Prologue
In a small town where people lived in harmony,
the streets were lined with wildflowers, and wooden houses stood beautifully crafted, their windows glowing with warmth. Rocky streets bustled with life — children laughing, playing, their joy painting the town in vibrant colors.
Among them was little Selena, her bright smile as radiant as the sun. She was not loved merely for her name or status as the mayor's daughter. No, Selena Montgomery was adored for who she was — a light that brought warmth wherever she went.
But one night, everything changed.
As her mother read her a bedtime story, a sudden, aggressive knock echoed through their home. Her mother tensed, her embrace tightening around Selena before quickly pulling the blankets over her. Hushed whispers. Urgent movements.
Her father answered the door. Standing there was a man, flanked by two guards, their imposing figures casting long shadows into the house.
"Sir Whitmore?" her father greeted, his voice calm but wary. They spoke — words exchanged in tense murmurs — but Selena was too young to understand.
She only knew one thing. That night, her mother held her closer than ever before. And then, the fire came.
The town burned. Screams filled the air. The sky turned black with smoke as flames consumed the streets, devouring everything in their path.
Her family ran. Her father led the way, pushing through the chaos, while her mother clutched Selena's hand tightly. They moved as one — until it happened.
A deafening crack. A burning wooden beam came crashing down.
It struck her mother.
She collapsed with a sharp gasp, her body pinned beneath the weight of the burning wreckage.
"Mama!" Selena shrieked. She lunged, hands grasping her mother's arms, pulling with everything she had.
Her mother choked on a breath, her fingers tightening around Selena's wrist. She tried to push herself up, but the beam held her down, scorching heat radiating through the wood.
"I can pull you out!" Selena cried, her small hands burning as she tugged, her feet digging into the dirt. "Please, Mama!"
Her mother winced but managed to look at her, her face illuminated by the flickering flames. "Selena, run."
Her mother's grip on her wrist began to loosen.
"Mama, don't let go!" Selena sobbed, yanking, struggling, refusing to let her slip away.
Her mother smiled. A small, soft, knowing smile.
And then — her fingers slipped from Selena's grasp.
Strong arms pulled Selena backward. Her father.
She thrashed, screaming, clawing, reaching for her mother, but her father wouldn't let her go. "Mama!"
Through the smoke, through her tears, she saw the flames rise higher — engulfing the wreckage, consuming her mother entirely.
That was the last Selena ever saw of her.
Present Day
"Mama…" Selena murmured before waking up in a cold sweat.
It was the coldest night. The moon's pale light reflected against the walls of her room.
She lay there, staring at the ceiling, wondering. Was I dreaming?
She blinked, looking around. The room was empty. The door was slightly open, revealing nothing but darkness beyond. Silence stretched through the house, unsettling and unfamiliar.
But something felt off.
The warmth of Aaron's scent still clung to her skin, yet his coat — once wrapped around her — was gone.
Then she realized. "Aaron!" She sat up straight. But… she was alone.
Selena gripped her blanket tightly. Sadness. Grief. Loss. Each emotion settled heavily on her chest.
Aaron's voice echoed in her mind. "One day… you will meet him."
And then Gordon's last words. "Leave."
The voices overlapped, blending into an endless, suffocating cycle — until something cut through them.
A soft, taunting whisper. "Disgusting, isn't it?" Selena's breath hitched.
"Once, you had everything. And now… one by one, it's being taken away from you."
The voice was coming from the door.
Through the small gap, a young Emily peeked inside.
But this time… Selena felt nothing.
No fear. No resistance. Just… emptiness.
Emily's voice was smooth, almost melodic.
"Selena… you have nothing left. Everything you had is gone."
Her tone was gentle, almost pitying. "Your parents. Ms. Mary. Gordon. And me…"
Then, a pause. "And now, Aaron."
Selena's hands clenched into fists, but there was no anger.
Emily's smile widened, her eyes shining with something unknowable.
"Poor Aaron," she continued.
"He thought he could save you. But no one can, Selena. Do you see? Come join me. This is the only way…"
Without hesitation, Selena stood.
Her movements were slow, deliberate — like a puppet whose strings had finally been pulled.
She walked down the hallway. Empty. Silent. Emotionless.
Her shadow stretched across the dimly lit floor, shifting. Morphing. Until it became Emily.
