Melissa’s POVI felt weightless as soon as the portal engulfed us.Everything blurred as cold air rushed past me. Even though we didn't move at all, it felt like we were falling.I firmly grasped Damon's hand. "Where are we heading?"His resolute golden eyes locked with mine. "I won't let go, wherever it may be."Light burst around us before I could reply.We were jerked forward by a sudden pull and hit soft ground with a hard thud.I sat up, gasping. Something I couldn't identify was heavy and thick in the air. Beside me, Damon moaned and rubbed his head."Are you alright?" I inquired.He nodded, pushing himself up. “Yeah. But where the hell are we?”I took a look around.The sky was a deep shade of violet, streaked with gold. Strange silver trees surrounded us, their foliage shimmering softly. A tranquil river flowed close, reflecting the glittering sky.It was beautiful. But… incorrect.Everything was too still. Too perfect.I took a swallow. “This place… it feels…”Damon’s gaze cl
Melissa’s POVMy surroundings became hazy, fluctuating between darkness and brightness. As though the realm itself breathed around us, the air seemed heavy.And my mother was in front of me.It was so unbelievable to me. "You... Have you visited here? All this time?Both sadness and warmth were in her eyes when they met mine. "Yes, my kid. I have kept an eye on you from a distance.My throat constricted. "Why? Why didn't you return?With a sigh, she took a step forward. "Because I was unable to."Damon, standing next to me, stiff. "What do you mean?"She ignored me, lost in the infinite emptiness of this world. "Melissa, this is a prison. A place of the forgotten. There is no way out once you're inside.A shiver went down my back. "So, how have we arrived here?"She faced me once again. "Because you are unique."I scowled. "In a different way?"She lowered her voice. "You weren't supposed to go down the same route as your predecessors. You were supposed to make all the difference.I g
Melissa’s POVA chilly, stinging wind slapped my skin, and I struggled for breath. I opened my eyes and discovered that I was on firm ground. Grass. Trees. The scent of rain. We had returned."Damon?" With my heart racing, I turned to my side.He moaned and sat up next to me. "I'm here," he said. There was a spark of bewilderment in his silver eyes. "Are we... home?"I took a look around. As we left it, the city appeared in the distance. However, something seemed... strange.I said, "We should go," and got to my feet. Despite my trembling legs, I pushed forward. "We need to see if—"Damon took hold of my wrist. "I'm Melissa. There's a problem."I understood his meaning perfectly. The air had a new feel. Less heavy? More substantial? I was unable to tell.We made it swiftly to the city gates, but my breath caught when we entered.It was too quiet on the streets. The colors were brighter, and the stores appeared more recent. Nobody glanced at us as they passed us.Damon tensed up next t
Melissa’s POVAll around us, darkness swirled. With their hollow eyes shining dimly and their whispers filling the air, the lost souls emerged from the emptiness.I clenched my chest, attempting to ignore the unsettling whispers. Every syllable sent shivers down my spine like ice."I lost... I forgot. Doomed.Damon gripped his blade more tightly. "Remain close, Melissa."Like a tide of hopelessness, the lost souls glided toward us rather than walking. Their spectral hands grabbed for my flesh, and as soon as they made contact, memories that weren't mine exploded in my head.The scream of a lady.A fighter going down on his knees.It was an already lost war.I gasped and staggered back.Damon took hold of my wrist. "Hey, Melissa! What's the matter?With blurred eyesight, I gripped his arm. "These souls—they're more than just spirits." I trembled when I spoke. They resembled us. Warriors from earlier cycles.Damon tightened his jaw. "Then they didn't succeed."The closest lost soul scre
Melissa’s POV"Damon!" I shook him as I yelled.He was chilly. He breathed shallowly.“Remain with me—no, no, no!” Even when I applied pressure to his wound, his blood continued to flow.He hardly moved his chest. He fluttered his lashes.The world seemed to be sliding away from me.My voice broke as I said quietly, "You must wake up." "You said you would."Damon made a feeble attempt at a smile. "I'm exhausted, Melissa."I shook my head, "No." "You are not allowed to feel fatigued. You cannot abandon me.I gave him all of my energy in an attempt to heal him.My hands sparkled with golden light. However—It wasn't functioning.The injury persisted.His complexion became paler.I was in a panic.I made another attempt, pushing harder and using all of my remaining strength.Nothing."No," I said.In the wreckage of the temple came a slow laugh.The Harbinger watched from the shadows. Unmoved.With ease, he stated, "He cannot exist in this world." "His destiny has already been decided."
