A terrifying presence with a beautiful face, Emma thought as she stared at the white-skinned woman before her. The woman's skin was pale as bone, a black cloth wrapped around her like a shadow clinging to her. A thin slit ran down her forehead, and her dark eyes were fixed on Emma.
"Another prey who has fallen very low," the woman—no older than her twenties—said with a grin. "Raphael will be furious to know his child must rely on me."
Emma had no idea what the story between the divine and the undead was, and she did not care. She only stepped forward, urgent. "Can you heal him? He doesn't have much time."
The shaman chuckled. "What's the rush, girl? Look around—you can't rush a deal like this. Take it easy."
Emma looked. Everything had frozen: people, dust, even the wind hung still in the air. She realized she was no longer using her aether to hold her barriers. Time itself had stopped.
"You can't let people see me so plainly, can you?" the woman said. "Right now, only you can see me—not even your patron can. When I say you, I mean you alone."
Emma swallowed hard. If this woman could hide from the Great Ones, she was far more dangerous than she looked.
The woman tilted her head. "Tell me, human—do you know what you are getting into? Your blood is enough for the contract, but you should know what you'll be freeing."
Emma frowned. The shaman's words were strange, almost like a warning. Since time had stopped, Emma didn't show urgency and heard her.
With every sentence, Emma's chest grew heavier. What the shaman was saying sank into her like an anchor—and the truth that followed left her breathless.
After a few moments the shaman finished and said, "Normally I don't give the one who summons me a second choice. I don't advise them either—I don't care what happens to this world or its people. But in this case I'll make an exception."
She crossed her arms. "If you choose to heal him, be ready. The world will blame you. Those you call comrades may turn on you. Your family, your friends, the ones you love—none of them will be safe."
"I will do it. Let's make the contract," Emma cut in. Her eyes held no hesitation.
The shaman blinked, surprised. A strange light passed through her gaze, as if she'd seen something. A thin smirk lifted her lips. "She might do," she murmured.
"If that's your choice, then I will grant your wish for a few drops of your blood." The shaman began to rise from the ground.
Emma pressed her lips together and turned to William. She knelt beside him and took his hand. The curse still clung to him like a dark veil.
As the shaman's body filled with bright light, the crimson shackles began to melt. They withered and writhed, crying out, but under the shaman's terrible brilliance they dissolved.
Emma let out a relieved breath as the dark chains thinned and William finally had room to breathe. His color came back slowly and his breathing evened.
Without thinking, Emma placed her hand over his chest, ready to heal him as soon as the shaman finished and time began to move again.
Just as the last chain remained, the inhuman one spoke, "I hope the next time we meet, you'll be the one fulfilling my wish."
Emma blinked, confused by her words, but before she could ask, the shaman vanished. A groan escaped William's lips, pulling her back to the moment.
Her chants poured out faster than breath as she pushed her aether into him. A warm glow wrapped around William, mending his arm, smoothing his complexion, and slowly bringing life back to his eyes.
Outside the dome, Natalie and the others stared in awe as the radiant light engulfed William. They didn't understand what was happening—but they could tell something was different.
However, what was more alarming for them was the man who had appeared out of nowhere and knocked Kevin unconscious.
Inside, William blinked as his focus returned. "Emma…" he murmured weakly.
Her eyes turned moist. "Y-Yes… it's me. How do you feel?"
He slowly sat up, breathing deep. "Light… it feels great."
Emma's lips curved into a trembling smile. "Of course. The curse is gone now."
William's eyes widened. "You mean it?" He suddenly seemed fuller of life, his face brightening.
Emma nodded, a smile growing on her lips. "Yes. You're free now."
William's grin was the brightest Emma had ever seen—so open, so real. "So I don't have to pretend to be a loser anymore?" he asked, laughing.
Emma shook her head. "No. You don't."
His excitement spilled over. "I don't have to hurt people, and I can use my powers however I want?"
Emma matched his smile, feeling a warmth she couldn't remember feeling in a long time. "Yes, William. You can. The curse is gone."
His smile reached his eyes as he looked at her. Then, his tone dropped a little. "So…what's your use now?"
Emma blinked, then opened her mouth to answer—"Hmm—" —and suddenly felt a cold, sharp pain stabbing into her stomach.
Emma couldn't believe it. She refused to believe what her body told her.
But when she looked down, her eyes told the same thing.
She…was stabbed.
William grinned, there was no warmth but only a deathly chill in his eyes as he whispered, "Thank you for being dumb, Emma."
*CRACKLE*
Her barriers shattered and…so did her heart in that moment.