already made the choice, Eliza. You bound yourself to me the moment you took the veil. You’re nothing without the darkness. You’ll never be whole again.”

Eliza’s heart raced, but she stood her ground. “I am whole. I’m not you. And I’m not the curse.” She took a deep breath. “I choose to fight.”

The figure’s grin faded, replaced by an expression of pure malice. “You can fight, but it will never be enough. You are already mine, Eliza. You just haven’t accepted it yet.”

“You’re wrong,” Eliza said, stepping closer to the figure. Her voice grew stronger. “I’ve resisted before. I will resist again.”

“You can’t,” the figure hissed, its form flickering in and out of existence. “I am part of you now. I’ve always been.”

“No.” Eliza’s voice was unwavering. “You are not me. You are a part of the darkness, but I’m the one who controls it. I choose who I am.”

The figure’s face twisted in anger, but its voice was colder, more desperate now. “You think you can defy me? You can’t escape what’s inside you, Eliza. You belong to me.”

“I don’t belong to you,” Eliza said, stepping forward, the veil glowing softly in her hand. “I choose who I am. Not you. Not the curse.”

The figure recoiled, its form cracking as though it were breaking apart. “We’ll see how long that lasts. You will come crawling back. You always do.”

“No,” Eliza said firmly, her hands shaking but steady. “I won’t.”

The shadows shrieked as the figure began to fade, its form unraveling into nothingness. Eliza stood, her heart pounding, but the weight of the curse began to lift—just for a moment. She wasn’t free yet, but she had made her choice.

Sister Clara’s voice returned, softer now. “You did well, Eliza. You made the right choice.”

Eliza closed her eyes, still gripping the veil tightly. “But is it over? Will it ever be over?”

“The curse will always try to return,” Clara replied. “But as long as you choose to fight, as long as you believe in yourself, it can never fully control you.”

Eliza let out a shaky breath, nodding slowly. “I choose to fight. I won’t let it win.”

And for the first time in a long time, she believed it.

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