Chapter 80: Abyss.

Hours later, Dua opened her eyes to find herself alone in the dimly lit bedroom. As she sat up, Steven entered, flanked by Shane. He rushed to her side, his hand instinctively brushing her forehead, worry etched onto his face. “How do you feel?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

“I’m alright,” Dua replied, but he quickly picked up on the new detail he couldn’t ignore. The cheer and warmth that typically sparkled in her eyes had vanished, leaving behind a hollow emptiness.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he pressed.

“Do I look like I’m not?” she shot back defensively.

“Are my siblings back from school?” Dua changed the topic, her tone eager.

“No,” Shane answered, feeling the tension in the room thicken.

“Good, let’s continue from where we left off,” she stated, determination flickering in her gaze.

“No,” Steven objected firmly, but she ignored him.

“Since you would rather not kill me, then let’s try drinking my blood,” Dua proposed, her manner almost casual.

“It… it does make sense. Blood represents life, so it’s a better idea than killing her,” Shane tentatively supported her idea, but Steven remained resolute.

“No way!” Steven rejected the suggestion with a sharp shake of his head.

“It’s just drinking her blood; we won’t be taking her life,” Shane countered, trying to reason with him.

“It’s the same thing,” Steven insisted, arms crossed defensively.

“Steve…” Shane pressed, unwilling to give in.

“My answer is no, and that’s final!” Steven declared, his voice leaving no room for debate.

“Then you leave me with no other option,” Dua stated, her tone shifting to one of quiet resolve.

“What option?” Steven raised an eyebrow.

“Talking to my sister,” she replied.

"And what could Denise possibly do to help in this situation?" Shane laughed.

"Not Denise, my sister who cast the spell on you." Dua replied and the men’s eyes widened in shock.

“You’re Crystal now?” Shane furrowed his brow, grappling with the implications.

“I’m Dua… with the memories of my past life,” she clarified, her eyes meeting Steven’s. “Our past,” she added, as though the weight of their shared history hung in the air between them.

“That’s it, just as I predicted,” Steven nodded slowly, processing her transformation. “It’s the reason you seem a little different now," he added.

Shane was confused, his gaze shifting between Dua and Steven as if he were witnessing a silent conversation. The tension in the air crackled.

"So… what will you do when you see your sister?" Shane asked, trying to break the uneasy silence. Dua finally tore her gaze from Steven long enough to meet his eyes.

"I'll ask for her guidance in breaking the curse—or plead with her to revoke it herself," Dua responded, her voice steady yet filled with hope.

"But how are you going to do that? Your sister's dead," Shane expressed, genuine concern etched on his face.

"There’s one place to see her," Dua began, her eyes glinting with tenacity. "The Abyss—the realm of the dead," she and Steven chorused in unison.

Dua turned to Steven in surprise. "How do you know that?"

A sly smirk crept onto his face as he replied, "What do you think I spent one thousand years doing?"

"But I won't let you go to the Abyss," he added, a protective urgency in his tone.

"Why?" Shane asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Because if she isn't strong enough to return, she may never come back," Steven replied, the gravity of his words hanging heavily in the air.

Shane facepalmed himself, the dread of their situation washing over him. "Forget it. We'll never be free from the curse," he muttered hopelessly.

"I will return from the Abyss," Dua insisted, her determination palpable as she tried to stoke a flicker of hope in Shane's heart.

"And what if you don’t?" Steven countered, his voice filled with a mixture of fear and anger.

Dua fell silent for a moment, the weight of all their burdens crashing down on her. "Then so be it," she finally replied, her voice resolute.

"I'm not going to let you risk your life—and our child’s life," Steven said, his expression firm.

"You can always find another woman, have another child," Dua shot back, her tone brimming with frustration.

"Do you think I could ever love another woman?" he questioned, pain lacing his voice.

"You will," she replied firmly. "Just like you fell in love with Dua."

"Are you Crystal or Dua?" His confusion was palpable, as the weight of their shared history hung heavily in the air.

"I'm both... I'm one person. Dua is me, and I'm her. You fell for Dua before you even discovered she's my reincarnation. So yes, you’ll love another woman if I die." Dua's admission hung in the silence like a sharp blade.

Steven scoffed and stormed out of the bedroom, his hurt visible, raw, and angry. The door slammed behind him, reverberating through Dua’s chest and echoing the turmoil in her heart. She felt a swell of pain but forced herself to remain focused. She turned toward Shane, who stayed behind, his brow etched with worry.

"He was never able to move on after you died," Shane said, his tone tinged with sympathy.

"I know," Dua whispered, her heart breaking a little more with each word.

"He carries the memory of you like a burden. Diane looks exactly like you, yet he despises her. But somehow, fate brought him to fall for Dua without realizing it was you who returned." Shane continued, his words heavy with truth.

"I understand... I know this is hard on both of us," Dua's voice cracked. "But I have to do what I need to do. This curse has tethered you both for too long. It’s high time to break free," she insisted, her eyes welling up with tears.

Shane sighed deeply, a rare moment of helplessness silencing him.

The door creaked open, and Steven stepped back inside, his posture tense, the air thick with unspoken apologies. Dua turned to him, heart swirling with conflicting emotions. “Steven,” she began softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean for it to escalate like this.”

His eyes mirrored turmoil, dark with shadows of betrayal and worry. "You never listen to me. Why?" His voice was edged with frustration.

“Even in the past, you never listened to me. You always prioritize others, and that’s what led to this. If you had taken the cure I brought, you wouldn’t have died, your sister wouldn't be angry, and the curse wouldn't exist. But no...you always prioritize others over yourself," he continued.

Dua's heart sank as his words echoed harshly in her mind.

“Stop being selfless for once. Be a little selfish,” he added, his tone both desperate and accusatory. A tear slipped down Dua’s cheek.

“Do you think it’s so easy for me to fall in love with someone else?” Steven scoffed, his voice thick with pain.

“Do you even love me?” Steven's voice was a mix of hurt and confusion, the weight of his question hanging heavily in the air between them.

“I do,” Dua replied, her voice choked with emotion as she met his gaze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I love you so much...and that’s why I’m doing everything I can to save your life.”

“Don't do anything. I don't want you doing anything!" he shouted, the anguish in his eyes mirrored by her own.

“I can’t just stand by and watch you die!” she retorted, her voice trembling with conviction.

“You will,” he shot back, his tone cold. “Just like I had to watch you die a thousand years ago.”

Dua’s eyes widened in shock, the rawness of his statement hitting her like a physical blow. “Are you trying to take revenge on me?” she asked, her heart racing.

“Why would I do that?” Steven laughed bitterly. “I’m trying to change your fate, the one that always requires you to die early,” he said, his voice softening slightly but still tinged with frustration.

“I won’t let you do that,” she said firmly, a steely resolve settling within her.

Steven raised an eyebrow, his expression hardening. “Do I look like I’m asking for your permission?”

"Last time we did it your way, this time we're doing it my way. And my way says you're not gonna die for me, and that's final!" he declared, his tone resolute, as he stormed out of the bedroom, leaving a lingering tension in the air.

Shane, who had been silently observing, let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of the moment settle heavily on his shoulders. He could see the raw emotion etched on Dua's face as tears began to spill down her cheeks, each one a testament to her heartache.