The Day Of Joy And Sorrow

Seraphina knelt on the ground, Cedric's lifeless body cradled in her arms. His blood soaked through her gown, but she couldn't feel it. Her heart was numb, torn apart by the brutal reality of what she had done. The weight of her actions settled on her like a leaden cloak, suffocating her every breath.

She had killed him. The one man who had defied fate for her. The one who had loved her so deeply, he had been willing to die—twice—just to change her fate.

Her tears fell, silent and endless, as she whispered into his ear, "I loved you... I truly did. I wouldn't trade you for anything, not the prophecy, not the kingdom, not the world. I'd give it all up, just to have you."

Her voice broke, and she clung to Cedric's cold body, pressing her forehead against his. "Why did it have to be like this?"

But there was no answer. The court around her remained silent, their shock palpable. But Seraphina didn't care anymore. She didn't care about the prophecy, the kingdom, or the power she had gained. All she wanted was him.

Her vision blurred, and her grip on reality began to slip. The edges of the room grew hazy, and a strange whiteness began to creep into her peripheral vision. It was as though the world itself was fading away, dissolving into nothingness. She closed her eyes, her body exhausted, her mind shattered.

When she opened them again, everything was white. The courtroom was gone, the nobles and queens gone, and Cedric's body... gone.

Seraphina blinked, confusion flooding her senses. The endless expanse of white stretched in all directions, like a blank canvas. Then, through the haze, a familiar figure began to emerge.

Matilda stood before her, smiling softly, her eyes filled with a knowing warmth.

"Matilda...?" Seraphina whispered, her voice trembling. "What is happening?"

"You two have finally fulfilled the prophecy." Matilda said gently, stepping closer.

Seraphina's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

But before Matilda could answer, the whiteness around them began to shift, fading into a vibrant scene of lush greenery. The air filled with the sound of birds chirping and the rustle of leaves in the wind. The scent of pine and wildflowers filled her senses.

Seraphina's eyes widened in recognition. She was back at Rosewood Estate.

Her family's estate.

The estate that had burned down so long ago, the day her life had been ripped apart.

She spun around, her gaze darting across the familiar grounds. Everything was as it had been—untouched by flames, alive with the laughter of her siblings in the distance, the echo of footsteps on the garden paths.

Her heart raced. "No... it can't be."

Matilda's voice echoed in her mind.

Tears welled in Seraphina's eyes as she ran through the estate, her breath catching in her throat as she saw familiar faces—her family, alive and well, their laughter ringing in the air. The weight of grief lifted, replaced by an overwhelming sense of disbelief.

But something was wrong. The day was too familiar, the memory too sharp. *This was the day the fire started.*

Seraphina froze, the realization crashing down on her. *I'm back to the day it all burned.*

Panic surged through her, and she spun around, trying to piece it all together. How could she stop it? How could she save them all this time?

She ran towards the cliffs overlooking the estate, her mind racing, but her foot caught on a root. She stumbled, and before she could catch herself, she was falling.

The world seemed to slow, and she braced herself for the hard impact of the ground. But just as she thought she was lost, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, yanking her back from the edge.

She gasped, her heart pounding in her chest as she looked up to see the one person she hadn't expected to see. A young boy, no older than ten, with familiar dark hair and bright eyes—eyes filled with a mischievous warmth she knew all too well.

Cedric.

As a child.

His lips curled into a crooked smile, the same one she had seen so many times before. "You're late," he teased, his voice light. "But you should be glad I wasn't."

Seraphina stared at him, her heart in her throat. "Cedric...?"

He pulled her up onto solid ground, still grinning as if nothing in the world was wrong. "Of course. Who else would it be?"

Her legs felt weak, and she stumbled into him, her arms wrapping around his small form as she clung to him. "How... how are you here?"

Cedric's expression softened, and for a moment, there was a glint of something older, wiser in his young eyes. "I guess... we've always been here, Seraphina. Maybe it just took a while for us to find each other again."

She pulled back, staring into his eyes, trying to make sense of it all. "But the fire, the prophecy, everything... I killed you..."

Cedric shrugged, a boyish gleam in his eye.

"You had to, to fulfill the prophecy. The prophecy you were told was half, the full prophecy is that,

'Take the life of the one who love you, or everything you love will be taken from you. Do it again and you know everything you know was right infront of you.'"

Seraphina was still confused, "What does it all mean though."

