Chapter 25

Chapter

Twenty-Five

K aralyn's world had become a blur of darkness, fear, and isolation. The passage of time meant little in this cold, sequestered room where she was cut off from everything that once gave her strength. She had tried to hold on, to keep the hope alive that Harald would find her. But as the days—or was it weeks?—dragged on, the despair grew harder to fight.

The figure who had first visited her—the one cloaked in shadows and lies—had not returned since their initial encounter, leaving Karalyn alone with her thoughts and fears. The isolation was maddening, the silence oppressive. She had no sense of what was happening outside these walls and no way of knowing if Harald was searching for her or if he was safe.

But he was alive. She firmly believed that. The figure could spew the lie time and again, but she would never accept it as truth.

Then, one day, the stone wall split open once more, and the figure entered the room, carrying a small tray of food. The smell of it made Karalyn's stomach turn.

The figure set the tray down in front of her, their face still hidden beneath the hood of their cloak.

"You need to eat," the figure said, their voice cold and devoid of empathy.

Karalyn stared at the tray then looked away, her jaw set in defiance. "I'm not hungry," she replied, her voice flat.

The figure's posture stiffened. "Starving yourself is foolish. Do you wish to die and join Harald?"

"Do not worry," Karalyn said coolly. "I will eat. I'll eat when Harald rescues me from you."

The figure's reaction was immediate. They slammed a fist onto the stone floor beside her, the sound echoing in the small room. "Your husband is dead!" they snarled, their voice sharp with anger. "He's not coming for you! You're alone, Karalyn. Accept it!"

The words cut through Karalyn like a knife, but she refused to let them see how much it hurt. She turned her face away from the figure, unwilling to give them the satisfaction of a response. Deep down, she knew they were lying. Harald couldn't be dead. She refused to believe it. But the constant barrage of lies, the isolation, the fear… it was all beginning to wear on her.

The figure waited, as if expecting her to break, but when she remained silent, they let out a frustrated growl. "You're a fool," they spat. "Your hope is meaningless. No one is coming for you."

With that, the figure turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Karalyn alone once more. The wall slammed shut, and Karalyn winced as if she had been struck. She sat in the darkness, her heart pounding, tears welling in her eyes.

She wanted to believe in Harald, to believe that he was still alive and searching for her, but the longer she was kept in this place, the harder it became to hold onto that belief. The darkness was closing in, the despair growing more suffocating with each passing moment. Not eating or drinking was taking its toll, and she wasn't sure how much strength she had left.

Eventually, exhaustion overcame her, and she fell into a fitful sleep, her body and mind too worn down to resist.

In her sleep, she found herself back in the fairy castle, but it was different—darker, twisted. The walls were lined with thorny vines, and the air was thick with an oppressive, suffocating fog. She called out for Harald, her voice echoing eerily in the empty halls, but there was no response. The silence was deafening, the sense of dread overwhelming.

She started to run, desperate to find him, but the castle seemed to shift and change around her, leading her in circles. Finally, she felt a presence—familiar, yet terrifying. She turned, and there he was.

Harald.

But this wasn't the man she loved. This was a monster.

His eyes, once filled with warmth and love, were now cold and empty, glowing with a malevolent red light. His face was twisted with rage, his features distorted and cruel. His hands, which had always been gentle with her, were now clawed and covered in blood. He was hunting, seeking something—or someone—with a single-minded, vengeful purpose.

"Harald?" Karalyn whispered, her voice trembling with fear. "What happened to you?"

The monster that had once been her husband turned to face her, his expression one of pure fury. "You…" he growled, his voice deep and guttural, barely recognizable. "You left me… You abandoned me… and now I will destroy everything to find you! Sylphs, sirens, shapeshifters… mermaids, elves… anyone and everyone who does not help me find you!"

Karalyn stumbled back, terror gripping her heart. "No… no, I didn't! I never left you, Harald! Please, you have to remember who you are! I'm right here! You don't have to do this!"

But her words fell on deaf ears.

"I'll kill anyone and everyone who is keeping you from me!"

"I'm right here!" she repeated, her voice wild with desperation.

The monster that was Harald lunged toward her, his claws outstretched, his eyes burning with a twisted desire for vengeance. Karalyn tried to run, but the ground beneath her feet crumbled, sending her tumbling into the abyss.

As she fell, she heard Harald's voice, filled with anger and despair, echoing in her mind. "You did this to me, Karalyn… You made me this way… and now, I will destroy everything to bring you back!"

The darkness swallowed her whole, and Karalyn jolted awake, her heart pounding in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps. For a moment, she didn't know where she was, the nightmare still clinging to her consciousness.

But as the reality of her situation settled back in, so did the despair. The room was still dark, still lifeless, and she was still alone. The nightmare had shaken her to her core, planting seeds of doubt in her heart. What if Harald was becoming the monster she had seen in her dream? What if the curse was twisting him into something unrecognizable, something vengeful and cruel?

