A pact with the devil

 (Chapter 36:Mira's Pov) 

 The warlock's voice had slithered through the wind like a whisper only meant for me.

"Do you seek the truth, or would you rather stay blind?"

 I had been alone in the clearing when I heard him—no scent, no presence, just a voice curling around me like smoke. It was neither warm nor cold, but it sent a shiver down my spine, a whisper of something ancient brushing against my very soul.

"Come, child of fate. The past is waiting."

 I should have turned away. Should have ignored him. But the weight of my vision—the blood on my hands, the echo of Callidus's voice beside me—burned in my mind. I needed answers.

So I went.

 The warlock's lair stood on the edge of a forgotten land, a ruin swallowed by gnarled trees and crumbling stone. Candles flickered from within, their flames casting eerie shapes against the damp walls. The air smelled of something burned long ago, an incense that carried the weight of old magic.

I stepped inside.

He was waiting for me.

 A tall, skeletal man, his dark robes dragging along the floor as he turned from a dusty shelf. His skin was pale, stretched tight over sharp bones, his eyes black as the void itself. When he smiled, it wasn't kind. It was knowing.

 "Mira." He spoke my name like an old friend savoring a memory. "You heard my call."

I stiffened. "You knew I would."

 He gave a slow nod. "Truth has a way of pulling those who need it most."

 I took a step closer, the floor creaking beneath me. "You said you have answers. About the Abyss Order. About me."

 His bony fingers traced the spine of an ancient tome before he turned to face me fully. "I do. But I wonder—do you truly want to know?"

My hands curled into fists. "Why wouldn't I?"

The warlock let out a slow chuckle. "Because the truth has teeth, girl. And it does not let go once it bites."

I held his gaze. "I can handle it."

 "Can you?" He studied me, tilting his head. "You think yourself a victim of fate, don't you? A pawn in a game played by gods and devils."

My jaw tightened, but I said nothing.

 He stepped forward, his robes whispering against the stone. "What if I told you… you were never a pawn at all?"

My breath caught. "What do you mean?"

 His skeletal fingers trailed over the cover of an open book, its pages worn with time. "The Abyss Order does not wish to control you, Mira. They wish to return you to what you were meant to be."

 He turned the book toward me, and my stomach twisted.

 A painting. Two figures standing side by side amidst a battlefield of corpses. One cloaked in darkness, his presence devouring the light.

 The other—a woman dressed in black armor, a sword dripping with fresh blood.

 My own face stared back at me.

I staggered back. "No."

The warlock's lips curled. "Yes."

 The images flashed in my mind—the dream, the vision, the way my own voice had cut through the air in that past life, sharp and merciless. You should have begged.

My fingers trembled. "It's a trick. A lie."

 "Is it?" The warlock's voice was maddeningly calm. "Or is it a truth you do not wish to remember?"

 I forced my breath to steady. "Why would they want me back?"

 The warlock closed the book with a slow, deliberate motion. "Because your return was always prophesied. The Blood Moon has come once more. The cycle is repeating. And you must decide which side you stand on."

 I clenched my fists. "I already know where I stand."

 The warlock's smile deepened. "Do you?"

 He motioned toward the far corner of the room. My gaze followed—and my breath hitched.

 A man knelt in the shadows, bound by iron chains. His face was gaunt, his eyes hollow. He barely looked alive.

My pulse thundered. "What is this?"

 The warlock turned to me, his voice almost gentle. "A test."

 I took a slow step forward. "A test for what?"

"For you."

I swallowed hard. "You're asking me to—"

 The warlock nodded. "Take his life, and I will tell you everything. Walk away, and remain blind."

 The air grew heavier, pressing down on me like invisible hands. My fingers twitched at my sides. I had fought before. I had killed in battle. But this—this was different.

This wasn't survival.

This was a choice.

 My heart pounded. If I did this, if I crossed this line, there would be no turning back. But if I walked away, I'd be left in the dark.

 I looked down at the prisoner. His breathing was shallow, but he was watching me now, his gaze filled with something unreadable.

 Then, something inside me shifted.

This was what the Abyss Order wanted.

 They wanted me to make this choice—to prove that I wasn't the girl I thought I was, but the woman they remembered.

 I exhaled sharply and took a step back. "Find another way."

 The warlock studied me, then gave a slow, knowing smile. "You hesitate now. But you won't forever."

 I turned and left without another word, stepping into the cold night air. My hands still trembled, my pulse still raced.

I had walked away.

But the darkness wasn't done with me yet.