The manor was eerily quiet, save for the soft rustling of wind against the windows. Scarlette stood by the grand fireplace, her eyes vacant as they stared into the flames. She didn’t see the flickering orange light; she only saw the shadows of her past, the things she couldn’t undo. Her thoughts were consumed by one person—Selene.
Selene had been with her for years, though their paths had been entwined in ways Scarlette would never have anticipated. She remembered the first time she’d met Selene, a fragile soul lost in the labyrinth of the manor. The girl was so young, so innocent, her wide eyes searching for something or someone to hold on to. Scarlette had immediately felt a pull in her chest, a protective instinct she couldn’t explain. But it wasn’t just that. It was the haunting loneliness that echoed in her own heart, a loneliness that only Selene seemed to understand. But that understanding came at a cost. Scarlette’s life, once wrapped in mystery and grace, had become a cage of isolation. She could no longer allow herself to feel the warmth of Selene’s affection, the tenderness in her touch. Every time Selene looked at her with those trusting eyes, Scarlette’s heart would tighten in a mixture of love and guilt. She knew that the longer Selene stayed in her world, the more likely it was that the darkness of the manor would consume her.
There were things about Scarlette’s past that Selene didn’t know, things that Scarlette would never speak of. The blood-stained secrets of the manor, the lives that had been lost to its cruel walls, and the dangerous forces that lingered in its corners—Scarlette had always been the one to protect Selene from them. She had always tried to keep her safe, even if it meant pushing her away, even if it meant hurting her. The last few days had been particularly hard. Scarlette had begun to sense something lurking, something far more sinister than the usual threats that haunted the manor. There was a dark presence in the air, a malevolent force that was closing in, and Scarlette couldn’t allow Selene to be caught in its web. She couldn’t let her get close, couldn’t let her see what Scarlette had become.
The harsh words she had spoken to Selene echoed in her mind. She could still see the hurt in Selene’s eyes, the confusion, the pain. Scarlette had told her to leave, to never come back. She had told her that she wasn’t safe here, that the dangers of the manor were too great. But that wasn’t true. It wasn’t the dangers of the manor that scared Scarlette. It was the danger of loving Selene. It was the fear that her presence in Scarlette’s life would lead to her undoing.
Scarlette had seen it before—how the darkness crept into the hearts of those who stayed too close to her. How their light would slowly fade until they were just another shadow in the corner of her soul. And she couldn’t bear to watch Selene suffer the same fate. She had thought that pushing her away would be the right thing to do. It would keep her safe. But as the days passed, Scarlette realized she had only torn apart the fragile bond they had built. Every moment without Selene was like a wound that would never heal. She had never felt so empty, so broken.
Scarlette knew that it was too late to go back. Selene would never forgive her for the words she had said, and Scarlette would never forgive herself for pushing her away. The emptiness in her chest was unbearable, and the loneliness that had once been a companion now felt like a constant, suffocating presence.
She had tried to fight it, to convince herself that the distance between them was for the best. But deep down, Scarlette knew it wasn’t true. She had lost her chance to protect Selene, and in doing so, she had lost herself. The quiet of the manor felt oppressive now, and Scarlette could hear the echoes of the past creeping into the present. She closed her eyes, her hands trembling as she reached for the pendant around her neck, a gift from Selene long ago. The delicate piece of jewelry felt like a reminder of everything she had lost. She had once promised herself that she would never let Selene suffer. But in the end, it was Scarlette who had become the one to cause her pain. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Scarlette didn’t move. She didn’t want to face anyone, least of all the person who had become both her greatest joy and her deepest sorrow. But the knock came again, more insistent this time.
“Scarlette,” a familiar voice called softly, trembling with a mix of fear and hope.
It was Selene.
For a moment, Scarlette felt her heart skip a beat, but then the weight of the reality settled in. There was nothing left for them, nothing but the broken remnants of a love that could never be. “I’m sorry,” Scarlette whispered to herself, her voice barely audible above the crackling of the fire. “I never wanted this. I never wanted to hurt you.” And in that moment, Scarlette knew that no matter how much she longed to hold Selene, to beg for forgiveness, she could never undo the damage she had caused. They were both trapped—one in the past, the other in the future—and there would be no way out. The silence stretched on, and Scarlette knew that she was truly alone. The door creaked open slowly, the faintest of sounds breaking the silence that had settled between them. Selene stood in the doorway, her figure framed by the dim light of the hallway. She was hesitant, unsure, as though every step she had taken toward Scarlette was a battle within herself. Her eyes searched the room, landing on Scarlette, but she said nothing. The silence between them stretched long, heavy with words unsaid. Scarlette didn’t move. She couldn’t bring herself to. The distance, both physical and emotional, felt insurmountable. She had told Selene to leave, to never return. She had thrown away the only thing that had ever given her a semblance of peace, of light. And now, standing in the presence of the girl she loved, the weight of her own actions bore down on her with such suffocating force that she could barely breathe. Selene stepped forward, cautiously, like a bird with a broken wing, unsure if it was safe to approach. Her eyes were wide, too large for her face, filled with a sadness that made Scarlette's heart twist with guilt.
