Chapter 66: The Weight of a Choice

The temple’s silence pressed against Serena’s ears like a heavy fog. Every breath felt shallow, like the air itself had thickened. The moment the Silent Guard vanished into thin air, it was as if time exhaled around her, releasing its grip.

Serena remained still, one hand clenched around the hilt of the dagger at her hip, the other gripping the ancient book tighter against her chest. The Guardian’s words still thundered in her mind: “The goddess’s blessing and the realm’s curse lie within you.”

A curse? A blessing? How could she be both?

Behind her, Theron took a careful step forward, his armor making the softest clink. He had been silent since the Guard vanished, giving her space to process what she’d just heard. But now, something in his posture shifted — not urgency, but concern laced with something warmer.

He touched her back, just between her shoulder blades. “Serena,” he said softly. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m fine,” she lied.

“No, you’re not.”

She turned to him, and the sight of his face — open, honest, calm in the face of so much unknown — nearly undid her. “Theron, what if I really am cursed? What if this… this power inside me is just a ticking bomb?”

“Then we figure out how to defuse it before it explodes.”

“You say that like it’s simple.”

He arched a brow. “Nothing about you is simple. But you’re not alone anymore. You have me.”

She looked down, then back up, unsure what emotion was clawing at her most — fear, hope, or the growing attraction she could no longer deny. “Why are you always trying to save me?”

“Because someone once gave up everything to save me.” His gaze flickered with something dark, painful. “And I wasn’t worth it. But you are.”

She stepped back, taken aback. “Don’t say that. You’re—”

“I’m not here for pity,” he cut in gently. “I’m here for you.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then, with no warning, Serena crossed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. His body tensed, just for a moment, before he melted into the embrace, holding her like she might vanish.

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“I know. So am I.”

They stayed like that for a moment, hearts thudding in sync.

Then Theron gently pulled back. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t trust this place.”

They made their way out of the temple ruins, the stone paths shifting slightly beneath their feet, as though the temple itself were settling after centuries of waiting. Outside, the air was colder than it had been when they entered. The skies had darkened, clouds gathering low and thick as if the world knew something had changed.

They reached the clearing near the edge of the forest. The same spot they had once stopped at days ago, when all Serena cared about was escaping the palace walls and the whispers of a crown.

Now? Now the weight of that crown felt heavier than steel.

Serena knelt on the grass, opening the old book in her hands. Its pages, despite the age, were pristine. The ink shimmered faintly as if alive. She read a few lines, mouth moving silently, her eyes growing wider with each word.

Theron crouched beside her. “What does it say?”

Her voice trembled as she translated. “It speaks of a binding ritual… one where the chosen must either sever or solidify the divine link. If I sever it, the power disperses into the land, lost forever. If I solidify it…”

Theron’s jaw tightened. “Then what?”

“Then I become its vessel. Entirely. Permanently.” She swallowed. “No escape. No undoing.”

He said nothing for a long moment.

Then, “Which do you want?”

“I don’t know.” She closed the book with trembling hands. “But I want to choose. For once in my life, I want my choice to be mine.”

He looked at her then — really looked. Not as a protector. Not as a warrior. But as a man standing beside a woman who could change the world.

“You will,” he promised. “I’ll make sure of it.”

A sudden rustling snapped them to attention. Theron was on his feet in an instant, blade drawn. Serena stood, clutching the book like a shield.

From the tree line, three cloaked figures emerged. Their faces were hidden, but the magic they carried rolled off them like smoke. Serena recognized it immediately — the same presence she’d felt during the ambush on the forest road.

Elias.

But this time, he wasn’t alone.

The figure in the center lowered his hood. Elias’s smirk was lazy and cold. “Serena,” he drawled. “Theron. I thought I’d give you a little time to play your games. But now? The clock’s ticking.”

Serena stepped forward, refusing to flinch. “You’re late. The war’s already begun.”

He chuckled. “Oh, sweetheart. This isn’t the war. This is still just the prologue.”

Theron moved in front of Serena. “You won’t touch her.”

“Still playing the knight?” Elias tilted his head. “Cute. But we both know your loyalty comes at a price. Has she paid it yet?”

Serena’s eyes blazed. “Get to the point.”

Elias did. “You have a week, Serena. One week to decide where your heart lies. The binding must be completed under the Blood Moon. You can either stand with us — with me — or be consumed by the very power you think you control.”

“And if I refuse?” she asked.

He smiled, slow and cruel. “Then the realm burns.”

With that, he vanished in a shimmer of shadow, his followers close behind.

The clearing fell silent again.

Serena turned to Theron, her hands cold. “One week.”

He reached for her hand, entwining their fingers. “Then we’ll make every second count.”