Chapter 19: The Last Whisper

The moon hung high in the sky, casting pale light over the old stone walls of the abbey. Eliza stood in the courtyard, her gaze fixed on the horizon. She could feel the tension in the air, thick and heavy, as if something was waiting, watching. The veil still clung to her hand, its faint glow a reminder of the battle she had fought and won. But she knew the fight wasn’t over. It couldn’t be.

“Eliza?”

Clara’s voice broke through her thoughts. She turned to see the nun approaching, her face filled with concern.

“You’ve been standing here for hours,” Clara said, her tone gentle. “Is everything alright?”

Eliza nodded slowly but didn’t speak immediately. Her mind was clouded with doubt, her heart heavy.

“I’m not sure anymore,” Eliza finally admitted, her voice soft. “The curse is gone… but I can still feel it. In the back of my mind. It’s like it’s waiting for me to slip up. Waiting for me to fall.”

Clara stepped closer, her presence calming. “The curse can’t control you anymore, Eliza. You’ve already defeated it once. You’ve chosen to fight, and that choice is yours, no matter what.”

“But what if it’s not enough?” Eliza asked, her voice barely a whisper. “What if I’m not enough?”

Clara smiled gently, her eyes filled with quiet understanding. “You are enough, Eliza. You always have been.”

Eliza’s gaze dropped to the veil in her hands, its glow flickering weakly. She clenched it tightly, trying to steady her racing thoughts. “I don’t know what’s left for me. I don’t know who I am without the curse. It’s been a part of me for so long…”

“The curse never defined you,” Clara said softly, reaching out to place a hand on Eliza’s shoulder. “You were always more than that. And now you have the chance to find out who you are without it.”

“But what if I don’t know how?” Eliza’s voice trembled. “What if I’m lost without it?”

Clara’s grip tightened slightly. “You won’t be lost, Eliza. You’ve already found your strength. You’ve already chosen who you are, and that’s more than enough.”

Eliza’s chest tightened, the weight of Clara’s words sinking in. “But the darkness… it still whispers. Even now, I can hear it. I can feel it in my bones.”

“The darkness will always be there,” Clara replied, her voice steady. “But it doesn’t have the power it once did. You’ve shown it that.”

Eliza’s eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. She wanted to believe Clara, wanted to believe that she was truly free. But doubt lingered in the corners of her mind.

The wind shifted, and a low, familiar voice reached her ears, cold and menacing.

“You think you’ve won?” The voice was a twisted echo of the past. Eliza’s breath caught in her throat, and she turned toward the sound.

There, in the shadows, stood the dark figure she had fought so many times before—Father Aldric. His form was no longer solid, flickering like smoke, but his presence was unmistakable.

“You can never escape me, Eliza,” Father Aldric’s voice rasped, twisted with malice. “You are mine, whether you like it or not.”

“No,” Eliza said firmly, stepping forward. “I’m not yours.”

The figure sneered, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. “You will always be mine. The curse is part of you. You can’t run from that. It’s in your blood, your soul. It will always call to you.”

Eliza’s pulse quickened, but she didn’t back down. “I’m not running,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear creeping in. “I’m choosing to fight. I will always choose to fight.”

Father Aldric’s laugh echoed through the courtyard. “You can resist all you want, Eliza, but deep down, you know the truth. You will fall. I will make sure of it.”

“No,” Eliza said again, her voice louder this time. “I’ve already fallen before. And I rose. I’m not falling again.”

The figure flickered, its form becoming more unstable. “You can’t fight your own darkness. It’s too strong. You’re too weak.”

Eliza clenched the veil tightly, her fingers digging into the fabric. “I am not weak.” She looked at Clara, who stood silently beside her, a calm presence in the storm. “I’ve already chosen who I am. I’m stronger than this.”

The shadow figure hesitated, its form wavering, the air around it thick with an ominous energy. “You think you’re stronger than me? You can’t even defeat yourself.”

Eliza’s eyes narrowed, her jaw set with determination. “I’ve already defeated you once, Aldric. And I’ll do it again. I’m not afraid of you anymore.”

With a final, deafening roar, the figure shattered into a cloud of darkness, evaporating into the air like smoke. The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating.

“Eliza…”

Clara’s voice was soft, filled with relief. Eliza stood still for a moment, her heart racing, her breath coming in shallow bursts.

“I… I did it,” Eliza whispered, as if trying to convince herself.

“You did,” Clara said with a gentle smile. “You’ve chosen to stand, Eliza. And you’ll keep standing, no matter what.”

Eliza looked down at the veil in her hands, now dim and faint, its glow slowly fading. She knew the darkness would always try to return, that it would never truly leave her. But she also knew that, as long as she kept choosing to fight, she would never fall.

“I’m ready,” Eliza said, her voice strong. “I’ll keep fighting. I’ll keep standing.”

And with that, she walked forward, her steps steady, her heart resolute, knowing that the journey ahead was hers to choose.

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