The Prophecy Of Love

The courtroom had fallen into silence. The Devils were broken, Evelyn and Sofia's crimes exposed, and the nobles were left in stunned disbelief. But now, Cedric and Seraphina stood alone in the aftermath, a distance between them despite everything they had just endured together.

Seraphina, the once-feared villainess, turned to Cedric, her eyes searching his face for answers. The weight of his confession in court still lingered in the air, heavy and unspoken between them.

"Why, Cedric?" Her voice was steady, but there was a vulnerability there, one that few had ever seen. "Why did you go so far? You did everything for me—defended me, took on the Devils, manipulated the court. You even confessed your love for me." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Did you mean it?"

Cedric, always composed and calculating, looked at her directly. "Yes," he said simply, the word carrying more weight than any grand declaration. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, the disbelief that someone would choose her after everything—after all the darkness that surrounded her.

Seraphina's brow furrowed, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her gown, something she did when she was thinking deeply. "You've read the novel," she said after a moment, her voice quieter now. "You know how the story goes. Doesn't it include… my betrayal?" She turned away slightly, as if afraid of the answer. "The day of our marriage, I kill you. I betray you and everyone else. The prophecy says I'm destined to bring ruin to this world."

Cedric didn't flinch. He had seen this moment coming, and it was a conversation they had to have. He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving her. "Yes, the novel includes that," he admitted. "You betray me and kill me on the day of our marriage. But that's not the whole truth, is it?"

Seraphina's head snapped up, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Cedric took a deep breath, his expression softening. "In the novel, everyone calls you evil because of the prophecy. They see you as a tool of destruction, someone who's doomed to betray and ruin. But I understand what really happened. The prophecy wasn't a curse—it was a trap. You were forced into a role you didn't want. And when the world turned against you, when even those closest to you couldn't see the truth, you did what you had to do to survive."

Seraphina stared at him, her defenses slowly crumbling as she listened. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. "You… you think you understand why I betrayed everyone?"

"I do," Cedric said, stepping even closer. "You didn't have a choice. The prophecy twisted everyone's view of you, made them believe you were destined to destroy the world. But all you ever wanted was to be free of it—to break the chains they placed on you. That's why you betrayed me in the novel. It wasn't because you wanted to. It was because you thought there was no other way."

Her breath hitched, her eyes searching his face for any sign of a lie. But Cedric's gaze remained unwavering, filled with nothing but sincerity.

"And now?" Seraphina asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Do you still think I'll betray you? After everything we've been through?"

Cedric's hand moved to gently cup her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "I know you won't," he said softly. "Because I've changed things. This isn't the story I read anymore. I'm not the same character who was doomed to die. And you're not the villainess they tried to make you into."

Seraphina's heart raced as she stared into his eyes, trying to process his words. The walls she had built around herself for so long, the ones that had protected her from the cruelty of the world, were slowly crumbling in the face of his understanding.

"I don't know if I can believe that," she admitted, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "Everyone always told me I was destined for ruin. That no matter what I did, I'd bring destruction."

Cedric smiled softly, his eyes warm with reassurance. "You're not destined for anything but the future we choose to create together. I've already rewritten part of the story, haven't I?"

She hesitated, her mind swirling with doubts and fears. But deep down, she knew Cedric was right. He had done the impossible—changed the course of their fate.

"I've been called many things, Seraphina," Cedric said, his voice growing more intense. "Cold, manipulative, dangerous. But when it comes to you, I'm none of those things. I won't let the world define you by some twisted prophecy. And I won't let you be alone in this anymore."

Tears welled in Seraphina's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, refusing to let herself appear weak. "Why, Cedric?" she asked again, her voice shaking. "Why are you doing this for me?"

His answer was simple. "Because I love you." He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in a gentle, tender kiss that held all the promises he hadn't yet spoken.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Seraphina allowed herself to believe in the possibility of something more. The weight of her past, the burden of the prophecy—none of it mattered now. Cedric had chosen her, not as a pawn, but as his equal. And together, they would forge a new path, one that defied the story they had both been trapped in.

