A Curse Love: Bound by Shadow

Chapter 10: The Ritual of Separation

The night air is dense, filled with an eerie silence that weighs heavily as I make my way through the dark woods, each step slower than the last. Damon had warned me about the ritual’s intensity, how it would strip away every lingering connection, leaving only emptiness in its wake. But the thought of freedom—the chance to break this torment between Luca and me—keeps me moving forward. The pain in my chest is relentless, an ache I can’t shake, but I force myself to push through, driven by a resolve that feels frayed, but necessary.

Damon and Hannah are waiting by the ancient stones, their faces shadowed in the moonlight. Damon’s eyes flash with determination, his stance confident as if he’s been preparing for this moment for far longer than I have. Hannah, on the other hand, looks almost mournful, her gaze flickering between me and the darkened woods behind us, as if she’s expecting someone.

“Are you ready?” Damon’s voice is steady, grounding. He steps toward me, his hand resting on my shoulder, a subtle reminder that this ritual isn’t something to be taken lightly. “This will sever the bond between you and Luca. Once it’s done, there’s no going back.”

A chill runs down my spine, but I nod. I think of the ache I feel every time I’m near Luca, the constant push and pull of emotions that threaten to consume me. I can’t live like this, wrapped in a web of his darkness, his pain. And yet, the thought of truly letting him go claws at me.

“I understand,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. I swallow hard, steeling myself. “Let’s just… let’s get this over with.”

Hannah steps forward, her hands clasped in front of her. She begins to draw symbols in the dirt, each line precise, filled with an energy I can’t quite describe. She mutters something under her breath, words I don’t understand but that resonate within me, each syllable pulling me deeper into a trance-like state. I close my eyes, letting her words wash over me, grounding myself in the belief that this is the only way out, that I have no other choice.

Damon watches me, his gaze unwavering. “Amelia,” he says softly, pulling me back to the moment. “Once we begin, you can’t hesitate. You have to commit to this fully, or the ritual won’t work. Do you understand?”

I nod, feeling a lump form in my throat. I think about Luca, about his dark eyes, the way he looked at me like I was both his salvation and his damnation. The way his touch burned, leaving me longing and terrified all at once. A part of me wants to turn and run, to find him and hold onto him no matter the cost. But I know that if I do, we’ll both be trapped forever in this painful cycle, bound to each other in a way that neither of us can survive.

“I’m ready,” I say, forcing the words out, even as they feel like a betrayal of my own heart.

---

As the ritual begins, I feel a shift in the air, a coldness that seeps into my bones. Damon takes my hands, guiding me through the words, the motions, each step meant to unravel the bond that ties me to Luca. Hannah stands close, her eyes closed, chanting softly, her voice weaving around us like a spell.

A gust of wind suddenly whips through the clearing, and my heart lurches, sensing an interruption in the energy. I turn, and my stomach drops as I see him.

Luca.

His eyes are wild, filled with a mixture of fury and devastation as he stalks toward us. My pulse races, the instinct to run to him warring with the knowledge of what I’ve already set into motion.

“Amelia,” he growls, his voice rough, laced with betrayal. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

I break away from Damon, stepping toward Luca, feeling the weight of his anger press down on me. “Luca… I… I’m trying to end this. To break the curse. It’s the only way.”

His eyes narrow, his expression a mix of rage and desperation. “So that’s it?” he snaps. “You’re just going to rip us apart without even telling me? After everything?”

I struggle to keep my voice steady, but the guilt twists inside me, a relentless reminder of how much this will hurt him. “You don’t understand, Luca. This bond—it’s suffocating us both. I can’t… I can’t keep carrying your darkness, and you can’t keep dragging me down with you.”

He takes a step closer, his gaze intense, his jaw clenched. “I never asked you to carry my darkness, Amelia. You chose to be with me. You knew what you were getting into.”

My chest tightens, and I shake my head, forcing myself to look away. “I didn’t know, Luca. I didn’t know it would be like this, that it would consume me.” I glance at Damon, who’s watching us with an unreadable expression, and then back at Luca. “Please, just… just let me do this.”

Luca’s hands reach out, grabbing my shoulders, pulling me close, his grip almost painful in its intensity. “And what about us, Amelia?” His voice cracks, barely more than a whisper. “You’re just going to throw that away?”

My heart shatters at the look in his eyes, the pain, the betrayal etched in every line of his face. “If I don’t do this, we’ll destroy each other,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “I can’t keep living like this. I can’t keep feeling your pain, your anger, every second of every day.”

He releases me, stepping back, his expression hardening. “Fine. Go ahead. Do what you have to do. But don’t expect me to forgive you.”

I reach out, my hand trembling as it touches his cheek. He flinches but doesn’t pull away, his gaze softening for just a moment. “I’m sorry,” I murmur, feeling the tears I’ve been holding back finally spill over. “I’m so sorry, Luca. But this is the only way to save us.”

His hand covers mine, holding it against his face, and I feel the pulse of his heartbeat, steady and strong, grounding me in a way that makes it all the harder to let go. “Then let me go with you, Amelia,” he says, his voice raw, vulnerable. “Let me be there, whatever this curse does. Don’t push me out of your life like this.”

I can’t look at him, can’t bear the pain in his eyes as I pull my hand away. “I… I have to do this alone. For both of us.”

In a final moment of defiance, he pulls me to him, his lips crashing against mine with a desperation I feel mirrored in every fiber of my being. The kiss is fierce, almost angry, as if he’s trying to imprint himself on me, a mark I’ll never be able to erase. I kiss him back, pouring every ounce of love, pain, and regret into the moment, knowing that it might be the last time I ever feel him like this.

When he finally pulls away, we’re both breathing hard, the silence between us filled with unspoken words, emotions too heavy to voice. His eyes search mine, and for a brief moment, I see a flicker of hope, a silent plea.

But I know what I have to do.

“I love you,” I whisper, barely audible, the words slipping out before I can stop them. I’ve never said it before, not out loud, but now, in this final moment, it feels like the only truth I have left.

He closes his eyes, his face contorting in pain, and when he opens them again, they’re cold, detached. “Then go,” he says, his voice like ice. “Do what you have to do. But don’t expect me to be here when you come back.”

I feel a tear slip down my cheek as I turn, forcing myself to walk away, each step feeling like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. The ritual isn’t complete yet, but I can feel the bond between us fraying, unraveling with each step I take.

The wind howls around us, the forest closing in, and I know, deep down, that this choice will haunt me for the rest of my life. But I keep walking, one foot in front of the other, leaving him behind, leaving us behind, hoping that somehow, this sacrifice will be enough to break the curse.

As I step back into the ritual circle, I glance over my shoulder one last time, seeing Luca standing there, his silhouette outlined in the moonlight, his face shrouded in shadows.

And then, with a final, shuddering breath, I let him go.