“You said to leave,” Selene whispered, her voice barely above a breath, the vulnerability in it like a knife to Scarlette’s chest. "But... I can’t. I don’t know where to go without you.”
Scarlette closed her eyes, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye. It fell quietly, as if it, too, had given up the fight. How could she have done this to her? How could she have been so cruel to the one person who had made her feel something real? “I’m sorry, Selene,” Scarlette’s voice was a broken whisper, strained with emotion she had been burying deep inside for too long. “I never wanted to hurt you. But I have to keep you safe. I have to protect you from everything here, from me.” “From you?” Selene’s voice cracked, and she took another step forward, her hands trembling as she reached out, as if hoping that if she touched Scarlette, she could make her understand. “But I don’t want protection, Scarlette. I want you. I want us.” Scarlette felt the sharp pang of that confession pierce through her chest. The weight of Selene’s love—so pure, so unyielding—felt like a burden she could no longer bear. She had tried to keep her distance for Selene’s sake, but now she saw how hollow her attempts had been. She had pushed Selene away to save her, but in the end, all she had done was push her into a cold, empty world where Scarlette was the only light left to guide her. “I can’t give you that,” Scarlette said, her voice faltering. She took a step back, her eyes not meeting Selene’s, afraid that if she did, the floodgates would open and she would break down completely. “You don’t understand. There’s too much darkness inside me. Too much... danger. You don’t belong here, Selene.” “But I do,” Selene whispered, her voice firm now, though her eyes were brimming with tears. “I do belong here. I belong with you. I don’t care about the darkness. I care about you. I always have.”
Those words, those simple, pure words, shattered Scarlette’s resolve. She felt the walls she had built around herself begin to crumble, piece by piece. It was too much to bear—too much love, too much pain. She had never felt more torn in her life. “I’m not the person you think I am, Selene,” Scarlette finally said, her voice breaking with the weight of everything she had kept hidden for so long. “I have done terrible things. I’ve hurt people. I’ve hurt myself. You don’t know what I’ve become. You don’t know what I’m capable of. I can’t let you be a part of that. You don’t deserve this.” Selene shook her head, the tears now falling freely down her cheeks, though her expression was one of quiet determination. “I don’t care about your past, Scarlette. I care about who you are now. The person you are now.” She took another step forward, closing the gap between them. “You’re not alone. And you don’t have to face everything by yourself.” Scarlette wanted to pull away, to run, to hide from the truth of Selene’s words. But she couldn’t. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, a frantic, desperate rhythm that betrayed her every attempt at resistance.
“I don’t want to lose you,” Scarlette whispered, the words coming out like a sob. “I’ve already lost you, haven’t I?”
Selene’s face softened, her hands reaching for Scarlette’s, gently cupping them on her own. “No,” she said, her voice steady, as if she were making a promise. “I’m here. I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.” For a moment, time seemed to stop. The world, the manor, the darkness that had consumed Scarlette’s life for so long—all of it faded away, leaving only the fragile warmth of Selene’s hands in hers. The weight of the past, of the choices Scarlette had made, seemed distant and small, as if they had no power here, in this moment. But the shadows were never far behind. Scarlette knew that even in the warmth of Selene’s embrace, there were dangers lurking, things neither of them could outrun. The manor’s curse, the secrets buried beneath its walls—it would all come back. The darkness would always be there, creeping, waiting to pull them apart. But for now, Scarlette allowed herself to feel the simple truth of the present. She let herself hold onto Selene, to believe that for a fleeting moment, they could be together without fear, without regret. She pressed her forehead gently against Selene’s, breathing in the scent of her hair, the sound of her heartbeat, steady and true. "I don’t know if I can protect you," Scarlette whispered, the words filled with sorrow and uncertainty.
