I Wish...

Shadows of Desire

The room fell silent after my declaration, the shadows flickering around us as though testing my resolve. I had chosen to fight. But that didn't mean the road ahead would be any less dangerous.

Ethel lowered her cane with a sigh, her eyes soft but filled with a weight of experience I couldn't yet understand. "It's going to get harder before it gets easier, Samara. But remember, this isn't just about fighting them. It's about fighting the parts of you that still want to take the easy way out. The shadows aren't just creatures—they're reflections of your past choices, and they know you better than you know yourself."

I swallowed hard, trying to let her words settle in. The weight of every wish I had made pressed down on me, threatening to smother my newfound determination. I glanced at Caden, whose face remained unreadable, though his eyes were darker, clouded with something I couldn't quite place.

"What now?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

Caden and Ethel exchanged a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Finally, Caden stepped forward, his voice low and grave. "Now, we prepare. These shadows—they're not just after your desires. They want control. They feed on fear, doubt, and the parts of you that still crave an easy escape. That's why it's not enough to just stop wishing. You have to confront everything that led you here."

Ethel gave a curt nod. "We'll start tonight. There's no time to waste."

"Tonight?" I asked, the knot in my stomach tightening. "What are we doing?"

Caden stepped closer, his eyes locking with mine. "There's a ritual. It will help you confront the shadows, face them head-on. But it's dangerous. If you're not careful, they'll overwhelm you. You'll have to be stronger than your fear, Samara. Can you do that?"

His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of everything that could go wrong. But I wasn't that girl anymore. I wasn't the girl who thought she could wish her way out of every problem. I had made my decision, and I was ready to face the consequences.

"I can do it," I said firmly, meeting his gaze with determination. "I'm ready."

Ethel smiled softly, though the lines of worry on her face didn't fade. "Good. We'll see how ready you are tonight."

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The sun had barely set when I found myself standing at the edge of the forest just beyond the town's borders. The woods stretched out before me like an impenetrable wall of darkness, the trees standing tall and silent, casting long, jagged shadows under the dim light of the rising moon. The wind whispered through the leaves, carrying with it a cold that settled deep into my bones.

Ethel stood beside me, a small bundle of herbs clutched in her hands, while Caden lingered a few feet away, his eyes scanning the forest as if expecting something to leap out at us at any moment.

"This is the place," Ethel said, her voice low and steady. "Where we'll call them."

A chill ran down my spine. "Call them? The shadows?"

"Yes," Caden replied, stepping forward. "You can't just wait for them to come to you. If you're going to defeat them, you need to face them on your own terms. That's what the ritual is for—to bring them into the open."

Ethel knelt on the ground, spreading the herbs in a circle around us. She muttered words under her breath, the language strange and ancient, and I could feel the air around us growing heavier, thick with an energy that made my skin prickle.

"Once we begin," Ethel said, her voice now grave, "there's no turning back. They will come for you, and they will be relentless. But remember what I said, Samara—fear will only make them stronger. You must confront them without giving in to it."