The streets outside were too quiet. The air felt wrong. The streetlights flickered, the glow from the moon — slightly red — followed her every step.
The shadow beside her held her hand. Guiding her. Leading her… to the clinic. The door creaked open.
Darkness swallowed the space inside. Selena stepped forward, her steps silent.
She made her way toward the pharmacy. The room where they kept all the medicine.
She reached out.
Her fingers curled around the bottle of chloroform.
The glass felt cool in her grip. She traced the cap with her thumb, her expression unreadable.
Her eyes — dark, empty, hollow.
She didn't think. Didn't hesitate.
She turned the cap.
One round…
Two rounds…
Three…
Suddenly —
The door creaked open behind her. Selena froze.
A voice filled the silence. "Selena?" It was Emma.
Her tone was laced with confusion, yet her expression held something else — something almost… amused.
"Finally giving up?" she asked, her lips curling slightly.
Selena snapped back to reality.
She turned to face Emma, her pulse still hammering in her chest. That smug expression. That twisted satisfaction in her eyes — as if she was enjoying this.
"Look at you, Selena," Emma murmured, stepping closer. "I used to admire you, you know."
Her voice was smooth, but bitterness dripped from every word.
"But now? You're pathetic."
Slowly, deliberately, Emma reached forward and snatched the bottle from Selena's hands.
She studied it, rolling it between her fingers. "You know… you and me? We're the same."
Her voice softened, but the venom remained.
"We're both orphans. Our parents didn't want us. We had no one… except each other."
Emma's eyes flickered with something darker. "We were supposed to always be together."
Her grip on the bottle tightened. "And then Emily came." Selena inhaled sharply.
Emma's words cut deep. "You changed, Selena. You followed her. You became hers. And me?"
Her voice wavered for a split second.
"You left me." Her eyes glistened, but she refused to let the tears fall.
Instead, anger took its place.
Emma exhaled shakily, swallowing the lump in her throat. She wouldn't cry.
She refused to cry. Instead, she turned away and placed the chloroform back onto the shelf.
"You don't got to use this, Selena." For the first time, her voice cracked.
"Even now, with Emily gone… you're still chasing her."
Her fingers curled into fists.
"Why? Are we still not good enough for you?"
She stepped forward, so close that their breaths almost collided.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Or…" her lips barely moved, "is it because you feel guilty? Because you killed her?"
Suddenly the sharp slapping sound echoed through the dimly lit clinic.
Emma's head snapped to the side.
A burning red mark bloomed across her cheek.
For a moment, she stood motionless, stunned.
Selena's breath was shaky. Her hand trembled at her side.
She hadn't meant to. She hadn't even thought.
Her body had moved on its own. The weight of what she'd done hit her instantly.
Her fingers curled into her palm, and before Emma could react —
She turned and stormed out.
Memories flooded back as Selena ran.
A distant afternoon in the garden. The scent of wildflowers. The warmth of the sun.
She and Emma sat side by side on the swings — Selena was ten, and Emma was eight. Selena held a book in her lap, her fingers carefully turning the pages.
"Once a year had passed, the lovers reunited. They married and had two beautiful children, who ran through the fields, laughing, chasing each other in the warm sun. And together, they lived happily ever after."
Selena closed the book gently.
Emma's eyes sparkled with joy. "That's so pretty!" Emma cheered.
But then… something in her shifted. Her small hands gripped the swing chains, and with innocent curiosity, she asked: "Selena… why don't we have a family?" Selena's breath caught.
For a split second — she saw it.
The fire. Her mother's face, flickering between the flames. The beam crushing her body. The way she smiled, even in her final moment. Selena inhaled sharply. "Emma, it's okay. At least we have each other."
She forced a smile, resting her hand on Emma's.
"I promise — we'll always be together." Emma's eyes lit up again, her sadness melting away.
And then —
Miss Mary's voice called from the house. "Selena, Emma! I have a new friend for you to meet."
"Her name is Emily."
Selena's body jolted — snapping back to reality.
She stood — barely balanced — on the edge of the high cliff, gripping the metal railing.
Below, the sea roared, waves crashing violently against the rocks.
The wind howled around her, pushing at her back. Her chest felt tight. Her thoughts a hurricane.
She had Emma. She had Miss Mary. She had everything. Yet…
"It was me."
"I ruined everything."
