Chapter 21: The Decision

Eliza paced the small room, her thoughts churning. The weight of Clara’s words lingered, but doubt still gnawed at her. She couldn’t stay at the abbey forever. It was time to move on.

There was a knock at the door, and Clara stepped inside, her expression soft but firm.

“Eliza,” Clara began, “I know you’ve made up your mind, but—”

“I can’t stay here anymore,” Eliza interrupted, her voice steady but tight. “I’ve spent enough time hiding. The curse is gone, but I... I don’t know who I am without it. I need to find that.”

Clara didn’t respond immediately, just watched her with understanding in her eyes.

“Are you sure about this?” Clara asked. “Leaving now, when you still don’t feel... complete?”

Eliza hesitated, glancing out the window at the darkening sky. “I have to. I can’t keep waiting for something to change. I need to take control of my own path now.”

Clara nodded, a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips. “It’s not easy, stepping into the unknown. But it’s yours to walk.”

Eliza swallowed, her hand gripping the veil in her pocket. “What if I fall again? What if I’m not strong enough?”

“You’re stronger than you think,” Clara said, walking closer and resting a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve already faced the worst of it. The rest is just living. Step by step.”

Eliza took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing thoughts. “I’m scared.”

“I know,” Clara whispered. “But fear doesn’t have to stop you. It can only guide you, if you let it.”

Eliza met her gaze. “What if I can’t find my way back? What if the darkness comes again?”

“It will always be there, in some form,” Clara replied. “But it doesn’t define you. You’re not the woman you were when you first arrived. You’ve changed, Eliza. And you will keep changing.”

Eliza looked at the veil in her hand, the faint glow still visible but weak. “What if I can’t keep it together? What if the darkness takes me again?”

Clara’s expression softened. “You won’t be taken. Not now. Not when you know what you’re fighting for. You’ve found your strength. Trust in that.”

Eliza stood still for a moment, her thoughts turning inward. “I don’t want to be alone in this.”

“You won’t be,” Clara said, her voice steady. “You’ve never been alone, even when you thought you were.”

A long silence stretched between them. Eliza closed her eyes, trying to focus on Clara’s words, to find the resolve she needed. The fear in her chest still churned, but the quiet confidence in Clara’s voice helped to ease it.

“Will you come with me?” Eliza asked, her voice small. “I don’t know if I can do this without you.”

Clara shook her head gently, her eyes filled with warmth. “You’ve never needed me to hold you up, Eliza. You’ve always had the strength within you. You just needed to see it.”

Eliza let out a shaky breath, the reality of her decision settling in. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You don’t have to,” Clara replied. “You just have to take the first step. And then the next. The rest will come.”

Eliza’s hands trembled slightly, but her resolve was beginning to solidify. She looked at Clara one last time. “Thank you. For everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Clara said with a smile. “I’ve only helped you see what was already there.”

With one final, lingering glance at Clara, Eliza turned to the door. The night was waiting for her.

She stepped outside, her footsteps echoing in the quiet courtyard. The world ahead was vast and uncertain, but it was hers to choose. No longer bound by fear or the remnants of the curse, Eliza walked toward the future she would carve for herself, knowing that the darkness might always be a part of her, but it would never control her again.

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