"I can't do this anymore."
I turned to face my son, the words I had dreaded hearing finally spilling from his mouth. The weight of the decision hung in the air, oppressive and suffocating. The moonlight shone through the trees, casting long shadows on the ground, but it couldn’t mask the pain in his eyes.
"You don't understand, Mother," Aric continued, his voice trembling. "Every time I use this power... it feels like I'm losing myself."
I swallowed hard, stepping forward to take his hand. His skin was warm, but there was a coldness in his eyes that I couldn't ignore. The same coldness that had been creeping into him for days now. The same coldness that came from the darkness within him—the darkness tied to the curse.
"Aric," I whispered, struggling to keep my voice steady, "You’re not