But as the warmth of Selene’s embrace enveloped her, Scarlette couldn’t shake the heavyweight in her chest—the lingering fear that no matter how close they were, the darkness would always find a way to tear them apart. She closed her eyes, allowing herself a brief moment of peace, of softness, but in her heart, she knew the truth: nothing good ever stayed in her world for long. The shadows that had shaped her past were not mere figments—they were real, and they would come for Selene, just as they had come for others before her. Selene pulled back slightly, her hands still resting in Scarlette’s, but her gaze unwavering. “You don’t have to fight this alone anymore,” Selene said, her voice soft yet resolute. “We’ll face it together. Whatever it is that haunts you, we can—” “No.” Scarlette cut her off, her voice sharp and desperate. “You don’t understand, Selene. You can’t understand. There’s a darkness in me that I can’t outrun. You will be in danger if you stay. If you stay with me, you will become a part of my curse.” Her breath caught in her throat, and her chest tightened with the painful realization that she was pushing Selene away again. But the words felt like they had to be said, no matter how much they hurt. Selene’s expression faltered only for a moment, the hurt flashing across her face before she steeled herself, gripping Scarlette’s hands with a quiet strength. “I’m not afraid of you, Scarlette,” she said, her voice steady, though the words felt like they carried the weight of an unspoken promise. “I’m not afraid of your past, of whatever it is that haunts you. I’m afraid of losing you.”
Scarlette couldn’t look at her. The love in Selene’s eyes was too much, and the guilt that racked her body was almost unbearable. She didn’t deserve this love. She didn’t deserve the tenderness, the unwavering loyalty, and yet, here Selene was, offering it so freely. And Scarlette felt like a fraud, like a shadow of the person she had once been. She had lied to herself for so long, telling herself that pushing Selene away was for her own good, that it was the only way to protect her. But now, as Selene stood before her—vulnerable, open—Scarlette realized that perhaps it wasn’t protection that she had been offering. It was isolated.
“I’m not strong enough to protect you, Selene. I never was,” Scarlette murmured, her voice trembling with the weight of everything she had tried to bury. She took a step back, breaking the contact between them, as if the physical distance might give her the strength to say what she needed to say. “There’s so much darkness here. So much that you can’t see. It’s everywhere. And it’s too much for one person to handle. Too much for anyone to survive.”
Selene’s eyes searched Scarlette’s face, as if she were trying to find the woman she had always known behind the walls of fear and pain that Scarlette had built around herself. Her lips parted as if to speak, but Scarlette raised a hand, stopping her. “No, please.” Scarlette’s voice cracked, raw with emotion. “If you stay, it will change you. It will make you like me. I’ve already ruined so many lives. I can’t let you become another victim of my mistakes.” “Then stop running from it.” Selene’s voice was calm now, though there was an undeniable intensity in her gaze. “You’re not the only one who’s afraid of the darkness, Scarlette. But I’m not going to let you push me away because of it. I want to be by your side. I want to help you carry whatever burden you’re holding. We can carry it together.” Scarlette swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. “I never meant to hurt you.”
Selene stepped closer again, ignoring the barriers Scarlette had tried to create. “You didn’t hurt me,” she said, her voice soft but unwavering. “You’ve only hurt yourself. And that’s the real reason you’re pushing me away, isn’t it? You’re scared of what I might see, scared of what I might think of you once you let me in. But I’m already in, Scarlette. I’ve always been in. And I’m not going anywhere.” The sincerity in Selene’s words reached deep into Scarlette’s heart, touching the parts of her she had long since closed off. For a brief moment, Scarlette allowed herself to imagine a life where she wasn’t alone, where she didn’t have to hide from the person who meant the most to her. But the thought was fleeting, as quickly as it had come. She had been running for so long, from everything and everyone. She wasn’t sure she even knew how to stop. “I don’t know if I can change, Selene. I don’t know if I can stop being the person I’ve become,” Scarlette confessed, her voice breaking as the weight of her own failures pressed down on her. “I’ve spent so long trying to keep people at a distance, trying to protect them from what I am, that I’ve forgotten how to let anyone close.”
“You don’t have to change for me,” Selene replied, her words cutting through the suffocating fog that had clouded Scarlette’s mind. “I love you as you are. Not as some perfect version of yourself, but as you—flawed, broken, and beautiful all the same.”
Scarlette felt the ground beneath her feet begin to shift. It wasn’t the weight of the past that held her in place anymore, but the pull of something far more dangerous—hope. Hope that perhaps, despite all the darkness she had embraced, there was still room for light. Hope that maybe, just maybe, Selene could be the light that guided her out of the abyss. But the fear lingered, as it always did. Scarlette’s breath caught in her throat as she looked into Selene’s eyes, seeing the truth there—Selene was not afraid of the darkness that surrounded them. She was willing to face it head-on, no matter the cost. And that was both beautiful and terrifying. Scarlette couldn’t bear the thought of pulling Selene into the storm, of allowing her to become entangled in the web of shadows that had haunted Scarlette’s every step. “I love you,” Scarlette whispered, her voice breaking, the confession raw and unguarded. “But I’m afraid I’ll ruin you.”
