Healed by the Cursed

CHAPTER FIVE

After Darian's disclosure, the cave became stifling. Aria stood motionless, her thoughts racing with the burden of what she had just acquired. With her heart pounding in her ears, her hands shook at her sides. The air surrounding them appeared to throb with dark energy, as though the very ground beneath their feet was charged with evil power.

Though she could sense his tension, Kade remained on her shoulders with a protective hand. He was concerned, maybe more than he had ever been. Darian, who had not yet left his position, was relishing the mayhem he had just set off.

Is it real? Though her voice was soft, Aria's query pierced the tension. Kade was someone she couldn't face. Not now. She was not prepared to confront him or the reality that was starting to surface.

Kade's face relaxed, but the sharp agony in his eyes was clear. I don't know Darian's motives, but I can assure you, Aria, you're not the curse's source.

Once more, Darian's harsh and disturbing laughter rang out throughout the cave. You still don't get it, do you? His voice slid like poison through the dark. Kade, it's not about what you desire. It's about who she is. It's about what she has the potential to become.

Kade's whole body seethed with rage as his hand formed a fist. Darian, I will stop you.

Aria turned to look at Kade, her heart breaking at the sight of his suffering. She desired to reach out to him, assuring him that she would not succumb to Darian's deception. Yet she could not overlook the gravity of his remarks.

Aria murmured, more to herself than to anybody else, "I don't know what to believe any longer." Everything is changing so quickly.

Pulling her into his arms, Kade's gaze softened; the warmth of his embrace offered a temporary consolation. The tension between them remained even as he hugged her tightly. The future appeared unclear, and Aria was unsure of her part in this bizarre, twisted game.

The pack convened at the packhouse after exiting the cave, the mood thick with uncertainty. Aria could read the doubt in their eyes; their faith in Kade was starting to fade. Always, without question, they had followed him; now, however, everything was different.

Darian's comments hovered over them, leaving the pack split and uncertain about how to proceed.

At the front of the room, Kade stood powerful yet tired in his speech. We have to decide how to deal with Darian. But I want you all to know one thing: we cannot allow him to control us. Though the curse could be connected to Aria, she is not necessarily to blame for our demise.

Before one of the pack members spoke up, his voice full of uncertainty, there was a brief hush. But if it's true, Kade—if Aria really is the key to breaking the curse—shouldn't we be doing everything possible to help her accept it? Shouldn't we strive to turn it against Darian?

Kade's eyes burned with rage, but he held it in check and replied after a deep breath. Aria will not be used as a pawn in this game. Not at this time. Never.

Aria sensed the weight of the room's stare shift towards her. All of them lay on her shoulders: the dread, the doubt, the need. She had to decide. At that moment, she had to decide what sort of person she wanted to be.

Aria responded, her voice firm, "I want to stop Darian." I can't, though, by myself. I want assistance. I have to know what this curse truly means and what I must do to end it.

Kade, his eyes brimming with resolve, nodded. Together, we will find a solution. Nothing will happen to you under my watch.

Looking at the packmates surrounding her, Aria breathed deeply. The issue was no longer only about Kade. It concerned the whole pack. Their existence. They are moving on to the next stage.

Aria said, more to herself than to anybody else,

"I have to face reality." I have to know what I can do. I cannot keep running away from it.

The days following the meeting were filled with intense training. Kade pushed Aria harder than she had ever been pushed before since he had no idea how much time was left before Darian made his next move.

They toiled together daily. Kade showed Aria how to use her dormant ability and how to access the bloodline magic running through her veins. Initially, it was too much. Aria found it difficult to grasp the extent of the power or to control it. She was clueless about her actions, but Kade's consistent presence led her.

"Aria, concentrate," Kade remarked, softly steering her hands during one of their training sessions. Sense the energy inside you. There's nothing to dread about it. It's simply who you are.

Aria shut her eyes to concentrate on the feelings coursing through her body. It was a constant, throbbing force she had no control over, the magic always there. But she could sense it—wild, untamed, a power that might either save or destroy.

Kade's support helped Aria to ground herself and guide the spell rather than allow it to dominate her. Though she wasn't quite in control, every day brought her closer.

One evening, following a particularly demanding training session, Kade gazed at her with a mix of pride and worry. A stronger aria is, "You are stronger than you think."

Aria didn't dispute him, but she wasn't convinced. Though it scared her, she could not refute reality, as she had recognised the possibility inside herself. Something unanticipated occurred as they kept training. Aria started having odd dreams; visions of the past, of the Bloodstone, and of a lady who seemed disturbingly familiar. Though the woman's face was a blur, the dream's vibe felt familiar, almost as if she had seen the woman before.

One night, in the middle of a particularly vivid dream, Aria saw a person standing before her; a woman with dark, flowing hair and eyes full of knowledge and sadness. The woman talked softly and distantly.

The lady remarked, "You are the key, Aria." Your correct decision will cause the curse to break.

Startled awake, Aria's heart was pounding. What was the lady's meaning? What was the correct decision? And why had she observed the woman's face?

She couldn't help but think that the solutions were only just out of reach, buried somewhere in her history.

Aria saw Kade the next morning, her mind weighed down by the dreams she had been having. She could not ignore the images, the sense that the curse was linked to something from her past.

Aria continued, her voice resolute, "We have to learn more about the Bloodstone."

The truth is something I need to know.

Kade's gaze grew stern as his protective instincts kicked in. I will assist you. We'll find the solution. And with that, Aria understood she was prepared to confront whatever the future brought. She was prepared to start undoing the spell.