Letting Go
The final act wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t a blood sacrifice, a tear-filled farewell, or a last kiss. It was acceptance.
Santana sat in the center of the ritual circle once more, the same circle that had witnessed so much pain, so much loss, and so many failed attempts to break the curse. She felt the weight of everything that had happened, the entire journey—the heartbreak, the chaos, the fear. She had given everything, fought every battle, and yet in the end, it wasn’t strength that would save them.
It was letting go.
Her eyes were closed, her breathing steady as she focused inward. Brittany’s voice still echoed in her mind, soft and reassuring despite everything they had been through. “You don’t have to do this. I should be the one to pay. You’re not the one who should die for me.”
Santana exhaled slowly, the words resonating within her chest. How many times had she thought she was the one who had to make the ultimate sacrifice? How many times had she believed that to save Brittany, she would need to fight fate? But it wasn’t about fighting. It never had been.
Santana could feel Brittany’s presence surrounding her, faint but comforting. Their bond hadn’t broken, even after everything. Their love hadn’t died. In that moment, she realized that was what had kept them tethered: love. The same love that had gotten them into this mess was now the very thing that could break the curse. She didn’t need to hold onto it desperately. She didn’t need to control it.
She just had to let go.
“I’m letting go,” Santana whispered to the silence, her voice barely audible, as if speaking louder might undo everything. Her hand was resting gently on her chest, the place where her heart had always been tied to Brittany’s, even when she couldn’t see her. Even when Brittany had been lost.
And with that, the curse shattered.
The air in the room seemed to shift, as if something heavy had been lifted. The energy, thick and suffocating moments ago, now felt lighter, freer, like the world had taken its first breath after holding its own for far too long. The invisible chains that had bound them to pain and blood and death, chains woven by a curse born of jealousy and fear, disintegrated.
The room fell into stillness.
Santana opened her eyes, blinking away the tears that had accumulated. The soft hum of magic in the air began to settle, leaving behind a profound silence. But as her gaze lifted, she saw her.
Brittany stood before her. Alive. Whole. Radiating life and light. Her skin was warm, her eyes bright and clear, not faded or misty like she had been moments ago. She was real. She was back.
Santana couldn’t breathe for a moment, a strange mixture of relief and disbelief flooding her senses. She took in Brittany’s presence like a drowning person gasping for air. It was real. It was happening. And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Santana allowed herself to feel peace.
Brittany’s smile was wide, genuine, and filled with warmth. “You’re free,” she whispered, her voice low and full of the love that had never wavered. There was no more uncertainty, no more fear. She was whole.
Santana’s breath hitched as tears welled in her eyes, a flood of emotion crashing over her. For so long, she had been carrying the weight of guilt, the terror of losing Brittany again, but now… now she understood. It wasn’t about sacrifice. It wasn’t about control. It was about love, and sometimes, love meant knowing when to let go.
“We’re free,” Santana said, her voice breaking as the tears spilled down her cheeks. She felt lighter than she had in years, her heart swelling with love and relief. It wasn’t just her that was free. It was both of them. Free from the curse. Free from the pain. Free to live, to love, to be.
Brittany’s hand reached out to her, and Santana didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward and took it, their fingers intertwining, as though everything that had happened had led them to this moment of peace.
And for the first time in so long, Santana felt like they had truly broken free.
As they stood there together, in the quiet aftermath of everything they had been through, Santana knew that the journey wasn’t over. They had been through hell and back, and there would still be challenges ahead. But right now, in this moment, all that mattered was that they were together. That the curse was broken. That the darkness had been lifted.
They were free.