Danny stood frozen under the flickering streetlight, the black folder heavy in his trembling hands.
Claire Lin.
The name echoed in his hollow mind, stirring emotions he couldn't understand.
Why did his chest tighten at the sight of her face?
Why did his hands refuse to obey the silent command already etched into his fate?
The Soul Mark beneath his eye throbbed painfully, its small grinning mouth whispering louder now.
"Finish the task… claim your final freedom…"
He tracked Claire to an old, crumbling bookstore tucked away in a forgotten corner of the city.
Through the rain-smeared window, he saw her—organizing shelves with gentle, precise movements, her face calm, her eyes…
Those eyes.
Even without his memories, something deep inside him screamed that he had once drowned in their warmth.
As if sensing his presence, Claire turned toward the window.
For a long, heart-wrenching second, their gazes locked.
She didn't scream.
She didn't run.
Instead… she smiled.
A real, soft smile—the kind he hadn't seen since before his curse.
And then she mouthed words through the glass, slow and deliberate.
"Danny… you promised me."
His breath caught in his throat.
Promised? What did I promise you?!
The Soul Mark burned like molten iron under his skin, the tiny mouth twisting wider, its voice snarling now.
"Do it! End her! Or you lose everything!"
Danny pushed open the door.
A small brass bell jingled, its soft chime cutting through the suffocating tension.
Claire stood behind the counter, her hands resting lightly on the worn wood.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she didn't back away.
"Danny…" she whispered. "Even if you've forgotten… I know you're still in there."
He raised his hand.
In his palm, the black contract token from the Threshold flickered, ready to complete the deal.
With one simple word—Accept—her life would be claimed, his curse lifted, and his freedom won.
But as he stared into her eyes, something impossible happened.
A memory surfaced.
Her laughter.
The warmth of her hand in his.
Her voice whispering against his ear on a rainy night long ago—
"Promise me, Danny. No matter how dark it gets… don't lose yourself."
Tears spilled down his cheeks.
The cursed grin on his face cracked painfully, and for the first time in weeks…
His lips trembled. His smile broke.
He clenched his fists, crushing the contract token in his hand.
The Soul Mark under his eye let out a furious, otherworldly shriek, the tiny mouth splitting wider, black smoke pouring out as it tried to force him back into submission.
But Danny stood firm.
He remembered.
He finally remembered.
With a defiant roar, he grabbed the small ceremonial dagger Fate Exchange had given him—the tool meant to end Claire's life.
But instead of turning it on her, he pressed the blade against his own cursed mark.
"If I'm going to end something today… it's YOU!"
The dagger burned in his grip, his flesh searing, the cursed mouth screaming and thrashing as black veins spread across his skin.
And with a final surge of willpower, Danny plunged the blade into the mark.
The world went white.
A shockwave of energy exploded from his body, the force shattering glass, extinguishing lights, and tearing the oppressive whispers from his mind.
When the light faded, Danny collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.
The mark beneath his eye was gone.
And for the first time in what felt like eternity…
He was free.
Claire knelt beside him, her fingers brushing away his tears.
"You remembered," she whispered.
Danny could barely speak through the pain, but he managed a small, real smile.
"I promised you, didn't I?"
🎬 [End of Chapter 13]