As they pulled away, Seraphina looked at him, her heart full but still cautious. "If we change the future," she whispered, "if we break this prophecy... what happens next?"

Cedric smiled, his eyes glinting with a mixture of confidence and determination. "We create a future that belongs to us. No one else. And whatever comes our way, we'll face it together."

Seraphina's gaze faltered, her hands trembling as she stepped away from Cedric. The warmth of his confession, the comfort of his love—it all felt fragile, fleeting, like something that could be snatched away at any moment. She had felt it before: the cruel hand of fate tightening around her, pulling her into the shadows of her destiny.

"There's something I haven't told you," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper, barely audible over the wind that blew through the windows of the royal chambers. Cedric watched her, his expression soft but curious.

Seraphina turned her back to him, unable to meet his eyes. "The prophecy…" She paused, gathering her courage. "It's not just some story the world spun to control me. It's real. And it's already in motion."

Cedric's brow furrowed, but he didn't interrupt. He could sense the weight of what she was about to say.

"The prophecy says I'll rise to power," Seraphina continued, her voice trembling slightly, "but only through blood. If I don't follow it, if I don't… kill you on the day of our marriage, I will lose everything. My power, my throne, everything I've fought for. I'll be left with nothing, and everyone I love will be taken from me."

There it was, the truth that had haunted her for so long, now laid bare between them.

Cedric looked at Seraphina with soft eyes.

"Yes, The Prophecy - 'Take the life of the one who love you, or everything you love will be taken from you.' That's what you will when you kill me on our marriage day."

Seraphina finally turned to face him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Do you still want to marry me, knowing that? Knowing I'll have to kill you?"

Cedric's response was immediate, without hesitation or fear. "Yes."

Seraphina's breath caught in her throat, disbelief and confusion swirling in her mind. "How can you say that?" she asked, her voice breaking. "I'm telling you I'm destined to kill you. If we marry, you'll die."

Cedric stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently grasp hers. "I don't care what the prophecy says," he replied, his voice steady and full of conviction. "I've already changed the story, and I'll do it again. If there's a way to break it, I'll find it. But even if we can't—if the prophecy really is unbreakable—I'd rather die by your hand than live without you."

Tears spilled down Seraphina's cheeks now, and she shook her head, overwhelmed by the weight of his words. "You're mad," she whispered. "You're insane. Why would you risk everything for me? For this?"

Cedric smiled softly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Because I love you, Seraphina. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. There's no future, no prophecy, that will change that."

She stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. For so long, she had believed herself to be cursed, doomed to a fate she couldn't escape. But now, with Cedric standing before her, so sure of his love, so unafraid of the future, she found herself daring to hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way to defy the prophecy.

But doubt still gnawed at her. "What if you're wrong?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if I can't stop myself? What if I do kill you?"

Cedric's smile didn't waver. "Then I'll die knowing I loved you, and that's enough for me."

Seraphina's heart ached, torn between the prophecy she felt bound to and the love she had found in Cedric. "You don't deserve this," she whispered, shaking her head. "You deserve someone who isn't cursed, someone who isn't doomed to destroy everything they touch."

"I deserve you," Cedric said firmly. "I've made my choice, Seraphina. No prophecy is going to take that from me."

She looked at him, her heart filled with both fear and love. The prophecy was clear—she had to kill him, or she would lose everything. But Cedric's determination, his refusal to let fate dictate their lives, was like a light in the darkness that had surrounded her for so long.

Taking a deep breath, Seraphina finally nodded, though uncertainty still lingered in her eyes. "If you really want this, if you're really willing to marry me, knowing what the prophecy says…" She hesitated, her voice trembling. "Then I'll marry you. But know this, Cedric—if the day comes when I have to choose between you and my destiny, I don't know if I'll be able to stop it."

Cedric cupped her face in his hands, his gaze unwavering. "We'll face that day together. And whatever happens, I'll be right here, beside you."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Seraphina allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could defy the prophecy. That maybe love, not fate, would determine their future.

But deep down, a small voice whispered in her mind, reminding her of the prophecy's power. And as much as she wanted to believe in Cedric, she knew that the battle between love and destiny had only just begun.