Selene’s expression softened, and she stepped forward again, gently cupping Scarlette’s face in her hands. “You won’t. I’m already here. You don’t have to protect me from yourself anymore.” As Scarlette stood there, wrapped in the warmth of Selene’s touch, a wave of guilt and sorrow washed over her. The weight of the years she had spent running from her own truth seems unbearable, suffocating. She had told herself that her actions—her attempts to push Selene away—were out of love, out of a need to protect her. But the truth was darker.
The truth was that Scarlette feared what her love could destroy. She feared that if she allowed Selene to get too close, she would ruin her, just as she had ruined so much in her own life. “I can’t...” Scarlette’s voice cracked, her words barely more than a whisper. “I can’t let you love me. I’m not worth it, Selene. You don’t know what I’ve done. What I’ve become. There’s nothing left of who I used to be. Just... shadows and regrets.” Selene’s eyes, full of compassion, searched her face, but Scarlette could see the flicker of uncertainty there, too. The doubt that she hadn’t allowed herself to feel until now. Scarlette knew Selene didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was catching up with them both. The danger had always been there, a presence neither of them could ignore forever. The longer they stayed, the more it would consume them. “I see you,” Selene said softly, her voice steady but fragile. “I see everything in you—the pain, the mistakes. But I also see you. The person who cares. The person who protects. The person who loves, even if you can’t bring yourself to admit it.”
Scarlette shook her head, pulling away from Selene’s touch as the weight of her own self-loathing threatened to crush her. “No,” she murmured, the word bitter on her tongue. “I don’t deserve your love. I’ve been running from my own demons for so long, I can’t even remember who I was before they consumed me. And I’ll only drag you down with me. I’ll ruin you.” Tears pooled in Selene’s eyes, though her expression was still filled with determination. “You’re not broken, Scarlette. You’re hurting, yes, but that doesn’t make you any less worthy of love. I’ve seen the good in you, and it’s still there, no matter what you believe. Please, let me in. Let me help you.” But Scarlette could already feel herself pulling away, her mind already racing with all the reasons why it couldn’t work. All the reasons why Selene deserve someone else, someone who wasn’t tainted by the darkness that had followed Scarlette for years. She had always been an outcast, always been an outsider, and the longer Selene stayed, the more she would become part of the wreckage Scarlette had left behind. The destruction would follow them wherever they went. The darkness was always one step behind, lurking in the corners, waiting for the moment when Scarlette’s walls would crumble.
“I can’t keep you safe from it,” Scarlette said, her voice barely audible as she looked at Selene, the weight of the truth sinking in. “I’ve tried. But I’ve only hurt you. I’ve only dragged you further into this nightmare.” Selene took a step forward, her eyes pleading, but Scarlette recoiled, a cold wave of dread washing over her. “No,” Scarlette whispered, her voice full of panic. “You have to go. You can’t stay here with me. You don’t deserve this. I’ve already failed you, Selene. I’ve already... broke everything.” Selene’s face paled, a flicker of shock and hurt flashing across her features. “What do you mean?” Her voice wavered, barely above a whisper, as if she couldn’t quite grasp what Scarlette was saying. “I’ve never wanted to leave you. I—” “You have to,” Scarlette interrupted, her voice frantic now, her breath shallow. “It’s the only way. You have to go, because if you stay, I’ll only destroy you. I’m poison, Selene. I’m a curse. And you’ll never be free if you stay.”
Selene’s eyes widened, her hands trembling as they reached out to Scarlette, but Scarlette stepped back, unable to face the devastation she saw in Selene’s eyes. This wasn’t love. This was destruction, and Scarlette had already dragged Selene too far into it. “I’m so sorry,” Scarlette said, the tears she had been holding back for so long finally spilling down her cheeks. “I never wanted this for you. But I’m not the person you think I am. I can’t be the person you need me to be. I’m broken, and I’ve broken everything I’ve ever touched.”
Selene stood frozen, her body trembling as she fought to hold back her own tears. “I won’t leave you,” she said softly, almost pleading. “I won’t leave you, Scarlette. I’ll stay. I’ll stay, no matter what.”
But Scarlette could see it now—the cracks in Selene’s resolve, the hurt that had begun to seep in. She had pushed her so far, had driven her to the edge, and now, she could see the damage in Selene’s eyes. The love that had once been so unwavering was starting to fray, starting to break under the weight of Scarlette’s fears.
