Chapter 7

Historical Baggage

Jasmine's POV

I woke up with a queasiness in my stomach. I sat on the edge of my bed and growling under my breath, I softly whispered, "I need to know who I am." Flashbacks swirled in my mind—half hers, half mine. I crept my way down the hallway and splinters of the past faced me as shards of glass.

I recalled one afternoon when Jasmine dreamed of being superior. I could hear her voice, a gentle authoritative voice, say, "I shall be above all, no matter what it takes." Her desire haunted me in my mind. But instances of betrayal followed. I recalled a heated argument between Jasmine and someone whose voice was laced with pretentious love. "I trusted you, Jasmine," the voice had said, "and you broke my heart." I chilled as the vision dissolved.

I stood by a small table in an isolated corner of the mansion. I placed an old, creased journal into my hand. I stopped and then opened the book. "What are you reading?" I exclaimed. Tidy writing covered the pages with talk of covenants and hidden treaties. I learned secrets about Jasmine's history with Alex from reading the book. There were hints of vows and black rituals and a hidden encounter that changed it all.

And I heard the echo of footsteps. "Jasmine, are you reading memories?" a soft voice called behind me. I turned and looked at a young maid standing behind me with soft eyes. "Yes," I snapped, "I have to know who I am in this body."

The maid frowned. "But these memories hurt me. These memories are not yours."

I shook my head. "I need to know. You must tell me, what was Jasmine to Alex?"

The maid glared about uncomfortably. "She was his girlfriend and hoped to find out how to master the curse that binds him. But something brutally went wrong."

I closed the book and insisted, "Awrang? What do you mean?"

She released a soft sigh and whispered, "There's a secret room in this house, a sanctuary where Jasmine kept her secrets. It holds the letters and baubles that reveal it all."

I walked on ahead determinedly. "Take me there," I told her.

The maid stopped and then led me down a dimly lit passageway behind a solid door. "This room is concealed for a reason," she cautioned. "Not many individuals are aware that it even exists."

There was a small table inside with a pile of letters tied up in a red ribbon, some sort of jewelry, and an old picture of smiling Jasmine and some unknown man. I gestured toward the picture. "Who is he?" I snarled.

Before the maid could answer, there was a voice inside the room. "He was my hope and my ruin."

I spun around in circles. The voice once more, this time sounding like the walls are speaking. "I trusted him. I thought that we could end the curse together. But all I received was betrayal."

I sat down, placing my fingers on the necklace. "Jasmine, what did you do?" I asked aloud as if I would receive an answer from the past.

I read a letter. I opened the ribbon and read it. It was for Jasmine, scribbled out in a quivering, fearful hand. I read it aloud, "My beloved Jasmine, our promise was sworn in magic and blood. I promised to make you free and strong from this foul existence. But promises are weak, and betrayal is an expensive learning. If you're reading this, then you'll know I never meant to harm you. – A."

I asked politely, "Who was A? And who did she betray?"

The maid responded grumbling, "A was someone near to her, a friend who became an enemy. They plotted with Alex. Jasmine wanted to be released from the curse, but she was abducted instead."

I fumed with rage. "I will learn more. I must know what is true regarding these rituals and the curse.".

I picked up another letter from a pile and began to read. "Jasmine, our fate is in the shadows. The curse that pursues us is bound with the blood of those who will seek to defy it. Recall the symbol that binds our fate. Do not heed whispers in the dark. – Anonymous."

I glared at the maid. "What symbol?".

She stopped. "I have already seen it, on a hidden door, and in the book some of the servants whisper about in hushed tones. It is a symbol of power and destruction, combined with Alex's magic."

I folded the letter up again and stood. "These letters are ceremonies and covenants. They are betrayal and hurting more than I ever thought possible. Jasmine was not weak. She defied her fate, even if she did not succeed.".

I moved slowly across the room, my thoughts interwoven with one another in conversation. "I must know everything I can about this deal. I must know the shadow that follows Alex. I will use that knowledge and shatter his hold and free myself."

The maid put a light hand on my shoulder. "Walk carefully, Jasmine. The past is not safe. There are things you will learn which will hurt you more than you can bear."

I nodded. "I know. But if I'm going to seek revenge, I have to confront every aspect of it. I have to know every betrayal."

I sat back down at the table and continued to hold the fragile necklace once more. "This was Jasmine's," I whispered, "and it still holds a power that I can sense. I wonder if it will keep me safe or guide me on my path."

I set the necklace on the rim of the letters. "I shall take these with me," I determined. "They are the solution to my past and my future."

There was a gentle knock on the door of the sanctuary. "Jasmine, are you there?" spoke over our room in a familiar voice. It was the maid again.

I stood and walked towards the door. "Yes, I'm here. What do you want?" I said, trying to be level.

"I wanted to remind you: the secrets belong to Jasmine, but you are Aria now as well. Don't be weighed down by her past. Use it to find your strength." The maid said.

I stood in the doorway, reflective. "You're telling me, I have to combine what she was with who I will become?" I said.

She shook her head deliberately. "Yes. Jasmine's past has lots of truths within it. They hurt, and they can toughen you if you learn.".

I closed the door and rested my head against it. "I'll learn. I'll do it," I said to myself. "I'll construct using these letters all the secrets kept from me. I'll find the dark pact, the rituals, and the curse that have plagued us all.".

I leaned back in the chair at the table and reopened the journal. I wrote rough notes: "Betrayal, dark alliance, ritual facts, symbol, letter from A, cryptic message." I read the words aloud, "I will explore every nook of this manor until I know it all."

I went back and looked at the photograph once more. "Who was he?" I whispered to the emptiness of the room. "What did he do for Jasmine's future?" I let out a gentle sigh, the weight of not knowing hanging over my head.

I heard my voice repeating back to me in the stillness, and I replied, "You were her hope, and now you are my clue." And I made myself resolve that I had to know something about someone who might perhaps know something about him. "I will ask in a general way," I said to myself. "I must not let Adam suspect what I am tracking down."

The maid returned with a small pile of papers. "These are more letters," she whispered. "I thought you might like them."

I thanked her for the papers. "Thank you. Every word helps me in this mystery," I explained.

We sat in silence for a moment. Then the maid had something to say, "Jasmine, remember: the past casts shadows, but you are the light that can chase them away.".

I smiled uncertainly. "I will use what I find to fight back. I won't let them own me, though." I folded one of the letters in half and placed it between the pages of my notebook. "This will be my path," I said. "The more secrets that I find, the more power I have." The maid asked, "Do you alter your fate?

I faced her and said, "I must do it. I must learn about the heritage of Jasmine. It can be cruel, but it is strong. And I shall use it to break the curse and to unveil all of the lies."