NOW WE LIVE

Sophie and Darian stood before the large, ancient doors of the archive, their hearts pounding in their chests, as if they already knew that what they would find inside would change their lives forever. They had searched for answers for so long, wandering in the darkness of the curse that had stolen his peace and brought her a fate she could never have imagined.

Darian raised his hand and lightly cut his palm with a knife. A drop of blood fell onto the sealed stone on the door. A moment of silence, and then—the faint sound of shifting mechanisms. The door creaked open, revealing an interior filled with old scrolls, books, and records.

"So, it was that simple?" Sophie commented, watching as the ancient dusty clouds swirled in the air.

"If this seems simple to you, then I seriously question your perception of reality," Darian muttered, but still gave her a half-smile.

Sophie paid no attention. She ran her fingers over the old parchment while Darian carefully searched the shelves. Finally, he pulled out one book, much older than the others, with symbols engraved on the cover.

"This is it," he said, carefully opening it. His eyes followed the lines as Sophie curiously peered over his shoulder.

"… The curse breaks when the bearer truly loves," Darian read aloud.

"And?" Sophie nodded impatiently.

"And… after having… a physical connection with the woman he loves."

Silence.

Sophie blinked, then blinked again.

"Wait, wait…" She shook her head as if trying to process the information. "You're telling me we could have solved all this—just like that? You could have broken the curse the moment you…?"

"Looks like it," Darian said thoughtfully, but his tone gave no sign of relief.

Sophie crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on him.

"So, all that suffering, all that pain, all those attempts… and all it took was…?" She paused and took a deep breath, crossing her arms over her chest. "Darian, if you're telling me that all these years you thought some complicated magical solution was needed, and not something so obvious, I swear I'm going to hit you."

"Sorry I didn't think I'd actually fall in love with someone," he responded sarcastically, but there was something soft in his voice, something Sophie could feel deep within herself.

Their gazes met, and at that moment, there were no more secrets.

Sophie took a deep breath, suddenly feeling the full weight of what had happened between them. The curse was gone. Darian was free. And she…?

"What now?" she asked quietly.

Darian closed the book and slowly placed it on the table. He approached her, and his hand gently touched her face.

"Now… there's no more curse," he said. "No more what forces me to do evil. No more living in fear that I'll become something I don't want to be."

Sophie nodded, but she couldn't ignore the feeling in her chest.

"And what does that mean for us?"

Darian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled her closer and rested his forehead against hers.

"It means… that now, for the first time in my life, I can choose what I want. And I want you."

Sophie placed her hands on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart.

"You have strange ways of telling me that," she muttered, but there was no bitterness in her voice.

Darian smiled, then, slowly, pressed his lips to hers.

It was a kiss unlike any other. It wasn't marked by the curse, fear, or doubt. It was a kiss between two people who had weathered the storm and found something worth in its ruins.

Sophie smiled when they finally pulled away.

"So… no more claws?"

Darian raised his hand and showed her his perfectly human fingers.

"No more claws."

"No more dark rituals?"

"No more."

"No more living in fear?"

Darian gently ran his hand through her hair.

"No more anything that can tear us apart."

Sophie looked at him, then smiled in a way that said she would now, forever, tease him about this simple solution.

"Then tell me, Darian…" She moved closer to him, gently placing her palm on his chest. "What now?"

Darian leaned towards her and whispered with a smile:

"Now… we live."