As Thomas fought against the unseen force pinning him down, he could see Clara struggling against the shadows—the light in her eyes dimming as despair took hold.
“Eliza!” he shouted desperately. “Let her go! She doesn’t deserve this!”
The figure paused momentarily before responding with a chilling laugh that reverberated through the room. “Love brings only pain! She will suffer as I did!”
“No!” Thomas cried out as he summoned every ounce of strength within him. “I will not let you take her!”
In that moment of desperation, he remembered the letters—the love letters that had bound Eliza to her fate. With every ounce of willpower he possessed, he reached deep within himself and called upon all his love for Clara.
“Clara! Fight it! Remember our love!” he shouted through gritted teeth.
A flicker of recognition crossed Clara’s face as she struggled against the shadows holding her captive. For a brief instant, their eyes locked—their love igniting a spark within her heart that began to push back against the darkness.
“Eliza!” Clara cried out again, this time with conviction. “I will not let your pain consume me! I choose my own fate!”
With those words spoken aloud, a blinding light erupted from within Clara—a brilliant force that shattered the shadows surrounding them both. The figure of Eliza screeched in fury as light engulfed her form before dissipating into nothingness.
