And that’s how the story will end, my love. There’s a price for everything that we have in this world.” Aiden grunted when her lips brushed his ear. “What is this?” “The price we’re paying for being alive.” “Oh.” Aiden sighed and leaned against the door frame, taking a moment to watch the scene in front of him. “I don’t want to go, but I do not want to see my future either.” “Nor I.” Aiden nodded. “I think you’ll find that she’ll die before us.” “Ah.” Aiden nodded. “Will you not come to your death?” Alison laughed softly, shaking her head. “Perhaps… But I believe that my death will be that of many, and your wife most of all, my love.” He looked down the hallway at the body lying in a pool of its own blood. It wasn’t Alison lying there… not the woman that he would have laid down his life for to save. No, it was the person he didn’t like, the one he always expected to be there… the one he was sure would die sooner than he would. Alison laughed again. “So, here we are. Finally together. I love you, Aiden.” The man shook his head. “You love me? But you know what I am, do you not?” “I’ve told you,” she spoke as if bored, “I know everything there is to know about the curse. Everything, good and bad.” “And you love me anyway?” he asked softly. “Despite that?” She leaned in and pressed her lips to his for a moment. Then, she pulled back, her smile shining bright in the dim light. “Will you come, Aiden?” she asked, reaching for his hand. “Or will you spend your life wishing you’d come? Of course you can still change your mind… But if you don’t want to come with me, why don’t you stay?” “I… I think I want to stay,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to leave.” “You don’t? But why?” Alison asked. “What if I didn’t come back? What if I died?” “You won’t,” Aiden said softy. “And if you do, I’ll come and find you. This life isn’t something I care for. I want to leave. I want to find a place where I can live out the rest of my days. A place that’s warm and safe.” “Why can’t you just stay here?” Alison asked. “Look around. I don’t think you’ll find much that is safe here, even if you go somewhere else. And… and you’re not like me. You never will be. You know that, right?” “We’ll be together,” Aiden said. “I know I can’t turn back time, and you can’t die, either. There’s no changing the past, and no living in the future.” “That’s your choice to make,” Alison said, “but I want you to leave. Come with me. We can figure something out, you and I. I promise you, Aiden. We’ll be safe. Forever.” “You have other plans, don’t you?” Aiden asked. “And why? Why now? We’ve been planning this forever… We can never end this way. I want you with me. I love you.” “I know.” “But it’s too late.” Aiden sighed. “It’s too late. We’ll never go back to being just friends. Not after this.” “And if we did?” “Then we’ll start over and… and we can be happy again. But you… you don’t want that, Alison. You wouldn’t.” Alison laughed at that. “Don’t I? I think I do. I love you, Aiden. I do. And you love me, too.” “But what good does it do? If I stayed… if I stayed and you never came back? What would be left of my life then? Nothing. Nothing but misery.” Alison shook her head. “But if I… if I do come back… maybe it’s worth it to me to be loved by you. Maybe. But… You’re right, you know. It’s too late now. But, if it is only for a while… that’s fine, too. I don’t want to spend our last days as enemies… Our lives should be spent together. So… come with me. Or stay here. Either way, I can’t go without you. You love me, you know you do. And I love you.” “So, tell me,” Aiden said. “If it’s such a great plan, why won’t you tell me where I can find the portal? Or the key to open it?” Alison smiled sadly. “You know that was my other reason for coming back here, don’t you? I needed to find the portal. But it wouldn’t matter if I’d found it or not. You were so happy there. I couldn’t be the one to take that away from you, and I couldn’t stay here and watch you leave. It would have been too hard. It would have hurt. I love you, Aiden, but that love does not mean that I can stand by while you leave me. My love isn’t enough. It can’t be. So I’ll stay here until you find your own way out. Then… I’ll go back to live with my old boss. In the end, I will find my happy ending. And you will find yours. When you find the portal, go. That’s all I’m asking. Just remember that we love each other, no matter what happens… that’s all I care about. Go. Have fun. Find your way out. And don’t be angry with me for not being able to go with you. For not being able to tell you where to go and how to get there.” Aiden shook his head. “I don’t understand. Why not? We’re all here together. We should… should fight against it.” “Because you love me, Aiden. And I love you. I’m sorry we couldn’t have a chance to live together in happiness. Not now. Not here.” “But what is it that you do? If you can’t tell me, then what makes you think I’ll be able to… do anything?” “Because you’ll find a way out. You’ve done it before, remember?” “Yes, but I…” “You will, Aiden. You will. Trust me.” Alison laughed softly. “You don’t have to come with me, though. You don’t have to be in my life, nor have to give up everything you’ve ever known. You can do whatever you want to. We can always meet up again. I’ll always love you, Aiden. I’ll always be waiting for you.” He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave Alison behind and watch as the police carried the body away and filled her friends in on the details of her tragic death. He wanted to hold her hand as they waited for the inevitable. He wanted to keep on living as long as she was alive. He wanted to keep on living as long as he could hold her hand. But as his fingers ran over the delicate bracelet at his wrist, he knew that he had to go. And Alison was right. He would survive. He’d done it before… twice in fact. And if she couldn’t tell him where to go, then he would find someone who could. No matter how hard it would be. “Yes, go, Aiden,” she said softly. “Find your way out. Don’t waste a minute more.” “But…” he shook his head, “how will you be able to forgive me for leaving? What will you do without me?” “I’ll find a way, Aiden. And I won’t forget you. Even though you go, I’ll always remember your name… and yours. But I won’t hold it against you. We will be able to see each other again, you know. I promise. Just promise me that you won’t tell anyone about this. I’ll need you to do that for me. Can you do that for me, Aiden? Can you trust me? After all this is done… come back to me. Will you promise me that? Promise me that you’ll go, but that you’ll come back?” “I don’t know… Alison… I…” “Promise?” “I… yes. I’ll promise.” “Good. And when you find the portal, go. You’ll make it through, and we’ll be together again.” Alison smiled up at him as she looked up at his face, her beautiful eyes clear and shining with love. He had never seen her smile so genuinely. And she had never been so beautiful… until now. Until just a moment ago, before