The Midnight Oath

Chapter 27: The Confrontation

Returning to the mansion, Elara felt a storm brewing inside her—not just the literal storm
raging outside, but a tempest of emotions and unresolved questions. They entered the study,
where her father was seated, his expression unreadable.

“Father,” Elara began, her voice steady despite the apprehension in her heart. “We need to
talk about Isolde and the society. I had a vision, and I believe it’s connected to you.”
Her father looked up, a shadow crossing his features. “You should stay away from these
matters, Elara. You don’t understand what you’re inviting into your life.”
“I understand more than you think,” Elara replied, her voice rising with conviction. “Isolde’s
spirit told me that the leader of the society is tied to our family’s legacy. I believe it’s you.”
Her father’s expression hardened, and Elara felt the air grow thick with tension. “You don’t
know what you’re saying. You don’t know the darkness that lies in those words.”
“No,” Damien interjected, stepping closer. “But we need to know the truth. If there’s
something you’ve been hiding, now is the time to tell us.”
For a moment, silence enveloped the room, the weight of their confrontation pressing down
on them. Finally, her father sighed, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of the world had
settled upon him.
“Very well,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You deserve to know the truth, even if
it shatters everything you believe.”
As he spoke, Elara felt a chill run down her spine. She could sense that they were on the
brink of uncovering a truth that could change everything.
“Many years ago, I was a member of the society,” her father began, his voice trembling with
the weight of his confession. “We believed in harnessing the power of the sea through rituals
and sacrifices. Isolde was a part of that. I was once her protector, but I failed her. The leader
sought power above all else, and I was too weak to stop him.”
“What happened to her?” Elara pressed, her heart racing.

“She was sacrificed in a ritual that was meant to grant us immortality,” he revealed, pain
etched on his face. “But it unleashed a curse instead—one that has haunted our family ever
since.”
Elara’s breath caught in her throat as the truth washed over her. “And you were part of it?”
“I was complicit,” he admitted, shame filling his eyes. “But I’ve spent my life trying to atone
for that mistake, trying to protect you from the darkness I once embraced.”
Elara felt the ground shift beneath her, her heart aching for the man she had always known
as her father. “But you never told me the truth! We could have faced this together.”
“I thought I was protecting you,” he replied, anguish in his voice. “But I see now that my
silence only perpetuated the cycle of pain.”
“We can’t change the past, but we can break the cycle,” Damien said
, stepping closer to Elara, his presence a steadying force.
Elara looked at her father, the weight of his confession heavy in the air. “What do we need to
do to finally end this?”
“You must confront the leader,” he said, his gaze unwavering. “He is hidden among us,
wearing a mask that conceals his true identity. Only when you reveal him can the curse be
lifted.”
With a sense of determination ignited within her, Elara nodded. “Then we’ll find him.
Together.”