Melissa’s POVThere was silence in the air.I was having trouble breathing.Damon's golden eyes were dimly gleaming as he stood in front of me.He remained still.He merely looked.Through me, not at me.I took a measured stride forward. "Damon?"No answer.His fingers twitched as if he were struggling with something inside of him, and his body tightened.Then all of a sudden—His body gave a powerful jerk.His breath came in rough gasps as he gripped his chest.Deep within him sounded a rumbling growl.I hurried over to join him. "Damon, what is going on?"His jaw was so clinched that it appeared painful when he shook his head.“I—” He gulped and clutched my arm as if it were a lifeline. It's excessive. I have no control over it.I could feel the heat rising beneath his fingers.He got burns on his skin.Despite my wince, I didn't back down.I begged, "You have to fight it."His breath became laboured. "I don't know who I am anymore, Melissa."Fear took hold of my chest."You're Damo
Melissa’s POVDarkness.Then—A gentle wind.Slowly, I opened my eyes.Everything around me had changed.I was no longer in the temple.I was in a magnificent hall that was higher than anything I had ever seen. Overhead, I could see golden chandeliers glimmering across the marble floors. Strange symbols were engraved on tall pillars that lined the walls.I lowered my look to myself.My outfit was heavy, with gold embroidery and luxurious silk.My fingertips were coated in jewels.I wasn't myself.I let out a gasp. "Where am I?"Behind me came a strong voice."My Queen."I whirled—and stopped.Damon was standing there.However, he was... unique.He wore a platinum clip to secure his longer hair. His eyes were colder and darker. He was dressed in an armour-lined robe of gold and black that shone in the candlelight.Unreadable, he looked at me.I got a chill from something about him.He stepped closer and said, "Melissa," with ease. "Are you ill?"I stepped back. "I..."What should I hav
Melissa’s POVI felt the weight of the truth like a mountain.This cycle had begun with me.Everything: the suffering, the loss, the never-ending cycle of fate—I was solely to blame.My hands were shivering as I sat on the chilly stone floor.Damon had not returned.I was by myself thinking.And I heard the voice of my former self."You are unable to change who you are."No.That was not acceptable to me.I needed to figure out how to shatter this.However, how?I felt my heart thumping and gripped my chest."What should I do?" I said.A sorrowful, quiet voice answered."You have to make a decision."I pivoted.In front of me was the oracle.Time itself weighed heavily on her beautiful blue eyes, and her long silver hair flowed like water.I took a deep breath. "What do you choose?"She took a step forward."You have to rewrite the past to break the cycle," she stated.I scowled. "Rewrite?"She gave a nod."You have to take back what you did."My thoughts were racing as I blinked.Wa
Melissa’s POVThe weight of Damon's words pressed against my chest as I sat across from him in the moonlight.He had remarked, "You were never meant to forget," and now it felt like my whole world was falling apart.My body shook as I tried to take it all in, and I put my arms around myself. "What do you mean my past was rewritten?" My voice was scarcely steady as I whispered.Damon's golden eyes grew softer, but beneath them was a sadness I couldn't imagine. "Someone—something—wiped out your memory, Melissa. Everything you once knew, including your life and past, was taken from you.With a searing ache developing between my temples, I shook my head. "That isn't rational. For as long as I can remember, I have resided here. I lead a typical existence.Damon's jaw tightened. "No, you don’t." His tone was stern but compassionate. "This world isn't as real as you believe it to be. It was designed to prevent you from recalling the reality.I felt sick to my stomach. "Why? "Who would do thi
Melissa’s POVThe beginning of the dream was always the same.The earth was wet underfoot as I ran barefoot. As the wind howled through the gloomy forest, the moon shined brightly above me, giving the trees a silver sheen.I didn't feel scared.No, I was pursuing someone or anything.I felt a chill go through me as a loud growl rumbled through the trees. Not out of fear, but out of eagerness, my heartbeat accelerated. That sound was familiar to me. I couldn't identify it, yet it spoke to something deep inside of me.Then I caught sight of him.At the edge of a clearing, a huge black wolf stood with golden eyes that glowed in the darkness.My breath caught.Those eyes...I had previously seen them.With my heart thumping as though it were trying to escape my chest, I stepped forward. The wolf stood motionless, waiting, watching me—Then everything fell apart.The trees were only shadows as they twisted and became blurry. The wolf disappeared, and I was falling—Right into the dark.I g
Melissa’s POVThe sound of singing birds awakened me.My skin was touched by the warm air.The air was heavy with the aroma of flowers.I sat up slowly.Under a clear blue sky, I lay on a verdant meadow.It was all quiet.However, something felt off.I scowled as I looked about.Where had I gone?Had I not been... somewhere?Had I not been battling?My heart was squeezed against a faint aching.However, nothing came to mind when I tried to recall why.Nothing except emptiness.I inhaled deeply.Perhaps it was only a dream.I might have been dreaming.I forced myself to stand up and took a look around.I could see a small village beyond the grass.Red-roofed houses.Stores with wooden signs.People are grinning and laughing as they go down the streets.It felt... typical.As though this was how things had always been.Like there had never been any damage.With an oddly rapid heartbeat, I set off toward the settlement.I had no idea where I was heading.However, I felt that I was suppos
