Chapter 11: Mother's Moonlit Guidance
Aria's POV
Roman's transformed figure dominated the room, and his menacing assurance in his speech made me chilled to my bone. "I own you. Furthermore, you will never be free.
A peek into a world of utter darkness was provided by the swirling vortex behind him, a chaotic mixture of fire and shadow.
The silver dagger felt heavy and chilly, and my fingers shook. Darius was standing next to me, his gaze stern and his hand firmly grasping his own knife.
Darius snarled in a low voice, "He's changed." "He's changed into something else."
"The influence of the creature," said an elder in a terrified whisper. "He's been consumed by it."
A black tendril of energy swung forth as Roman attacked. The daggers clashed in a cloud of sparks as Darius parried.
The air was heavy with tension as the noises of the conflict reverberated throughout the room.
My thoughts spinning, I stood still. The guy who had coerced me into a link, Roman, was now a conduit for a dark and ancient energy. We were up against the beast itself, not just him.
Then a familiar, quiet voice broke through the confusion. "Aria."
My eyes widened as I turned. With a resolute but pale expression, my mother, Evelyn, stood at the chamber's door.
She was holding a stick that was made of dark wood and had a lovely, silver light shining on its tip.
"Mom?" With a voice full of incredulity, I whispered.
"I'm here, Aria," she stated in a firm, powerful voice. "I refuse to allow him to take you."
Roman snarled, his eyes burning crimson. "You can't stop me, woman. I own her.
Evelyn responded, "No, she's not," with a calm strength in her voice. "She's her own. She will also decide her own fate.
She lifted her staff, driving back the blackness that whirled about Roman as the silver light became stronger. "It's not impossible to break the agreement I made with the Moon Goddess."
"What do you mean?" With his eyes focused on Roman, Darius asked in a low voice.
Evelyn said, "The Goddess gave me a way to break it." "A way to sever the bond, and to banish the creature."
"How?" With little more than a whisper, I asked.
"Through the bond's heart itself," she said. "Within the recollection that connects you to him."
My throat tightened each breath. The memory. The cost.
"However... "I can't," I answered, trembling. "I can't lose."
"Aria, you won't lose everything," Evelyn said gently. You'll no longer feel the ache.
The terror. the restraints that prevent you from moving.
With a mother's love in her eyes, she took a step closer. "I am aware that it is difficult. However, it's the only option. to be really free.
Roman roared, a sound that rocked the room. "Lies! She is mine, and you will not have her!"
With the black energy whirling about him and threatening to swallow us all, he lunged once again. Evelyn lifted her staff, the silver light pushing back the darkness, forming a barrier between us.
Her voice was anxious as she said, "We don't have much time." "The beast is becoming more powerful. We must take action immediately.
With a calm strength in her gaze, she turned to face me. "You must locate the memory, Aria. The bonding moment. When the pain was at its worst.
With my thoughts racing, I closed my eyes. The ritual. the coerced vows. The cold, hard touch of his hand on mine. The terror that had taken hold of me.
I said, my voice shaking, "I see it."
"Then, let it go," Evelyn responded. "Leave the suffering. Break the bond.
With the silver blade shaking in my palm, I opened my eyes. I glanced at Roman, his eyes burning crimson, his shape distorted and deformed.
I glanced at Darius, who had a resolute support in his eyes. I gazed into my mother's eyes, which were brimming with maternal affection.
I then stabbed myself in the chest with the dagger.
A scorching, piercing surge of anguish tore through me. The air crackled with electricity as the room shimmered.
The black tendrils of energy enveloping Roman recoiled, his shape wavering.
The memory of the forced bond, the pain, the fear, it all flooded my mind. Emotions threatened to overwhelm me like a flood.
Then, a voice, quiet and soothing, resonated in my head. "Let it go, Aria."
My mother's voice was heard. I closed my eyes, and I let go. I broke free from the agony, the terror, and the bonds that had imprisoned me for so long.
A feeling of lightness and liberation took the place of the anguish. The air became clear, and the chamber shimmered once more.
Roman let out a scream, a cry of undiluted, pure pain. The black energy around him dissipated as his shape twisted and distorted.
Then he fell, his eyes fading, his body reverting to the shape of a wolf. The thing no longer used him as a vessel.
The vortex behind him flickered and faded, the world of fire and shadow fading.
The only sound in the room was the gentle murmur of the whispering falls.
I stood, my chest throbbing, but my soul flying. The connection was severed. The animal was exiled. I had freedom.
I glanced at my mother, her eyes filled with tears of relief. I glanced at Darius, who had a silent awe in his eyes.
Then my skull was torn apart by a quick, piercing ache. My thoughts flashed a distinct, vivid visual.
A menacing figure, cloaked in darkness, its eyes gleaming with malicious power. Its voice reverberated through the darkness as it stood in a world of fire and shadow.
It growled, "You're not the winner." "I'll be back. And you will all burn when I do.
The vision faded, leaving behind a chilling fear. Once again, there was no sound in the room save for the faint murmur of the whispering falls.
However, there was a sense of dread and a heavy silence. The creature was gone, but not defeated. It would return. And when it did, we will all face the consequences.