Echoes of Wonderland

LET THE WORLD BURN

Red's POV

The forest closes in around me as I walk, the shadows stretching out like claws, gripping me tight. Each step feels heavier than the last, like the weight of what I'm about to do is crushing me from the inside. My thoughts spin in a tangled web, pulling me deeper into the dark corners of my mind where fear and pain fester like old wounds.

I don't want to fight with Chloe. I don't want to hurt her, to see the pain in her eyes every time I keep this secret from her. But how can I tell her the truth? How can I burden her with the knowledge that her happiness and the safety of everyone she loves hinge on a choice that will destroy us? Chloe's the kind of person who'd give up everything for the people she loves, who would sacrifice herself if it meant saving others. And that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Because I know, deep down, that if I tell her, she'll make the choice that breaks us apart.

I stop walking and lean against a tree, trying to catch my breath, but it feels like I'm drowning in this realization. My whole body trembles as I grip the rough bark, my knuckles white. I want to scream, to rage against the unfairness of it all, but I can't. It's like the air's been sucked out of my lungs, leaving me with nothing but this cold, empty despair.

I've always been selfish when it comes to Chloe. I've wanted to keep her close, to hold on to the love we have, no matter what. But what if my love is the thing that's going to tear her world apart? What if I'm the one who's going to ruin everything she's built, everything she's ever cared about? I know she wants her family and friends to be safe. She wants to protect them, to keep them out of harm's way. And I want that too... on some level. But what I want more than anything is to be with her. To be the one she turns to, the one she loves. I want her by my side, always.

But I can't have that. Not without destroying everything else in the process. My life without Chloe doesn't make sense. She's my life, my everything. Without her, there's nothing left. But if being with her means she'll lose everything else... I can't do that to her. I can't be the reason she's unhappy, not really, not fully. I know what I have to do, and the thought of it makes my heart shatter into a million pieces.

I'm going to have to let her go.

It's the hardest thing I'll ever do, but it's the only way. If I really love her, I'll let her go. I'll give her the happiness she deserves, even if it means losing my own. I'll set her free, let her live the life she's meant to live, without me dragging her down. But where does that leave me? What's left for me when she's gone?

I close my eyes, trying to block out the pain, but it's useless. The tears start to fall, hot and bitter, as the reality of what I'm about to do crashes over me like a wave. I don't want to live without her. I don't know how to. She's been my light, my anchor, the one thing that's kept me from spiraling back into the darkness. But if I have to let her go, if I have to watch her walk away from me... then I'll have nothing left.

If I'm going to lose her, then I'll lose everything. I won't let anything else matter. I've been the troublemaker before, the one who everyone feared, the one who didn't care about anything or anyone. But this time... this time, I'll go further. I'll become someone even darker, even meaner, someone who doesn't have anything to lose. Because without Chloe, I won't have anything left to fight for. I'll be doing this for her, because I love her too much to hold on when I know I should let go.

I'll let Chloe go, but I'll never stop caring about her. That love will be the only thing left of me, the only thing that keeps me going. But everything else? It can burn. I'll protect her in the only way I know how—by becoming the monster she needs me to be. The world can turn to ashes for all I care, as long as she's safe, as long as she's happy. I'll stop caring about anything else, about anyone else.

But I'll do it out of love. I'll let Chloe go because I love her more than life itself. And I'll make sure that love drives me into the darkness, where I belong.

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I'll give you guys my address, you can come and torture me.

I'm feeling very generous today, so triple posting