Heaven: A Maiden's Curse

25 - The Road Ahead (End Of West Grimvale Arc)

The battlefield was silent, save for the faint crackle of residual energy from Hyacinth's destruction. Her final embrace with Heaven still lingered in the air like a ghostly echo. The half-journal lay securely in my bag, its weight symbolic of the new burden we now carried. But the mysterious man, Vlad, was gone—disappearing as if he'd never existed.

Freya stood a few paces behind Heaven, her expression unreadable. Heaven turned to face her, her eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry, Freya," Heaven said softly, her voice trembling. "For what I did to your family. For what Hyacinth made me do."

Freya's gaze hardened. "I haven't forgotten," she replied, her tone icy. "And I'll never forgive you."

Heaven nodded, the pain in her eyes evident. "I understand," she whispered. Then, raising her head, she met Freya's glare. "If you want to kill me, then do it now. I won't stop you."

Freya's grip tightened on her weapon, but she didn't move. Instead, she stepped closer, her voice steady and unwavering. "Not yet. Not until we gather all the fragments and the other half of this journal. Once we've done that—once we've revived everyone, including you—I'll kill you myself. And this time, no one will stop me."

I couldn't stay silent any longer. "Enough!" I stepped between them, placing myself as a barrier. "This isn't the time for fighting each other. We've already lost too much. Don't let Hyacinth's curse tear us apart even more."

Freya shot me a sharp look but backed down. Heaven remained silent, her shoulders slumping as she turned away.

After a moment, Heaven spoke again, her voice calm but filled with purpose. "The next fragment," she began, "is located in the South, in a place called Ignisvale. It's the Sun Fragment."

Freya and I exchanged a glance. The South. We both knew what that meant a completely unfamiliar territory, far from anything we'd ever known.

"How far is it?" Freya asked.

Heaven hesitated. "A year's journey, if we're lucky. The path is treacherous, and Ignisvale is nothing like West Grimvale. The people there are different... harder to trust. But it's where we must go if we want to save everyone. To erase the curse."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with the enormity of what lay ahead.

"We'll go," I said firmly, meeting Freya's eyes. "No matter what it takes. We'll save Heaven. We'll bring everyone back. And we'll find out more about that mysterious man—Vlad."

Freya nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But don't expect me to get along with her," she muttered, jerking her thumb toward Heaven.

Heaven didn't react, only nodding solemnly. "If you meet people in Ignisvale," she added, "be wary. They're... not like the people here. Survival comes first in the South, and they'll do anything to ensure their own safety."

I glanced at Freya. Her determination was clear, but there was also a flicker of doubt in her eyes. We'd faced so much already, but something about Heaven's warning set me on edge.

Still, there was no turning back.

The three of us prepared in silence, gathering what little we had left after the battle. The half-journal was secured in my pack, its edges worn but its purpose unyielding.

As we stood at the edge of the ruined chamber, I took one last look at the place where it all began. West Grimvale had been a nightmare, but it was also the start of something far greater—a chance to rewrite everything.

Freya glanced at me. "Ready?"

I nodded. "Ready."

Heaven stood a little apart, her glowing form dimmed but still resolute. For a moment, I thought I saw her falter, as though the weight of her own guilt might crush her. But she straightened and followed us as we began the long journey south, toward Ignisvale, the Sun Fragment, and whatever else awaited us.