Isigh as a cup of tea flies in my direction, landing on my desk. “I don’t want tea,” I say, my face tilted up to the ceiling. Ever since Arabella left, the palace has been accosting me, forcing food and drinks on me.The teacup rattles on my desk, and I’ve learned the hard way that it won’t stop until I take a sip. Lately the palace has become more temperamental, almost as though it’s trying to lessen the pain caused by Arabella’s absence.I sigh and raise the cup to my lips, taking a small sip. Everything I do reminds me of her. Something as simple as this reminds me of every time she’s brought me tea while I was working, the memories flashing through my mind, keeping me in torment.I sigh and rise to my feet, unable to spend a moment longer in this room that’s filled with memories of her. I try to resist temptation, but I fail. Every day since she left, I’ve found myself standing in front of the mirror with the same request.noveldrama“Pythia, show me her.”The mirror turns milky white before clearing, and I smile as Arabella comes into view. My heart skips a beat as I watch her walk through the castle in Althea, a cloak that matches mine around her shoulders. It’s far too warm for Althea, yet I’m glad to see her wearing it. Her wearing the cloak I gave her means she still holds me in her heart. One day, I’ll look into this mirror, and I’ll find her in someone else’s embrace.“Has our future changed?”“No. The day she returns to Eldiria is the day her life comes to an end.”I nod, having grown accustomed to Pythia’s words, yet I can’t keep myself from asking in the hope that someday she’ll tell me that the future has shifted, and Eldiria no longer poses a threat to Arabella.I long to go see her, but I can no longer step foot outside the palace without losing control over my hold on the curse. If I were to see Arabella, I’d put her in danger.Even as I stand here, watching her in the mirror, I feel the darkness within me trying to claw its way out. I know that I only have a few more moments before the weight becomes too much to carry, yet I cannot look away.She’s beautiful, and though there’s sadness in her eyes, there’s strength in the way she holds herself. She’s a sight to behold, a far cry from the scared girl she was when I first met her.I groan when my vision blurs, pain shooting through my body. From the corner of my eye, I can see my hands turning black, and I take a step away from the mirror. Removing the curse’s access to our lands has made its effects on me far worse than I admitted to Arabella. Each time I see her in the mirror, I lose consciousness for a few moments, the curse so eager to get to her that I can barely control it. I drop to my knees and clutch my head, trying my hardest to push down the feeling of dread and horror climbing its way up my throat.I lift my face to look into the mirror and watch as darkness slithers over my body until it reaches my eyes. I fight to hold on to my consciousness, but it’s a fight I’m doomed to lose. The last thing I feel before the world goes dark is my body hitting the floor.