Timeless Decisions

Freeze

Morgian walked up the grand staircase with Red and Chloe following closely behind. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of fear and determination driving him forward. When they reached the large, ornate door of his mother's chambers, he hesitated for a brief moment before knocking. The silence that followed was unsettling, but Morgian knew he couldn't turn back now.

He slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside, his breath catching in his throat as he saw his mother, Blanc, standing in front of a mirror. She was staring at her reflection, an eerie, unsettling smile playing on her lips.

"Mom?" Morgian called out hesitantly, his voice trembling slightly.

Blanc turned around slowly, her smile widening into a smirk. Her eyes glinted with a cold, sinister light that sent shivers down Morgian's spine. "What's wrong, my sweet boy?" she asked in a voice that was once soothing but now sounded disturbingly sultry and menacing.

Morgian took a cautious step forward, his heart breaking as he saw the madness swirling in her eyes. "Mom, you need to stop this," he pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation.

Blanc raised an eyebrow, her smirk never faltering. "Stop what, dear?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"This madness, Mom! The curse—before it kills us all!" Morgian shouted, his emotions getting the better of him as he took another step closer to her.

Blanc shrugged nonchalantly, as if the gravity of his words meant nothing to her. "Well, too bad," she said dismissively, her tone as cold as the icy grip of the curse she had unleashed.

At that moment, Red and Chloe entered the room, their presence causing Blanc's expression to shift instantly. Her eyes, once indifferent, now blazed with anger and betrayal as she looked from her son to the two girls.

"You're working with them?!" Blanc spat, her voice dripping with venom. The betrayal in her tone was unmistakable, and it cut through Morgian like a knife.

Morgian froze, torn between the love for his mother and the reality of what she had become. "Mom, it's not what you think—"

Blanc cut him off, her gaze narrowing dangerously. "After everything I've done for you, Morgian? You betray your own mother for them?"

Red stepped forward, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. "Blanc, this isn't you. The curse is making you do this. We can help you."

Blanc laughed, the sound harsh and mocking. "Help me? Oh, my dear girl, you have no idea what's truly happening here." Her eyes flicked back to Morgian, cold and unforgiving. "You've chosen your side, Morgian. I hope you're ready to face the consequences."

Morgian's heart sank as he realized just how far gone his mother was. The woman who had raised him, loved him, was now a twisted reflection of herself, consumed by darkness.

Red, sensing the rising danger, took a step back, gently pulling Chloe with her. "Morgian, we need to get out of here," she whispered urgently.

Morgian nodded, his eyes never leaving his mother's. "Mom, please," he tried one last time, his voice barely more than a whisper.

But Blanc's smirk only widened, her eyes glinting with a cruel amusement. "It's too late for that, my sweet boy," she said softly. "Too late for all of you."

But Blanc's smirk only widened, her eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "It's too late for that, my sweet boy," she said softly, her voice dripping with finality. "Too late for all of you."

Morgian took a step backward, shock washing over him like a cold wave. He couldn't reconcile the woman standing before him with the mother he had known and loved all his life. The reality of her twisted words hit him hard, and something inside him seemed to snap. His breath became ragged and shallow, his chest tightening as panic set in.

"R-R-R-Red..." Morgian stuttered, his voice barely audible as a chill swept over his body. It was as if the curse was tightening its grip on him, freezing his very soul. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto his knees, desperately trying to warm himself, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

Red's eyes widened in alarm, and she rushed over to him, dropping to her knees beside him. "Morgian, I'm here! I'm right here," she said, her voice filled with urgency as she grabbed his arms, trying to steady him.

Morgian shook his head, his mind spiraling out of control. The betrayal, the fear, the overwhelming despair—it all collided within him, and his emotions erupted like a storm. His breathing became erratic, hyperventilation setting in as he struggled to pull himself together.

"Red, I-I can't..." Morgian gasped, his eyes wide with fear as he clutched at her arms, his grip tightening as if she were the only thing anchoring him to reality.

Red's heart ached seeing him like this, so vulnerable and broken. "Morgian, breathe with me. Just focus on my voice, okay?" she urged, trying to guide his breathing, even as her own heart raced with fear.

Morgian tried to follow her words, but the coldness inside him was spreading, seeping into his bones, freezing his thoughts. His vision blurred, and he felt as if he were slipping away, lost in a sea of despair. He clung to Red, desperate for some semblance of warmth, of comfort, as the darkness threatened to consume him.

"Stay with me, Morgian," Red pleaded, her voice breaking as she held onto him tightly, refusing to let him slip away. She could feel his desperation, the coldness creeping into his soul, and it terrified her. As she held him, she glanced back at Blanc, fury burning in her eyes as she saw the smug satisfaction on the woman's face.

"What have you done?" Red demanded, her voice trembling with anger as she struggled to help Morgian breathe, to stop him from spiraling deeper into the abyss.

Blanc's smirk widened, though for a brief moment, something else flickered in her eyes—something that almost seemed like regret or hesitation. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by cold indifference. "I have done nothing," Blanc replied with a chilling calmness. "But maybe a nice potion helped."

Her words dripped with venomous intent, and Red's heart sank as she realized just how deep Blanc's corruption ran. There was no reasoning with her—not as she was now. But Red also saw that brief flicker of something else in Blanc's eyes, a part of her still fighting against the darkness.

Red turned back to Morgian, whose frantic breathing had slowed, but not in a comforting way. He had gone quiet, too quiet, his body becoming unnaturally still. When she looked down at his hands, horror gripped her. His fingers, which clutched onto her as if she were his lifeline, had begun to turn an icy blue. The color spread slowly, ominously, like a creeping frost overtaking his skin.

As the coldness began to seep deeper into Morgian's body, he could feel it starting at his fingertips—a numbing sensation that crawled up his arms with agonizing slowness. It wasn't just a physical chill; it was as if the very essence of warmth and life was being drained from him. The once steady beat of his heart felt sluggish, as though encased in ice, each thump more labored than the last.

His breaths came in short, shallow gasps, the air he inhaled feeling colder than before, as if the curse was freezing him from the inside out. The warmth of Red's hands holding his felt distant, almost foreign, like a memory of something he could no longer truly grasp. His senses dulled, the world around him growing muted and distant, as though he were being encased in a thick layer of frost, cutting him off from everything and everyone.

With every passing second, the cold crept closer to his heart, a heavy weight settling in his chest. It was a suffocating, relentless pressure, making it harder to breathe, to think, to feel anything but the encroaching numbness. His mind, once sharp and filled with emotion, began to slow, thoughts freezing in place, leaving him trapped in a bleak, icy void.

His vision blurred, colors fading to a dull, lifeless gray. The vibrant hues of the room, the warmth of Red's presence, even the hateful gleam in Blanc's eyes—all of it dimmed, as though a thick frost had settled over his eyes, obscuring the world. His gaze, once so full of determination and fire, now grew vacant, the light within them flickering like a dying flame.

Morgian could feel his soul retreating, shrinking away from the cold that now threatened to consume him completely. His heart, once full of warmth and love, began to feel distant, as though it were no longer his own, encased in a prison of ice. The emotions that had once defined him—love for his family, the drive to protect them, the bond he shared with Red—all seemed to slip away, one by one, lost to the freezing void that was slowly overtaking him.