Then she closed her eyes… Slowly she took a step forward… She fell…
Finally, it's over… she thought.
Then blank… dark… nothing…
A sudden tight grip on her right hand.
Another on her left. Time stopped.
Her eyes fluttered open. Gordon held one hand, Aaron held the other.
She stared at them, her heart pounding.
Why?
Gordon and Aaron exchanged a look.
Aaron gave a slight nod. And together — they pulled her back.
Her body lurched forward, her breath stolen as she was wrenched from the abyss.
The weight of the fall still clung to her. But — she was no longer falling.
Gordon released her hand. Yet Aaron did not.
His grip remained — tight, firm, unmoving.
Selena's fingers twitched. Aaron's hand was warm. Steady. Unyielding.
She expected him to let go. But he didn't.
Not yet.
Not until… he was sure. So he looked at her.
His eyes told her everything. This might be the last time.
The last time he would ever get to hold her. Selena's breath hitched.
Aaron's grip shook — just barely. But he forced himself to hold on.
Because if he let go now — if he released her too soon…
Would she disappear again? Would she fall — this time, for real?
Would she slip away like everything else he had ever loved?
So he held on.
For just a moment more. For just a little longer.
Then, after what felt like forever…
He exhaled. And his fingers — slowly, painfully — loosened.
But in that split second — before he let go completely — Selena squeezed his hand.
Just once.
A silent acknowledgment.
A fleeting touch. And that was enough. Aaron let go.
Selena dropped to her knees. Gasping. Shaking. Breathing.
She had been saved — again. And yet — Aaron felt like the one who had fallen.
He turned away. His hands curled into fists at his sides, uncontrollably shaking,
his chest rising and falling with quiet restraint.
For a moment, he couldn't look at her.
Couldn't face the way his hands still burned where they had held her.
But then — her sob broke the silence.
Aaron closed his eyes. And he whispered, more to himself than to her —
"You're here."
"You're still here."
And that had to be enough.
Then, together, they walked to Emily's grave.
The weather was calm, and a gentle breeze welcomed them. Emily's tombstone was clean, as if she had only been buried yesterday. The air was filled with the soft scent of roses.
Gordon's necklace remained untouched.
Slowly, he knelt. For the first time in so long, his hands touched the cold stone. His fingers traced Emily's name, carved deep into its surface. He didn't speak. He didn't cry.
He just… felt her.
Selena and Aaron stood behind him, watching in silence.
The wind whispered through the trees. Time stretched.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
Still, Gordon stayed.
Selena glanced at Aaron. He gave her a small, faint smile.
Another thirty minutes passed. Finally — Gordon spoke.
His voice was low. Heavy. Broken.
"I'm ready."
Aaron exhaled softly, then gave Selena a gentle push forward.
She hesitated — just for a moment — before stepping closer.
Gordon lifted his hand. Selena stared at it before slowly reaching out.
The moment their fingers touched, he placed her hand on Emily's tombstone.
Aaron watched. From a distance, his body tensed.
He couldn't bear to look. So he turned away.
Then — silence. The wind stirred, rustling the trees.
Selena felt something… familiar.
The way Gordon guided her hand… The way she felt so connected, so warm…
Her breath hitched.
This wasn't Gordon.
This feeling — this presence — it was Emily.
Selena froze. And then, Gordon's voice broke the silence.
"Emily… can you hear me?" The wind shifted.
A whisper — soft, faint, yet unmistakable.
"Yes…"
Selena's chest tightened.
"Emily?"
Her voice cracked.
A gust of wind brushed against her skin, wrapping around her like an embrace.
She could feel her. She wasn't imagining it. Emily was here.
Sitting beside her. Holding her hand.
Selena's eyes welled with tears.
She broke.
"I'm so sorry…" she whispered.
"I never meant to do it. I never meant to kill you. Emily… please… forgive me!"
The air stilled. Then — another whisper.
"I never blamed you, Selena… I miss you."
Selena collapsed into sobs. Relief. Pain. Guilt. Love.
All of it, crashing down. She had spent so long believing Emily hated her.
But all this time… Emily missed her too.
Then — Gordon took a step back.
His fingers slowly slipped away from the tombstone.
For the first time in years… he felt at peace.
And yet… the story isn't over.
The End… Chapter 7: Sacrifices.