Painted in Fate

Chapter 27: Shattered Bonds

The ritual site felt like a portal to another world. The air was thick with the weight of centuries-old energy, and every step they took toward the stone altar seemed to pull them deeper into the past. The ruins loomed ahead, crumbling but still standing, like a silent witness to the horrors that had once unfolded there.

Babe shuddered as they moved forward. The memories were no longer just flashes in his mind—they were now vivid, like scenes from a life he had lived but tried to forget. He could hear the distant screams of his family, the crackling of fire, and feel the sharp sting of betrayal as if it had happened yesterday.

"This is where it all went wrong," Babe whispered, his voice barely audible. His heart pounded in his chest as he glanced at Billy, whose face was pale and drawn.

Billy's jaw was clenched tight, his eyes fixed on the altar. "We're about to find out everything," he muttered, though his voice was laced with doubt. "But are we ready for it?"

Babe's stomach twisted at Billy's words. He wasn't sure if he was ready. The pain of their past lives still clung to him, and the thought of reliving those memories made him feel both terrified and desperate to know the truth.

As they approached the altar, something strange happened. The air around them seemed to shimmer, and the stone pillars cast long shadows that shifted and morphed. Babe's breath caught in his throat as the ground beneath him seemed to shift, and for a moment, it was as if time itself warped.

Suddenly, he was no longer standing in the present. He was back in the past, his surroundings blurred but recognizable. His family's house was burning, and the scent of smoke filled his lungs. He could hear the panicked shouts of his parents, the cries of his people, and amidst the chaos, he saw Billy—his past self—running toward him.

Billy's eyes were wild with fear, and when their gazes met, Babe felt a surge of overwhelming emotion—love, pain, anger. His past self had felt all of those things in that moment. But it was the betrayal, the deep, soul-crushing sense of abandonment, that hit him hardest.

Babe blinked, and just like that, he was back in the present, his chest heaving. He stumbled, his knees nearly buckling beneath him. Billy was at his side in an instant, gripping his arm tightly.

"Babe?" Billy's voice was laced with concern, but there was something else in his eyes—something darker. "What did you see?"

Babe's breath came in short gasps, his mind spinning with the images of the past. "I saw us. I saw... everything."

Billy's expression tightened. He, too, was beginning to remember. "Me too," he whispered. "It's all coming back."

The wind picked up around them, swirling the dust and leaves in a chaotic dance. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the ruins, low and mocking.

"Ah, the lovers reunited."

Both Babe and Billy stiffened, their heads whipping toward the sound. Emerging from the shadows was Ed, his form as ominous as the memories that now flooded their minds.

"Isn't it beautiful," Ed continued, his voice dripping with malice. "The way fate brings you two together time and time again, only to tear you apart."

Babe's fists clenched at his sides, anger boiling in his chest. He could see it now—how Ed had orchestrated everything in the past, how he had manipulated Billy into unknowingly betraying him and his family.

Billy stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "You won't win this time."

Ed chuckled darkly, his gaze flicking toward Billy. "You still don't understand, do you? You're just as much a part of this as I am. You were my greatest weapon, Billy. Without you, none of this would have been possible."

Babe's heart twisted as he saw the flicker of doubt cross Billy's face. The guilt from their past was still raw, still festering beneath the surface. Ed's words hit hard because, deep down, Billy still blamed himself.

"Don't listen to him," Babe whispered, stepping closer to Billy. "It wasn't your fault."

But Billy's hands were trembling, his eyes locked on Ed. "I—I placed the artifact. I weakened your family."

Ed's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. "That's right. You were the key, Billy. You made it all possible. And look at where it's brought you."

As the tension mounted, the memories of their past lives continued to resurface, crashing over them like a tidal wave. Babe's mind was assaulted by the images—Billy's frantic run to save him, the look of devastation on his face when he found him dying, the searing pain of betrayal that had consumed Babe in his final moments.

Billy, too, was overwhelmed. The memory of seeing Babe, bloodied and broken, was now crystal clear in his mind. He had been so young, so naive, thinking he could fix everything, only to discover that his actions had led to Babe's destruction.

"I'm sorry," Billy choked out, his voice breaking. "I didn't know. I didn't mean to..."

Babe felt his heart shatter at the sight of Billy's anguish. Even now, centuries later, the pain still lingered. But this time, they had the chance to make things right.

"I know," Babe whispered, his voice filled with emotion. "It wasn't your fault. We were both used."

Tears welled in Billy's eyes, and he shook his head. "I should've protected you. I should've—"

"You couldn't have known," Babe cut him off gently. "You trusted him, and he used that against you. But we're not going to let him win this time."

Ed's smirk faded as he watched the exchange between them. He could see the strength in their bond—the very thing he had tried to destroy in the past. But this time, it was different. Babe and Billy were not the same naive souls they had been before.

"You think you can stop me?" Ed sneered. "The ritual is almost complete. And this time, nothing will stand in my way."

Billy's eyes hardened, and he stepped forward, his voice steady and filled with determination. "We're not letting you take him again. This ends now."

Babe, standing beside him, nodded. The fear and pain from their past still lingered, but now there was something stronger—a resolve to fight back, to reclaim the future that had been stolen from them.

As Ed's dark energy crackled in the air around them, the stage was set for the final confrontation. The past had been unveiled, the truth laid bare, and now it was time to face the consequences.