A ring of light suddenly appeared below Theo. Gazing down at it with wide eyes, he felt an unfamiliar and inexplicable sensation wash over him. It was as if the light stirred something within him. Waking him from his strange daze, though, the light dimmed at the centre of a large ring that encompassed most of his room.
The single ring of bright white light broke into sections. Quickly tracing three more perfect rings within each other, they began spinning rapidly. And as they did, Theo felt that strange sensation once more. Focusing on the light, he realized that whatever it was, there was a strange quality to it.
It wasn't like anything he'd ever seen, heard of, or experienced before. Despite its strange, unknown, and mysterious origin, its rays were pure. If he could put it into words, he would say it felt like a warm, refreshing energy that pulsed outward in rippling waves.
As unnecessarily poetic as that might sound, it was the only way he could think to describe it.
Lost in the sensation and sight, he stared endlessly into the light. And the more he did, the stronger that feeling of warmth grew. Until suddenly, something else within him, something he neither ever knew the existence of, nor could have named, shook.
Whatever it was, it didn't cause him pain, but deep, deep within him. Something changed. It wasn't an abrupt change; it was gentle. But still, it was there. The warmth that had been spreading through him suddenly converged, pulling inward as if drawn to a single point.
Then, as something profound was about to be revealed, no, understood by him. Something fundamental and unexplainably deep, Maria placed her hand back on his face, jarring him back to reality, and said, with an even harsher voice than before.
"Look at me, Theo!" Instantly, his attention shifted to her. He felt a little groggy, and his thoughts were slightly muddled, but he listened nonetheless. "I'm sorry I couldn't... give you what you wanted."
Placing his hand lightly on hers, he frowned and said softly.
"Don't be ridiculous, Maria. There's nothing I've ever wanted and not gotten here."
The corners of Maria's lips rose into a rhy smile, then she chuckled hoarsely.
"I'm not blind, Theo. I... I know you wanted far more... than what I had to offer. And that... you know I didn't allow you the chance... to get what you wanted."
Coughing roughly and spitting out a mouthful of blood, Maria's gaze wavered. But she quickly brought it back to him. Theo stiffened slightly, his fingers tightening around hers.
"You know," she went on, quieter now, "every time a family came asking… every time your name was brought up." A faint, bitter smile touched her lips. "I was the one who said no."
His breath caught.
"I told them you were fragile. Difficult. Not ready. A difficult child. Unwilling to obey even the simplest of rules." Her eyes glistened. "I told them anything I had to. Because if you left…"
She squeezed his hand weakly. "The reason why isn't important right now. I just want you to know I kept you here on purpose, Theo. All these years." Her voice broke. "So please… don't pretend you don't know. And don't tell me you never wanted more. I don't expect you... to forgive me for what I have done... or what is about to happen. But please... know that... everything I did... I did... for you."
The rings of light below them quickly expanded. As they did, lines of intricate symbols etched themselves into existence along the surface of the floor. It was as though unseen hands carved them into being itself. Theo stared at them for a few moments but was quickly brought back by Maria's ragged breathing.
Furrowing his brow, he asked.
"Maria, what are you talking about?"
The rings of light grew in size and speed. Spinning even faster as she drew closer to the edge, till eventually its light entirely encompassed and overtook the entire room.
The glow intensified, and their bodies were highlighted in the radiant light. Threads of light began unravelling from the pendant, as soon it began breaking into particles and weaving itself into the air around them. Like some sort of trick, those woven strands of light fell into the center of the ring.
Theo barely had time to react.
Quickly turning to Maria, he opened his mouth and tried to speak, but the words refused to leave the confines of his lips.
Before he could figure out what was going on, as if he already even knew, the threads of light finished weaving, collapsing inward. The moment they touched the center of the ring, the floor seemed to fall away. Not physically—reality itself folded, bending downward, like a stream of water caught in a drain.
Maria's grip tightened.
"Don't fight it," she rasped.
Just then, the ring flared.
Theo felt weightless.
The remnants of the pendant dissolved completely, its last fragments flashing before vanishing. Then, then came the pull.
A sharp tug, as if an incomprehensible number of invisible hands were reaching out to him. His thoughts suddenly scattered. His vision blurred. And the light surged one final time.
Then—silence.
The pressure was released all at once.
The light faded.
The rings were gone.
And they were gone.