Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I rose to my feet. An icy wind whipped around me, but I barely felt it. The warmth of certainty in my chest was a beacon showing me the way.

I knew what I had to do. Or at least, I thought I did.

As if sensing my wavering determination, the swirling visions intensified. They no longer flitted at the edges of my consciousness but thrust themselves before me with vivid clarity. Each one demanded my attention, pulling at my heart and mind with equal force.

In one vision, I saw my friends locked in battle, but this time, I noticed something I hadn't before. A pattern to their movements, a rhythm to their conflict. If I looked closely enough, I could almost see the strings pulling them, puppeteering their actions. And in the background, a shadowy figure—the puppet master. The vision seemed to whisper, "Here lies the key to freeing them."

Another vision bloomed before me, a magnificent bird of flame soaring over a desolate landscape. The phoenix. Its flight left a trail of rebirth in its wake, dead lands springing to life. As it flew, I caught a glimpse of a hidden valley, untouched by the devastation around it. "Power to remake the world," the vision seemed to promise.

My chest tightened. How could I choose? Freeing my friends from whatever force controlled them was everything I'd fought for. But the phoenix…with that power, could I not save everyone? I might have the power over life and death. Remake the world into a place where such conflicts never happened?

Maci wanted the same thing. She wanted absolute power. If I chose the phoenix, I was following in her footsteps, and I refused to be a bitch focused on revenge. The phoenix wasn't the way.

I closed my eyes, trying to center myself, but the visions persisted behind my eyelids. Then, the third vision emerged. I saw myself, older and wearier, clutching the ornate hourglass with sand that flowed both up and down. My older self looked at me with eyes that held the weight of years, of choices made and paths not taken. She—I—didn't offer the hourglass but held it close, a silent reminder of what was at stake.

My heart raced. My palms sweated despite the biting cold. This was it. The moment that would define everything. As I stood there, poised on the precipice of choice, a face pushed its way to the forefront of my thoughts.

Justice.

My mate. My love. The one who had stood by me through it all.

I saw him clearly in my mind's eye, his face etched with pain from the curse that was slowly killing him. Even his vampire nature was failing to keep the curse at bay. The thought of losing him sent a spike of pain through my chest.

The visions swirled again, demanding my attention. But all I could see was Justice's face.

I remembered the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, a rare sight that always made my heart skip a beat. I thought of his unwavering support, his quiet strength that had been my anchor in the storms we'd weathered together. Now, he was slipping away, cursed and dying.

Tears stung my eyes. This wasn't merely a choice between power, knowledge, and saving my friends. This choice could determine whether the love of my life lived or died.

The phoenix's power beckoned. With it, could I not cure Justice? Could I not save everyone I loved? The hourglass whispered of possibilities, of turning back time to before the curse took hold. The vision of my friends promised a way to end their conflict, to bring them back to themselves.

My hands shook with the weight of the decision before me. Each option offered a way to save Justice, to save everyone. But which was the right path?

I closed my eyes, trying to center myself amid the chaotic swirl of emotions and possibilities. I thought of Justice, of the love we shared, of the future we'd dreamed of together. A future that was slipping away with each passing moment.

"I choose…" My voice cracked, thick with unshed tears. The wind seemed to hold its breath, waiting.

Justice's face floated before me again. Not as he was now, racked with pain, but as I'd first fallen in love with him. Strong. Kind. Alive.

"I choose love," I whispered, the words carried away almost as soon as they left my lips. "I choose my friends. I choose Justice."

The visions faded, the potential futures dissolving like mist. The image of the hourglass lingered longest, a silent promise of what might be if I could prove myself worthy.

As the last of them disappeared, I felt no surge of power, no sudden enlightenment. Instead, I felt a renewed sense of purpose, a fire in my heart that burned hotter than any phoenix.

I had chosen love. I had chosen Justice and my friends over power and control. It wasn't an easy choice. Part of me screamed that I was giving up the surest ways to save everyone. But in my heart, I knew this was right. This was me.

The path ahead was unclear, fraught with challenges I could barely imagine. I had no magical artifact to aid me, no cosmic power at my fingertips. All I had was my love for Justice, my loyalty to my friends, and my own determination.