Tears filled her eyes as she curled up on the cold stone floor, her body trembling with fear and sorrow. She wanted to believe that Harald was still out there, still the man she loved, but the nightmare had left her shaken, her hope fragile and weak.

The darkness pressed in around her, and Karalyn felt herself slipping further into despair, her strength waning with each passing moment. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on, how much longer she could fight against the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that threatened to consume her.

As she lay there, alone and afraid, Karalyn whispered Harald's name, clinging to the faint hope that he was still out there, still fighting for her.

But even that hope was beginning to fade, lost in the shadows of her own despair.

Karalyn was trapped in a prison of darkness and despair, the hope that once flickered in her heart now reduced to a faint ember. The nightmare of Harald turning into a vengeful monster had shaken her to her core, and the despair that followed left her feeling more vulnerable than ever.

But just when she thought things couldn't get worse, the figure returned.

The door creaked open, and the cloaked figure stepped into the room, their presence immediately filling the space with an oppressive aura. Karalyn's heart pounded in her chest as the figure approached, their movements deliberate and menacing.

"You still resist," the figure said, their voice low and cold. "You still cling to hope, but hope is a lie, Karalyn, and I'm here to show you the truth."

Karalyn's breath caught in her throat as the figure leaned over her, their face still obscured by the deep hood. Before she could react, they reached out and placed their hands on either side of her head, their fingers pressing firmly against her temples.

A sharp pain shot through Karalyn's skull, and she cried out, trying to pull away, but the figure's grip was like iron. The pain intensified, a searing agony that seemed to burn through her very thoughts. She felt something being torn from her mind, something vital and precious. Her memories—her very sense of self—were being ripped away.

"No!" Karalyn screamed, her voice raw with terror. "Stop! Please!"

But the figure did not relent. They continued to strip away her memories, one by one, until there was nothing left. Her mind was a blank canvas, the person she had been erased in an instant. She collapsed, her body limp, her mind empty, the echoes of her own screams fading into the darkness.

When the figure finally released her, she slumped to the floor, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She stared blankly at the ground, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. She didn't know where she was, who she was, or why she was here. Everything was a void, a vast emptiness that left her feeling lost and alone.

The figure crouched down beside her, their voice a soft, insidious whisper. "Let me help you." And the figure freed her wrists and ankles. "There. Better now? You do not need to be afraid anymore."

She looked up at the figure, her eyes filled with desperation. "Who… who am I? Why am I here?"

The figure's lips curled into a cruel smile beneath the shadow of the hood. "You were taken by a man named Harald. A cruel, vicious, and wicked man who destroyed everything you loved. He is the reason you're here, Karalyn. He is the reason you've suffered so much."

Karalyn. That was her name? But even more than that, her heart clenched at the mention of the other name. Harald. The name stirred something deep within her, a faint echo of a memory, but it was distant, out of reach. She tried to grasp it, to hold onto it, but it slipped through her fingers like sand.

"Harald…" she whispered, the name foreign on her tongue. "Who is he? What did he do?"

The figure's voice was smooth and persuasive, wrapping around her like a coil. "He is a monster, a man who has caused untold pain and suffering. He took you, hurt you, and then abandoned you here. He has no mercy, no compassion. He is a vengeful beast, driven only by his own twisted desires."

Karalyn's eyes widened in fear.

"Why… why would he do that?" Karalyn asked, her voice trembling.

"Because he is a man consumed by darkness," the figure replied. "He cares for no one but himself. He has hunted you down and destroyed your life, and now, he seeks to destroy you completely. You are safe from him here, but only if you trust me. Only if you understand the truth."

Karalyn looked into the shadowed face of the figure, her mind swirling with confusion and fear. A sense of dread remained. She wanted to believe that she was safe, that this figure was telling the truth, but who was the figure?

The figure stood, towering over her like a menacing shadow. "You will forget Harald," they commanded, their voice firm. "You will forget everything about him. He is nothing but a nightmare, a ghost from a past that no longer exists."

Karalyn nodded weakly, too frightened and disoriented to resist.

As the figure turned to leave, Karalyn blurted out, "Who are you?"

The figure turned back to her. "I am you."

As she watched, the figure lowered her hood to show off a woman with long, golden hair and a soft enough smile. After a nod, the figure covered her face once more and left Karalyn alone.

More than a little unnerved, Karalyn glanced around. What was she supposed to do? Her gaze fell on the tray of food, and she realized she was starving. She ate every bite and drank every drop.

What did the figure mean by saying that she was her?

Karalyn picked up the silver tray. Her hair was the same long, golden strands as the figure's, but she couldn't bring herself to even attempt a smile.

She tossed the tray away from her, the clattering sound too loud in her ears. Far too quickly, the isolation ate away at her, and her heart sank further into despair. She was alone, trapped in a nightmare with no memory of who she was or who Harald truly was. The darkness pressed in on her, the figure's words echoing in her mind.

Harald was a monster, a vengeful creature who sought to destroy her.

And without her memories to tell her otherwise, Karalyn couldn't help but believe it.