1. The Curse
1. The curse
"For this, you will never find anyone who will love this version of you, freely, selflessly. You will live in this loneliness, trapped in your mistakes. Your curse will be lifted off when someone as selfish as you can find in their heart to love you, with all your faults, all your misdeeds."
Her eyes, golden like that of a burning ember flashed. Adrian stood there, rooted in place. Frozen in time.
"And if you fall in love with that selfish person, and she refused to love you back, your heart will break just as mine did. But it won't be metaphorical."
"It is not my fault that you fell in love, Elara. I never promised you eternity." He said with an air of superiority and disdain. Like her love offended him. His eyes were cold, as cold as the night air pulsing around them. It showed how he didn't care. How he didn't care for her tears, for her broken heart.
Elara shivered. Adrian frowned.
"You never refused, either." Elara said as a tear rolled down her soft pink cheeks. It touched the earth with a sizzle. Smoke billowed around them. "For one last time, you will be allowed to look at yourself, Adrian. After this, no mirror can reflect your reflection. This handsomeness you so dearly cherish, it shall be no more and no one who ever loved you before can love you, again. After today, you shall be truly and utterly alone. Miserable in your own company. And your selfishness shall burn you warm in the cold night." Her voice was melodic, unchanged. But her eyes, they were not the same anymore.
She lifted her hands, chanting softly under her breath. Words in foreign tongue. Beautiful, mesmerizing melody. Magic shimmered around her, soft and glowing. She looked ethereal in the moonshine. Her ever kind eyes looked hard, unflinching.
Pain rippled through his body, immobilizing him. He didn't believe this was happening.
"For this, you will never find anyone who will love this version of you, freely, selflessly. You will live in this loneliness, trapped in your mistakes. Your curse will be lifted off when someone as selfish as you can find in their heart to love you, with all your faults, all your misdeeds."
Her eyes, golden like that of a burning ember flashed. Adrian stood there, rooted in place. Frozen in time.
"And if you fall in love with that selfish person, and she refused to love you back, your heart will break just as mine did. But it won't be metaphorical."
"It is not my fault that you fell in love, Elara. I never promised you eternity." He said with an air of superiority and disdain. Like her love offended him. His eyes were cold, as cold as the night air pulsing around them. It showed how he didn't care. How he didn't care for her tears, for her broken heart.
Elara shivered. Adrian frowned.
"You never refused, either." Elara said as a tear rolled down her soft pink cheeks. It touched the earth with a sizzle. Smoke billowed around them. "For one last time, you will be allowed to look at yourself, Adrian. After this, no mirror can reflect your reflection. This handsomeness you so dearly cherish, it shall be no more and no one who ever loved you before can love you, again. After today, you shall be truly and utterly alone. Miserable in your own company. And your selfishness shall burn you warm in the cold night." Her voice was melodic, unchanged. But her eyes, they were not the same anymore.
She lifted her hands, chanting softly under her breath. Words in foreign tongue. Beautiful, mesmerizing melody. Magic shimmered around her, soft and glowing. She looked ethereal in the moonshine. Her ever kind eyes looked hard, unflinching.
Pain rippled through his body, immobilizing him. He didn't believe this was happening.
Every cell throbbed, hurt. His scream of agony went unheard. It was a good thing, though. Anyone who could have heard him might have gone deaf from the sound. It was loud, ripping. Full of agony that might kill.
"Who are you?" His words left in a strangled gasp. "You are- who the hell are you?" He stopped as another bout of pain burned his nerves and he clutched his chest. It felt like someone was lighting a fire at the seams of his veins.
"I am a witch." Elara said, her voice filled with grief.
"There is no such thing as a witch. Not-"
She waved a hand, her voice soothingly soft against the wild growl of the night wind, and he went silent.
"If I am not, how can I do this, Adrian?" Elara whispered. He looked wildly around. There was just no one who could save him now.
A tall mirror with golden frame appeared in front of him and he flinched when he saw himself. There were dark branches running through his right hand up his chest to the right side of his face. Violent scars, red and angry and swollen, marred his once smooth, handsome face. His sharp jaw looked half broken at the side. His fingers trembled as he touched the welts in his lips.
"Please." For the first time, he looked scared. Regretful. "I am so sorry."
"You are not. But you will learn your lesson and you will truly be sorry one day."
"I am so sorry. I shouldn't have used you. Please, don't leave me like this." He begged, looking afraid. Finally he was understanding the seriousness of this situation. At first, it was all so unrealistic, but now he knew it was more real than anything. The pain in his body, it was as real as it could get. "Please, Elara. Just-"
"It is too late, Adrian, for your apologies. But because I loved you once, I shall leave you three things. Lumiere and Mrs. Potts, they will stay loyal to you. Always. And a way to break your curse. One drop of tear can save you, a tear of a person who is as ugly as you on the inside. As selfish as you had been. If you find a love like that, maybe your sins will be absolved, may be you are not as irredeemable. But if it is not, as I promised, your heart will break. It will break until you die from the pain of it. Slán go fóill." She said and left, leaving him alone in his big house, that looked menacingly empty and scary.
A small black bud opened in the ground, from the place where Elara just stood and cried.
***
"Who are you?" His words left in a strangled gasp. "You are- who the hell are you?" He stopped as another bout of pain burned his nerves and he clutched his chest. It felt like someone was lighting a fire at the seams of his veins.
"I am a witch." Elara said, her voice filled with grief.
"There is no such thing as a witch. Not-"
She waved a hand, her voice soothingly soft against the wild growl of the night wind, and he went silent.
"If I am not, how can I do this, Adrian?" Elara whispered. He looked wildly around. There was just no one who could save him now.
A tall mirror with golden frame appeared in front of him and he flinched when he saw himself. There were dark branches running through his right hand up his chest to the right side of his face. Violent scars, red and angry and swollen, marred his once smooth, handsome face. His sharp jaw looked half broken at the side. His fingers trembled as he touched the welts in his lips.
"Please." For the first time, he looked scared. Regretful. "I am so sorry."
"You are not. But you will learn your lesson and you will truly be sorry one day."
"I am so sorry. I shouldn't have used you. Please, don't leave me like this." He begged, looking afraid. Finally he was understanding the seriousness of this situation. At first, it was all so unrealistic, but now he knew it was more real than anything. The pain in his body, it was as real as it could get. "Please, Elara. Just-"
"It is too late, Adrian, for your apologies. But because I loved you once, I shall leave you three things. Lumiere and Mrs. Potts, they will stay loyal to you. Always. And a way to break your curse. One drop of tear can save you, a tear of a person who is as ugly as you on the inside. As selfish as you had been. If you find a love like that, maybe your sins will be absolved, may be you are not as irredeemable. But if it is not, as I promised, your heart will break. It will break until you die from the pain of it. Slán go fóill." She said and left, leaving him alone in his big house, that looked menacingly empty and scary.
A small black bud opened in the ground, from the place where Elara just stood and cried.
***