Melissa’s POVI was unable to sense my body.It was all spinning together, light and dark.Then suddenly—I stood.Damon was at my side.Above us, Aetherion hung, his golden radiance blinding.Our surroundings were collapsing.Aetherion declared, "This is over." Like a hurricane, his voice reverberated. "Your life is over now."I turned to face Damon.Determination blazed in his eyes.He made a move for my hand.Something inside of me stirred as our fingers connected.An emotion.One of the memories.Every life we have already led.The previous cycles.Our lost love.The fights we had engaged in.All of them remained within us.Energy surged through my veins, and I gasped.Damon's hold became more firm.He sensed it, too.Aetherion called forth golden light with his raised palm."Fate is unavoidable."Damon took a step forward."Observe us."The first to strike was Aetherion.A golden fire blazed in our direction.I raised my hands, and all of a sudden—A shield developed.Not me.Fro
Melissa’s POVPower crackled in the air.I was immobile.I was having trouble breathing.Aetherion, the entity, was in front of us.He seemed unreal, like he was something incomprehensible, as his figure alternated between dazzling brightness and unending shade.His voice reverberated in the atmosphere."Everything must go in its intended direction."My heart was thumping in my chest."No," I said.Aetherion looked across to me.His eyes were power-filled emptiness.He remarked, "You have broken the cycle." "You have disregarded destiny. This is not acceptable.Damon was standing next to me, his fists clenched.Damon stated, "We didn't break the cycle." "We're working to make it better."Aetherion's head cocked.It was crushing to be around him.As if the entire cosmos were bearing down on us.He declared, "The cycle is not broken." "The cycle never ends. It is unchangeable.I gave a headshake."That isn't accurate," I stated. "We've witnessed it. We have experienced it. This is a jai
Melissa’s POVI was surrounded by a time-frozen environment.Trapped between the past and present, the royal room flashed.My former self was still standing there, observing me with icy, amber eyes.Damon gripped my hand.He said quietly, "Melissa, you must make a decision." "Should we maintain what we have or break the cycle?"I experienced heartache.I might lose Damon if I choose to end the cycle.Everything is gone, including our love and memories.But history would continue to repeat itself if we didn't.More suffering. More loss.Forever.My eyes welled up with tears.I said, "I don't want to lose you."Damon lightly touched my cheek."But you also don't want this curse to last."I balled my fists up.It was unfair.For what reason did love have to cost so much?I looked back at myself."You made the wrong decision," I said quietly, trembling. "I refuse to."My former self grinned."Then, let's test your strength."From her hands, a golden surge of power sprang forth.I let out
Melissa’s POVI felt the weight of the truth like a mountain.This cycle had begun with me.Everything: the suffering, the loss, the never-ending cycle of fate—I was solely to blame.My hands were shivering as I sat on the chilly stone floor.Damon had not returned.I was by myself thinking.And I heard the voice of my former self."You are unable to change who you are."No.That was not acceptable to me.I needed to figure out how to shatter this.However, how?I felt my heart thumping and gripped my chest."What should I do?" I said.A sorrowful, quiet voice answered."You have to make a decision."I pivoted.In front of me was the oracle.Time itself weighed heavily on her beautiful blue eyes, and her long silver hair flowed like water.I took a deep breath. "What do you choose?"She took a step forward."You have to rewrite the past to break the cycle," she stated.I scowled. "Rewrite?"She gave a nod."You have to take back what you did."My thoughts were racing as I blinked.Wa
Melissa’s POVDarkness.Then—A gentle wind.Slowly, I opened my eyes.Everything around me had changed.I was no longer in the temple.I was in a magnificent hall that was higher than anything I had ever seen. Overhead, I could see golden chandeliers glimmering across the marble floors. Strange symbols were engraved on tall pillars that lined the walls.I lowered my look to myself.My outfit was heavy, with gold embroidery and luxurious silk.My fingertips were coated in jewels.I wasn't myself.I let out a gasp. "Where am I?"Behind me came a strong voice."My Queen."I whirled—and stopped.Damon was standing there.However, he was... unique.He wore a platinum clip to secure his longer hair. His eyes were colder and darker. He was dressed in an armour-lined robe of gold and black that shone in the candlelight.Unreadable, he looked at me.I got a chill from something about him.He stepped closer and said, "Melissa," with ease. "Are you ill?"I stepped back. "I..."What should I hav
Melissa’s POVThere was silence in the air.I was having trouble breathing.Damon's golden eyes were dimly gleaming as he stood in front of me.He remained still.He merely looked.Through me, not at me.I took a measured stride forward. "Damon?"No answer.His fingers twitched as if he were struggling with something inside of him, and his body tightened.Then all of a sudden—His body gave a powerful jerk.His breath came in rough gasps as he gripped his chest.Deep within him sounded a rumbling growl.I hurried over to join him. "Damon, what is going on?"His jaw was so clinched that it appeared painful when he shook his head.“I—” He gulped and clutched my arm as if it were a lifeline. It's excessive. I have no control over it.I could feel the heat rising beneath his fingers.He got burns on his skin.Despite my wince, I didn't back down.I begged, "You have to fight it."His breath became laboured. "I don't know who I am anymore, Melissa."Fear took hold of my chest."You're Damo