Page 51 of Condemned to Love

"Aldric, you know how risky that is." Selene's tone is gentle but firm. "She's already so weak. Few survive being Made, even at full strength."

Made? It takes a moment for my foggy brain to catch up. They're talking about turning me into a vrakken.

"We can't just let her die!" Aldric's voice cracks, and my heart aches at the raw pain in it.

I summon every ounce of strength left in my battered body. "No," I croak, the word barely audible.

Silence falls, then I hear a rush of movement. Aldric's presence looms over me, his hand grasping mine. "Elowen? Can you hear me?"

I fight against the darkness pulling me back under. I need him to understand. "Don't... turn me," I manage to whisper.

"Elowen, please," Aldric pleads, his voice breaking. "I can't lose you."

I want to explain, to tell him that I choose this - my humanity, my mortality. That I'd rather die as myself than risk losing who I am in the transformation. But consciousness is slipping away, and I can't form the words.

The last thing I'm aware of is Aldric's anguished voice calling my name as I slide back into the abyss.

But darkness doesn't sweep in to claim me. Instead, I find myself standing outside my childhood home, the familiar silhouette a stark contrast against the inky night sky. My gut churns as I recognize this memory, one that has always haunted me.

The air is thick with smoke and the metallic tang of blood. Dark elves shout in the distance, their voices growing fainter as they leave our village behind. But the damage is already done.

Cries of anguish pierce the air, a haunting chorus of pain and loss that echoes through the smoke-filled night. I want to run, to help, to do something—anything—but my feet are rooted to the spot, as if the earth itself is holding me in place. My eyes are drawn to the ground before me, where my family lies broken and bleeding, their bodies crumpled like discarded dolls.

Father, his strong hands now limp and lifeless, the same hands that once lifted me high and taught me to wield a blade. Mother, her kind eyes glazed over with pain, no longer filled with the warmth and love that had always been my anchor. And my brother, so young, so full of life just hours ago, his laughter silenced forever.

Now they're all slipping away before my eyes, their life essence seeping into the earth, staining the ground a dark,sickening red. The metallic scent of blood mingles with the acrid smoke, burning my nostrils and making my stomach churn.

I couldn't save them. I wasn't strong enough, wasn't fast enough. The guilt and anguish claw at my insides, threatening to tear me apart. The dark elf I managed to kill - my first kill, my desperate act of survival - lies nearby, his lifeless eyes staring accusingly at me.

His body is a cruel reminder of how close I came to saving them, how I almost succeeded in protecting my family. But close isn't enough. It will never be enough.

The weight of my failure crushes me, leaving me gasping for air as I survey the carnage around me. I should have been better, should have done more. Now, all that's left is the bitter taste of regret and the burning desire for vengeance.

Grief overwhelms me, and I fall to my knees, a scream of anguish tearing from my throat. Tears blur my vision as I reach out, desperate to touch them one last time, to offer some comfort in their final moments.

But my knees never hit the ground. The world around me begins to shift, the familiar scene of my worst nightmare dissolving like mist in the morning sun.

I'm falling, tumbling through darkness. Suddenly, I'm back in my childhood home. The familiar scents of my mother's cooking and my father's pipe wrap around me like a warm blanket. But something's different this time.

My family sits around the dinner table, their faces lit by the soft glow of candles. They're smiling, but there's a sadness in their eyes that makes my heart ache.

"Elowen," my mother says, her voice echoing strangely. "It's time to let go of your pain, sweetheart."

I shake my head, feeling the familiar anger rising. "No, I can't. They took you from me. I have to make them pay."

My little brother reaches out, his small hand ghosting over mine. "But you're hurting yourself, El. We don't want that."

"Your rage has been a shield," my father adds, his kind eyes meeting mine. "But it's also been a prison. You need to live, not just survive."

I feel tears streaming down my face. "I don't know how," I whisper.

My mother stands, coming to wrap her arms around me. Her touch feels like sunlight. "By embracing the present, my love. By allowing yourself to heal, to love."

As she speaks, I see flashes of my life since losing them. The pain, yes, but also moments of joy. Selene's laughter. Jessa's fierce friendship. Aldric's...everything.

"We'll always be with you," my father says. "But it's okay to move forward. To find happiness again."

I look at each of their faces, memorizing every detail. "I'm scared," I admit.

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