Chapter 22 The beginning of the story;✨️
Eva was slowly emerging from the depths of darkness into the light. Her body was heavy, but at the same time... light. It was as if every cell in her body had been reborn.
When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Elly's horrified face.
"Eva!" Elly's voice trembled. "God... Eva... are you okay?"
Eva slowly sat up. Her hands weren't shaking anymore. Her body was warm, this body that had always been cold until now. For the first time, it felt as if she was filled from within. When she raised her head, she saw her reflection in the old mirror across from the fireplace.
Her breath caught.
Her hair... was silver-white. Straight, shining, as if woven from moonlight. And her eyes... They weren't brown. Purple. They glowed with a deep, enchanting, ancient purple light.
"Wow! Is this... me?" Eva whispered, noticing that even her voice had changed. It was deeper, more mature. But the playful girl inside her still lived.
Elly saw Eva's blank stare at the mirror. She held her hands anxiously. "Eva, can you hear me? Is it you?" she asked.
Eva turned to her. Her gaze was sharp but still had that old warmth. "Elly..." she said softly. "Yes, it's me. And I missed you so much!" she said, hugging her. The memories of the past felt like a lifetime to her, as if she hadn't existed for a long time.
Elly's eyes filled with tears. "I missed you so much too," she said, hugging her back. "Damn it, Eva! I thought I'd lost you! Why did you defy the alpha!"
Images suddenly exploded in Eva's mind. Memories. And certain words.
Eva grabbed her head with both hands, groaning in pain. "No... Okay! Calm down, I'll fix everything!"
Elly was worried about her condition, but she seemed certain that this was the old Eva.
Just then, the door opened and Agnes entered.
When the old woman saw Eva, her knees trembled with excitement. The bowl in her hand fell to the ground and broke. But she didn't care.
Slowly, respectfully, she approached Eva. Then... she knelt.
"Welcome," said Agnes, her voice trembling. "First Rose. Bearer of Homay's light."
Eva fixed her eyes on Agnes. Her eyes, which had been normal just moments ago, suddenly blazed with purple light upon seeing Agnes. "Agnes..." she said slowly. "Last ancient guardian! It's good to see you."
Agnes raised her head, her eyes tearful. "Yes. I know you. I know your soul. You have returned," she said.
Eva took a deep breath. Something inside her was falling into place. But there were still gaps. Things she couldn't remember.
"I... remember who I am," Eva said slowly. "But not completely. Pieces are missing."
Agnes stood up and approached. "It will come with time," she said. "But now there's something you must do."
"What is it?" Eva asked.
Agnes looked at her seriously. "The ancient seal must be completed. You must find the ancient alpha, he will lose his way without you," she said.
Eva placed her hand on her chest and touched the seal. She felt the mark on her chest. It was still there, purple veins pulsing like a dying heartbeat. It was very weak.
"Kael..." Eva whispered. "I can feel him. But... the bond is very weak."
Agnes nodded. "The seal is not just a physical mark, Rose witch, you know this. Your souls are bound and you rejected him."
Eva's brows furrowed. She didn't want to lose Kael. "Then I need to see him."
"Yes," said Agnes. "Rest a little, then let's find the ancient alpha."
Eva nodded. There was a strange determination inside her. As if she had been waiting for centuries.
Agnes walked toward the door and left.
As soon as the door closed, Eva suddenly stood up. With quick, determined steps, she went to the wardrobe and took out an old thick shirt and pants.
"What are you doing?" Elly asked in panic.
"Getting dressed," Eva said in a calm voice. "We need to go."
"Where?!" Elly looked shocked. "Eva, you're still weak! Don't! You just woke up from a coma!"
Eva turned, her purple eyes fixed on Elly. "No, Elly. I've never felt this strong."
Elly stared in amazement. Indeed, there was a strange energy around Eva. Like a purple aura.
Eva quickly dressed and tied up her hair. "Come on," she said. "We shouldn't waste time."
"But... where are we going?" Elly asked helplessly.
Eva turned to her. That ancient light glowed in her eyes.
"To where it all began."
Minutes later, Eva was at the wheel of Elly's jeep. The engine was running fast, they were moving carefully but quickly on the road.
Elly sat in the passenger seat, looking at Eva in amazement. Because the girl in front of her was still that wild, somewhat playful Eva. But at the same time... she wasn't.
"You're... still you," Elly murmured. "Aren't you?"
Eva smiled. That old, warm smile. "Yes, Elly. I'm still me. How many times are you going to ask that?"
Elly breathed a sigh of relief. But then she frowned. "Agnes... said a different Rose woman was born. I... I thought I'd lost you."
Eva's smile turned a bit sad. "You didn't lose me."
Elly remained silent. Then her voice broke. "But... you're different now. Aren't you?"
Eva remained silent for a while. Then she took a deep breath.
"That woman was me, Elly," she said.
Elly turned her head, looking in shock. "What?!"
Eva kept her eyes on the road. "From the beginning... I should have understood from how close I felt to Kael, my powers, this town... everything feeling so familiar."
Elly's voice trembled. "But... how? How is that possible?"
Eva smiled. "I just remembered my past memories."
Elly's mouth fell open. "So... you... you really are that woman? The woman who lived centuries ago?"
Eva nodded. "Yes. But... I'm also Eva. Both are me."
Elly shook her head in confusion. "This is... crazy."
Eva let out a short laugh. "I know."
Elly remained silent for a while. Then she asked with a serious expression: "So... what happens now?"
Eva's face hardened. "There's something I'm not sure about, Elly."
"What is it?"
Eva briefly took her eyes off the road and looked at Elly. "Joe. Kael's pack. The hunters. The betrayal of the Rose women. We have to experience everything in order. And we entered from the end of the book."
Elly frowned. "What do you mean?"
Eva refocused on the road. "I mean... something went wrong in the past. I'm not talking about my time, somehow after Kael and I separated, the prophecy was corrupted again. Wrong decisions were made. And we're living with the consequences now."
"So?"
Eva took a deep breath. "Now it's time to fix it."
Elly's heart began to race. "How?"
Eva turned to her. Her purple eyes blazed with determination.
"We must go back to the beginning. We must see the truth. We need to understand how it all started, why it ended this way."
Elly looked shocked. "But... how?"
Eva smiled. "You're a guardian, Elly, you're the only bloodline of the ancient lineages. I'm the representative of the timeless Rose women. We are one whole. That's why I must take you with me."
"Where?"
"To the past," Eva said with a smile.
Elly stared frozen, in shock. "What?! But... is that even possible?"
Eva shrugged. "The power of Rose witches isn't limited to just the present. We can see the flow of time. We can look into the past. But..." Her voice became serious. "It's dangerous. I could get lost."
Elly looked at her in panic. "Then don't do it!"
Eva shook her head. "No. I must. Because if I don't learn the truth, I can never convince Kael. He'll never accept me, won't trust me again, and the seal will never be completed!"
Elly swallowed. "So... what will I do?"
Eva gave her a warm smile. "You'll be my anchor."
"Anchor?"
Eva nodded. "Yes. You must prevent me from getting lost. If I go too deep, you must pull me back."
Elly took a deep breath. She was scared. But she trusted Eva.
"Okay," she said. "I'm with you."
Eva smiled. "Thank you, Elly."
The jeep continued to move quickly. The snowstorm was fierce. But Eva was determined.
A few minutes later, they reached the mountain peak.
Eva was about to discover who had corrupted the prophecy and committed betrayal in this town...