Chapter 17: The Light in the Dark

Eliza stood at the edge of the forest, the wind carrying a chill that seemed to seep into her bones. The weight of the veil in her hands felt heavier than ever before. The curse had retreated for now, but she knew it was only a matter of time before it came back, as it always did.

“Eliza?”

The familiar voice made her freeze. She turned around quickly, her heart pounding in her chest. Sister Clara was standing behind her, her face etched with concern.

“Eliza, are you alright?” Clara asked, stepping forward cautiously.

“I don’t know,” Eliza replied, her voice wavering. “I keep thinking that if I just fight hard enough, if I just resist, I’ll be free. But I don’t feel free. I feel like I’m carrying something that’s going to crush me.”

Clara’s expression softened. “You’re not alone in this.”

“I don’t know if I can keep going, Clara. Every time I think I’ve won, the darkness comes back. I feel like I’m being torn apart by it.”

Clara reached out and placed a hand on Eliza’s shoulder, her grip firm and reassuring. “The curse doesn’t define you, Eliza. You have more strength than you realize. The darkness may try to break you, but it can never take away who you are.”

“I don’t know who I am anymore,” Eliza muttered, looking down at the veil. “Every time it comes back, it feels like I’m losing pieces of myself.”

“No,” Clara said firmly. “You are still you. The curse may twist and change you, but you always have a choice. And you have chosen to fight.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep choosing to fight,” Eliza confessed, her voice barely a whisper. “What if one day, I just… give in?”

“You won’t,” Clara said with certainty. “As long as you remember that you are stronger than the darkness, you’ll never give in. You’ll keep choosing to resist. And that’s what matters.”

Eliza let out a shaky breath. “But what if I’m wrong? What if I don’t have enough strength? What if I fail?”

“You won’t,” Clara said, her voice soft but unshakable. “You have the power to choose. The curse can never take that from you, unless you let it. And you won’t let it. I know you won’t.”

For a moment, Eliza stood still, the weight of her doubt pressing down on her. But then, a flicker of determination sparked within her. She gripped the veil tightly, her fingers digging into the fabric.

“You’re right,” Eliza said, her voice stronger now. “I’m not going to let it win. I’m not going to let it take me.”

The shadows around them seemed to stir, as if sensing her resolve. Eliza felt a cold shiver run down her spine, but she refused to back down.

“You’ve made your choice,” the voice from the darkness murmured, echoing through the trees. “You think you can fight me forever? You can’t escape me.”

“I don’t need to escape you,” Eliza said, her voice steady. “I just need to keep standing.”

The voice laughed, low and mocking. “You will break. You will fall. All of you will fall.”

“No,” Eliza said, taking a step forward. “I will not fall.”

The darkness surged, swirling around them like a storm, but Eliza stood her ground. Her breath came quick and shallow, but she didn’t flinch. She wasn’t going to let the curse take her again. Not now. Not ever.

The figure in the shadows began to take shape, its form tall and distorted. “You’re stronger than you were before, Eliza. But it won’t matter. You can’t win.”

“I’ve already won,” Eliza said, her voice unwavering. “And I’ll keep winning.”

The figure snarled, its form flickering with rage. “You can’t resist forever. You’re nothing without me. Without the curse, you have nothing.”

“I have everything,” Eliza replied, stepping closer. “I have my choice. I have my strength. And that’s more than you’ll ever understand.”

For a moment, the figure seemed to falter, its form flickering, losing its hold. Eliza felt the weight of the veil in her hands grow lighter, the curse weakening. She could feel the power shifting, her defiance pushing against it.

With a final, angry hiss, the figure collapsed into the shadows, vanishing into the darkness that receded back into the forest. The air grew still again, and Eliza let out a long breath.

“I did it,” she whispered, a sense of relief washing over her. “I really did it.”

Clara stepped forward, her eyes filled with pride. “You did. You chose to stand, and you didn’t give in.”

Eliza looked down at the veil in her hands, its glow now dim and faint. “But it’s not over, is it?” she asked quietly.

“No,” Clara said gently, “It’s never truly over. But every time you choose to stand, you get stronger. And one day, the darkness will no longer have any power over you.”

Eliza looked up at Clara, her heart lighter than it had been in days. “I’ll keep standing,” she said, her voice firm. “I’ll keep choosing to fight.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***