Brody must have made the same choice. He loved us so much that he died for us. Love conquered all. Wasn't that what everyone said?

It would have to be enough because failure wasn't an option. Not with Justice's life hanging in the balance. Not with all my friends counting on me.

I breathed deeply, steeling my resolve. I would risk being trapped here forever. I would bear whatever happened next.

For Justice.

For my friends.

For love.

The mirror hadn't smiled or frowned. It stared at me as if reading my mind, its gaze penetrating and unnerving. I felt exposed, as if every thought, every fear, every hidden doubt was laid bare before its ageless gaze.

I forced myself to remain calm, to stand tall under its scrutiny. My choice was made. I had chosen love, chosen Justice and my friends over power and cosmic knowledge. I was confident in my decision, but I wasn't comfortable being judged. Especially by an artifact of such immense, unknown power.

My heart raced, and a bead of sweat trickled down my spine. The mirror's impassive gaze seemed to stretch for an eternity. What did it see in me? Strength? Weakness? Wisdom? Folly? I wanted to look away, to break this unnerving connection, but I couldn't. Some instinct told me this moment was crucial. Backing down now would undo everything. So, I stood my ground, meeting the mirror's gaze with all the conviction I could muster.

"I chose love," I whispered again, my voice stronger than I expected. "I chose them. And I would choose them again."

As if in response to my words, the mirror's surface rippled. For a brief moment, I glimpsed Justice's face, of my friends standing united. Then it was gone, replaced once more by that inscrutable, starlit mist.

Still, the mirror made no move to approve or condemn my choice. Its continued silence was somehow more unnerving than any judgment. Yet, as the moments ticked by, I felt a change within myself. My initial discomfort faded, replaced by a growing sense of resolve.

Yes, I had made my choice. Yes, it might be judged by powers beyond my understanding. But it was my choice.

"I stand by my decision," I stated, my voice ringing out. "Whatever comes next, I'm ready to face it."

As the words left my lips, I felt a surge of certainty, born of love, loyalty, and everything that made me who I was. My mother and brother had taught me that love was the most powerful force in the world. Not power, and certainly not revenge. Their voices echoed in my mind, a chorus of support for the choice I'd made.

I thought of Damon. We'd worked together all these years out of love. We'd been a team, bound by something stronger than any magical artifact or cosmic power. Even now, Damon and Zara were back in Garrick's hideaway, and I prayed the sloth demons hadn't overtaken them. The thought of them in danger steeled my resolve further.

This decision wasn't only for saving Justice, Garrick, and Maggie. It was for Damon and Zara, too. It was for everyone I loved, everyone who had shaped me into the person I was. The person who could make this choice.

A memory surfaced. Brody, trading his life to save ours. I understood that sentiment now, felt it burning in my chest with an intensity that took my breath away. Like Brody, I was willing to trade my life for theirs. All of theirs.

The mirror rippled again as if responding to the depth of my conviction. For a brief moment, I saw not only Justice's face but a mosaic of all the people I loved. My brother, Damon, Zara, Garrick, Maggie, and more. Their images blurred together, a tapestry of love and connection that guided me to this moment.

"This is who I am." I addressed the mirror, the island, the forces that had brought me to this crossroads. "This is what I choose. Love. Family. Friends. It's always been my strength, and it always will be."

As if satisfied by this declaration, the mirror faded, its form dissolving into icy mist. As it disappeared, I felt a subtle shift in the air around me, a sense of a page turning, of a new chapter beginning.

The path ahead was still uncertain, fraught with challenges I could barely imagine. But now, having faced the mirror's judgment and reaffirmed the values that defined me, I felt more prepared to face those challenges. I had chosen my family, both blood and found. No matter what trials lay ahead, I would keep choosing them. Every single day.

With one last look at the spot where the mirror had been, I turned and started walking. The first step on a journey I didn't fully understand, but one I was determined to see through to the end. For Justice. For my friends. For my family. For love. For the future we all deserved.

If it came down to it, I was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice because that was what love meant. That was what family meant. That was what it meant to be me.