Ritual
The ritual wasn’t easy. It wasn’t a simple spell or chant, it required a physical sacrifice from everyone involved. The room grew heavy with magic, the air thick and humming with energy as the participants began their work.
Santana stood at the center, surrounded by candles and sigils drawn on the floor. She reached out for Brittany’s soul, hoping it was still there, still listening. Her hands shook, but she forced herself to focus. The others chanted, their voices growing louder, more insistent, as the room began to tremble.
For a moment, everything felt like it was crashing down around them, the ground beneath their feet split open, and the wind howled through the cracks. But then, just when it seemed like all hope was lost, the air stilled.
A figure appeared in the center of the room. Brittany. But she wasn’t the same. She looked… different, ethereal, as if she were caught between worlds. Her eyes were darker, her skin pale and translucent. She was back, but she wasn’t whole.
Santana’s breath caught in her throat as she reached out, her fingers brushing against Brittany’s cheek. “You’re here…”
But Brittany’s voice was faint, a whisper that made Santana's heart race.
“I’m here, but not fully. There’s… there’s something wrong. I’m not sure I can stay,” Brittany said, her voice trembling as though she were still trying to hold on to something. “The curse, it’s not over yet.”
Santana stared at her, panic rising in her chest. “What do you mean? We can fix this.”
But Brittany’s expression was dark, resigned. “There’s no way to break the curse without someone paying a price. I’m back, but I can’t stay for long unless we find a way to destroy it completely.”
Santana’s heart pounded in her chest. The weight of Brittany’s words seemed to suffocate the room, and the hopelessness of the situation gripped her. She had fought so hard to get to this point, to bring Brittany back. She couldn’t lose her again.
“No, this can’t be it. We’ve come so far,” Santana said, her voice barely above a whisper, the desperation clear in every word. “I won’t lose you. Not again.”
Brittany’s eyes softened for a brief moment, a flicker of warmth in the haunting depths. “I wish I could stay, Santana. But this curse… it’s bigger than us. The god, your abuela, the forces that control this… they won’t let me be free unless it’s truly destroyed.”
Santana swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. “But how do we destroy it completely? How do we free you?”
Brittany shook her head, her form flickering again, like a fading flame in the wind. “I don’t know. But you have to keep fighting. You have to finish what we started. Don’t let this curse define us.”
Santana’s eyes filled with tears as she reached for Brittany’s hand, her fingers trembling with the fear of losing her again. But Brittany’s hand was still warm; real, solid, as if she were still very much there. But even as she clung to it, there were signs of instability: Brittany’s form flickered, the edges of her image becoming blurry, like a photograph left out in the rain.
“I won’t stop,” Santana said fiercely, her voice shaking. “I’ll do whatever it takes. Just stay with me. Please.”
Brittany smiled weakly, but the smile was strained, like she was trying to hold onto the very fabric of reality. “I’ll always be with you, Santana. In here.” She placed a hand over Santana’s heart. “You have the strength to finish this. You just have to find it.”
But even as Brittany spoke, her form became increasingly unstable. The edges of her body shimmered, like she was a reflection on the surface of water, flickering with the slightest movement. Santana’s heart dropped as she watched, powerless to stop it.
Brittany’s figure wavered again, and her eyes fluttered, struggling to stay focused on Santana. “I can’t stay long, Santana. But I’m not gone… not yet.”
Santana’s voice cracked as she tried to hold onto her. “I can’t lose you, Brittany. Please. I don’t care what it takes, we’ll finish this. We’ll break the curse together.”
But Brittany’s form shimmered again, her voice weak but filled with determination. “You have to… destroy it… before it destroys us.”
Santana gripped her hand tighter, unwilling to let go. “I won’t let you fade. Not again. Not while I can still hold you.”
Brittany’s smile was faint, almost imperceptible. “I’m still here, Santana. I’m still here… but… you have to act quickly. There’s only so much time.”
Santana’s heart felt like it was being torn in two. Brittany’s figure flickered again, her image becoming even more translucent, but she still held onto her, still fought to stay real.
“I won’t let go,” Santana whispered, her voice hoarse. “I won’t stop fighting for you.”
Brittany’s form wavered again, but the warmth in her hand was still there. “Don’t stop… finish what we started, Santana.”
As Brittany’s form flickered one final time, she held Santana’s gaze for just a moment longer, the connection between them stronger than ever, before her figure became more unstable, on the brink of disappearing completely.
The room held its breath, the air thick with anticipation and fear. But Brittany was still there, despite the fading signs—still holding on, still present. The curse wasn’t over, but for now, she was still with her.
Santana’s determination solidified. “We will finish this,” she whispered fiercely to herself. “We’ll break this curse. I will save you, Brittany. No matter what.”
The others, silent witnesses to the scene unfolding, looked at Santana, knowing she was the only one who could carry them through this. And together, they would face the final, uncertain steps of their journey, hoping that somehow, they could bring Brittany back completely.