CHAPTER FOUR

Scarlett’s POV

Days passed, as I sat in my room staring at my list, trying to decide what my first move would be. I knew that I couldn't just confront Ethan outright; I needed to be more strategic than that. I had to find a way to get under his skin, to make him feel the same pain and betrayal that I had felt. I felt maybe I need to do some little investigations.

As I sat there, lost in thought, my phone rang. It was Ethan.

I hesitated for a moment, considering whether or not to answer. But in the end, I decided that I had to play it cool. I couldn't let him know what I was planning.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual.

"Hey, Scarlett," he replied. "Listen, I just wanted to apologize again for what happened the other day. I want you to know that I would never hurt you."

I felt a surge of anger rise up in me. How could he be so clueless? So arrogant? Did he really think that he could just apologize and everything would be okay?

"Sure," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Apology accepted."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. I could tell that Ethan was taken aback by my tone.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything's fine," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I've just been busy with school and stuff."

"Oh, okay," he said. "Well, I was wondering if maybe we could hang out this weekend? Go see a movie or something?"

I gritted my teeth. This was exactly the kind of thing that I couldn't let him get away with. He thought that he could just act like nothing had happened, like he hadn't tried to hurt me. He was wrong.

"Sorry, Ethan," I said, my voice cold. "I'm busy this weekend."

"Okay, no problem," he said, sounding dejected. "Maybe some other time."

"Sure," I said, trying to sound casual. "Talk to you later."

I hung up the phone and let out a deep breath. It was clear to me now that Ethan had no idea what was coming for him. I was going to make him pay for what he had done, and he wouldn't see it coming. 

But as I sat there, staring at my list once again, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt. Was I really doing the right thing? Was revenge really the answer?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Of course it was the right thing. Ethan had hurt me, and he needed to pay. It was the only way to make things right.

And yet, as the days passed, I found myself growing more and more conflicted. Every time I saw Ethan, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. He seemed so sincere in his apologies, so genuine in his desire to make things right between us. Maybe he really had just made a mistake. Maybe he deserved a second chance.

But then I would think back to that moment in the forest, when he had tried to attack me. The fear and confusion I had felt as I saw him in his werewolf form. The way he had looked at me, his eyes filled with a wild hunger. No, he didn't deserve a second chance. Not after what he had done.

I tried to distract myself with other things - schoolwork, hanging out with friends - but no matter what I did, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Like there was a piece of the puzzle missing.

And then, one day, it hit me. What if Ethan wasn't the only one keeping secrets? What if there was something that I was missing too?

For the next few days, I delved into my past, scouring through old photos and journals in an attempt to unearth the missing pieces of my memories. Finally, after endless searching, I stumbled upon a photograph that caught my attention. It was a snapshot of myself and Ethan from the early days of our relationship. But what truly intrigued me was the strange symbol carved into the bark of a nearby tree that was visible in the background of the image.

Upon conducting further research, I discovered that this symbol was a powerful ancient curse, said to bestow unimaginable strength upon those who possessed it, but at a great cost. The implications of this revelation were staggering. Could this symbol be the reason for Ethan's transformation? Was it somehow linked to my own time travel experience?

The weight of the discovery sat heavy on my mind as I processed the implications of the ancient curse. What did this mean for Ethan's transformation? Was it connected to my own time travel experience? I couldn't shake off the questions that plagued my mind.

Despite the gravity of the situation, I refused to give up hope. I was determined to find a way to break the curse and make things right, without resorting to revenge. I couldn't let this curse control my life or those around me. It was a daunting task, but I knew I had to try.

In that moment, I didn't have all the answers. However, I did have a starting point. The strange symbol etched into the tree was my key to unlocking the truth. I began my research, diving deep into ancient mythology and folklore, searching for any information on the cursed symbol.

Days turned into weeks as I pieced together the scattered fragments of information. The more I learned, the more I realized the danger of the curse. It was a force to be reckoned with, capable of granting immense power but at an immeasurable cost. I couldn't let this curse continue to thrive, not when it had already caused so much pain and suffering.

With newfound determination, I set out on my quest to uncover the truth and put an end to the curse. I traveled to ancient ruins and scoured through countless books and manuscripts in search of any information that could help me break the curse.