Page 170 of The Orc's Captive Bride
“Just? There is nothing ‘just’ about what you’ve done. You crossed worlds. Defied kings. Deciphered ancient wisdom. All while navigating love and fear and impossible choices.”
Her cheeks burned. “I had help.”
“The best of us do. But you’re the one who acted. Who made the difficult choices. Who stands here now, prepared to sacrifice everything.”
The words settled like ice in her stomach.
“The runes said… they said cleansing requires sacrifice. Life for life. Blood for blood.”
“Yes.”
“So I… I’m ready.” Her voice shook. “I’m prepared to die if that’s what’s needed to restore the balance. To save them. To give Khorrek and the others a future.”
A long suffocating silence.
Then—
“Are you?”
The question was gentle, almost kind, but it held an edge, a challenge.
“Yes,” she said, her voice firmer. “I’ve made my peace with it. I’ve said my goodbyes. I’m ready.”
“Death is easy, child. An ending that requires no further suffering.”
She frowned and pushed her glasses up her nose.
“Then what?—”
“I’m not asking for your death. I’m asking for your sacrifice.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Don’t you? You’re brilliant. Observant. Think, Dr. Monroe. What sacrifice would truly restore balance? What offering would equal what was stolen?”
Her mind raced, trying to analyze the problem.
The Beast Curse had been corrupted, twisted from a symbiotic blessing into something dark and controlling. The corruption had started generations ago with Lasseran’s ancestors stealing power, drawing strength from the connection between gods and mortals.
That stolen power had created an imbalance and disrupted the natural order. To restore balance, what was taken needed to be returned. But what had been taken?
Power, yes, but more than that. Choice. Free will. The ability to live without corruption controlling every aspect of existence. And to return that…
Understanding crashed over her like a wave.
Oh. Oh no.
“You want me to stay,” she whispered. “To remain here forever and act as a living anchor for the restored balance.”
“Close, but not quite.”
“Then what?”
“I want you to choose freely. Knowing the cost and understanding the weight.”
“Choose what?”
The mist parted slightly, revealing two paths stretching into the distance. One led back toward camp, towards Khorrek sleeping peacefully, towards a future together. The other led… elsewhere. Somewhere shrouded and unclear.