Cedric smiled, "The prophecy was told you by the king. What do you Think The prophecy was. The day it all began our sorrow. Your family were taken away from you by the so called heroes of this world. Their stupid play cost your life and mine. The thing they were experimenting was the same grimore that I showed you."

"The book, your diary then how did you got it?"

"We both did."

"What?"

"The day you and I were playing in the estate to when it was all taken away and started a fire. You and I were close to glimore from the opposite side. It's powers stuck to me and you."

"What power?"

"The power to go back in time."

"What? If that's true why didn't you or me could use it first?"

"To unlock it you have feel the love to go back. Not just sorrow and grief. But for the person you love the most, which I did. Alwasy have for you. And when you killed me I didn't felt sorrow for myself but sorrow that I couldn't show you the love that I felt for you."

Seraphina smiled gently, "You already said that."

"Not in this time, Therfore I will say it again, I alwasy loved you and the time you loved me back, it pulled you back to the time as well."

Her heart swelled with hope, but fear still lingered. "What if it happens again? What if I lose you?"

He placed a small hand on her cheek, his touch gentle. "You won't. Not this time."

As she looked into Cedric's familiar gaze, something inside her shifted. The pain, the guilt, the fear—they began to fade, replaced by something new. Something lighter.

Maybe, just maybe, this was their second chance.

And this time, they would rewrite their story—together.

Seraphina stood by the cliffs, the wind tugging at her hair as she gazed down at the sprawling estate below. Rosewood Estate, still untouched by the flames that would soon consume it. Her heart raced with a mixture of dread and disbelief, the weight of Cedric's words echoing in her mind.

As Seraphina stood there with Cedric, his small hand still resting on her cheek, a soft wind began to swirl around them. It felt different—charged, as though the very air was alive with magic. She looked past him and noticed something glinting in the grass nearby.

Seraphina staggered back, the weight of the revelation hitting her like a tidal wave. "So... the prophecy, the one everyone believed in... it wasn't real?"

"No," Cedric said, his voice heavy. "The king feared the power of the grimoire and its ability to manipulate time. He couldn't control it, so he twisted the truth. He called it a prophecy, a warning that you would kill me to fulfill some ancient curse. But in reality, it was all just a way for him to control us—because he knew the grimoire could rewrite the future."

Seraphina's breath caught in her throat. "The king... he wanted us to destroy each other?"

"Yes," Cedric said bitterly. "He believed that if you killed me, it would break the cycle, and he could destroy the grimoire before it fell into anyone else's hands. But Matilda's mother knew the truth. She understood the power of the grimoire and how to use it. She tried to protect me, to teach me how to channel its magic."

Seraphina felt a wave of nausea wash over her. "But... the king had her killed."

Cedric's expression darkened. "Yes. He discovered what she was doing, realized that she was helping me. So he had her executed. But before she died, she passed her knowledge on to Matilda, who continued her work in secret. She's the reason I was able to preserve my memories in the grimoire, the reason I was able to time-travel and keep you from falling into the same trap."

Seraphina's mind reeled as she pieced it all together. The prophecy, the endless cycle of death, the grimoire—it had all been orchestrated by the king's fear and manipulation. They had been pawns in a twisted game of power, and they had suffered for it.

She clenched her fists, anger boiling inside her. "And now? What do we do now that we know the truth?"

Cedric closed the grimoire, a determined glint in his eyes. "Now, we break the cycle. Together."

Seraphina's heart thudded in her chest as she stared at him. Even after all they had been through, even after all the death and betrayal, Cedric was still here. Still fighting for her, still standing by her side.

"What about the prophecy?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What about my fate?"

Cedric stepped closer, taking her hands in his. "The prophecy of love has been fulfilled and of destruction is just a lie. We were never destined to destroy each other. We were meant to rewrite our story."

"But this was The day of our sorrow."

"Exactly and now we will together turn it into our day of joy."

Tears filled Seraphina's eyes as the weight of his words sank in. For the first time in her life, she felt something she had never thought possible—hope.

Hope for a future free from the shackles of fate.

"I think we already have together." Seraphina said with a smiled looking at Cedric in The eyes.

Cedric looked deep into her eyes, his gaze unwavering. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes. I always have."

"I have written just the half the story in my diary and now it's time to complete it together and make it our own."

With that, Cedric opened the grimoire once more, the magic within it swirling around them like a storm. The pages glowed brighter and brighter until they were engulfed in light.

Seraphina felt the ground shift beneath her, and as the world around them faded, she knew one thing for certain: this time, they would break free.

Together, they would rewrite their destiny.