Chapter 16 : The Curse

The days following the Watcher's defeat passed in a haze. Eliza returned to the Ravenswood estate, her steps slow and deliberate, the weight of what she had done clinging to her like a shadow. The house no longer felt suffocating, but it also didn't feel like home. It was as if the air itself had shifted, the darkness that had plagued the walls replaced by an eerie stillness.

Daniel and Eleanor walked beside her, silent for the most part. They seemed to sense her need for space, for time to process the enormity of what had happened. The three of them had survived something unthinkable, but survival came with its own burdens.

When Eliza reached the front door, she hesitated. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, memories flooding her mind—the Watcher's whispers, the shadows that had followed her, the visions of her ancestors' sins. She had thought the end of the curse would bring relief, but now all she felt was a strange emptiness.

"Do you want me to go in first?" Daniel asked gently.

She shook her head. "No. I need to do this."

With a deep breath, she pushed the door open.

The interior of the house was unrecognizable. The oppressive energy that had once filled every corner was gone, replaced by an almost unsettling calm. The air was lighter, the shadows no longer seemed alive, and the faint hum of the Watcher's presence was absent. It should have been comforting, but instead, it felt like walking through the shell of something long dead.

Eliza wandered through the halls, her fingers trailing along the walls. The paintings of her ancestors stared down at her, their gazes no longer haunting but still heavy with unspoken stories. She paused in front of Victor Ravenswood's portrait, his cruel smile a stark reminder of how the curse had begun.

"What happens to all of this now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Eleanor stepped forward, her cane tapping softly against the floor. "The estate is yours, Eliza. The burden of the curse is gone, but the legacy remains. What you do with it is up to you."

Eliza turned to face her, her brow furrowing. "How do I move forward? How do I rebuild a life that's been shaped by so much darkness?"

"You start by forgiving yourself," Eleanor said gently. "And by remembering that you've already done the hardest part. The rest will come in time."

Eliza nodded, though the answer didn't feel sufficient. She walked toward the grand staircase, the memories of her first night in the house flooding back—how the shadows had seemed to reach for her, how she had felt like a prisoner in her own home. Now, the silence was almost deafening.

Daniel followed her quietly, his presence a steady comfort. "You don't have to stay here, you know," he said after a moment. "The house doesn't define you. The curse is broken. You're free to leave it all behind if you want."

Eliza turned to him, her expression conflicted. "It doesn't feel that simple. This house… it's a part of me, even if I hate what it represents. Leaving it behind feels like running away, but staying feels like being trapped in the past."

Daniel hesitated before placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to decide right now. Take the time you need. You've earned that much."

For the first time in days, Eliza allowed herself a small smile. It didn't erase the pain or the weight she carried, but it was a start.

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