“I don’t deserve you,” Scarlette whispered, her voice shaking with the weight of it. “I’ve already ruined us. I’ve ruined everything.” Selene’s eyes filled with sorrow as she took a hesitant step back. “I... I never wanted you to feel like this. I never wanted to make you feel like you’re unworthy of love, Scarlette. But I can’t save you if you won’t let me.” The truth hung in the air between them, thick and suffocating. Scarlette had tried to keep Selene safe, and had pushed her away for her own good. But in the end, all she had done was push her away from the one thing that had ever mattered—the chance for a life free from the ghosts that haunted them both.
“You can’t save me,” Scarlette whispered, her voice barely audible, a sob caught in her throat. “I’ve already destroyed myself. And you can’t save someone who’s already gone.” There was a long silence, the weight of their unspoken words pressing down on them both. Selene stood frozen, her tears falling freely now, but Scarlette couldn’t bring herself to comfort her. She couldn’t bring herself to hold her. She had already given up on herself, and now, she was giving up on them both.
“I love you,” Selene whispered, her voice breaking.
“But I can’t... I can’t stay if you keep pushing me away. I can’t love someone who doesn’t believe they deserve it.”
And with those words, Scarlette knew it was over. The love, the connection they had shared, was slipping through her fingers like sand. There was nothing left but the hollow ache in her chest and the cold silence that filled the space between them. As Selene turned and walked away, Scarlette stood frozen, her heart breaking into pieces. She had lost everything—Selene, herself, the future she could never have. And in the quiet aftermath of the broken promise, Scarlette realized the truth: the darkness had already won. As Selene's steps echoed in the hallway, the sound felt like a death knell to Scarlette. Each footfall was a reminder of the distance that was growing between them, a chasm she could no longer cross. Scarlette stood there, motionless, her hands trembling at her sides, as if her body couldn’t believe what her mind had just accepted. Selene was leaving. She was leaving because Scarlette had broken her. She broke everything.
The silence of the manor enveloped Scarlett as the minutes passed, stretching into an eternity. The dark corners of the room seemed to grow darker, the shadows longer. Her chest felt hollow, her breath shallow. Every inch of her felt empty. She hadn’t meant to push Selene away. She hadn’t meant to destroy the one thing that had ever felt real, the only light in a world that had long been consumed by the darkness inside her. But in trying to protect Selene from the very curse that had claimed her own soul, Scarlette had driven the only person she truly cared about to the edge of a cliff. And now, Selene was falling away, disappearing like a distant dream she could never reach. Scarlette’s feet moved, though she didn’t remember deciding to do so. She stumbled toward the door, her hands outstretched, but the hallway was empty. Empty except for the echo of her own broken heart. Selene was gone. She had left without a word, without a second glance, and Scarlette couldn’t blame her. You deserve better, Scarlette thought to herself. You deserve someone who can love you without destroying you.
Her breath caught as she pressed her hand to the cold wood of the doorframe. The loneliness was suffocating, each breath a jagged shard of pain that pierced through her chest. The woman who had stood before her, willing to fight for them both, was gone now. And Scarlette was left with nothing but the remnants of the walls she had built, the ghosts of her past, and the overwhelming emptiness that now consumed her.
The manor was silent. The walls closed in around her, as though the very house could sense her heart shattering. Scarlette sank to her knees, her body crumpling beneath the weight of her own failure. Tears streamed down her face, though they didn’t feel like hers—they were the tears of someone who had long since forgotten how to cry, how to feel. The numbness was all-consuming now, like a thick fog that had slowly, steadily, taken over every part of her existence.
She was alone again. The darkness had claimed her, and it had claimed Selene too. In that moment, Scarlette realized that she hadn’t just lost Selene—she had lost herself. The woman who had been capable of love, of tenderness, of hope—she had disappeared somewhere along the way, lost to the darkness she could never outrun. And now, all that was left was a broken, shattered shell of someone who had once dared to dream of something better.
Her mind was a whirlwind of regret, guilt, and sorrow, but one thought kept repeating itself like a mantra:
I was never enough.
The realization hit her with an unbearable finality. She could never be enough—not for Selene, not for herself. She had spent too long in the shadows, too long running from the darkness, only to discover that it had already consumed her completely.
And as the minutes turned to hours, and the silence of the manor deepened around her, Scarlette finally understood the cruel truth. No matter how hard she had tried to protect Selene, she had only led her into a fate worse than any curse.
The last remnants of hope died within her, leaving only an endless void that echoed with the sound of a heart breaking—and with it, the final, painful knowledge that the love they had once shared was now lost forever.