Chapter 5: The Choice of Love
The rumbling grew louder, shaking the chapel’s foundations as if the earth itself were groaning in pain. The dark figures outside were no longer mere shadows; they moved with purpose, and I could feel their eyes locked onto us from the night.
“Move, now!” Clara ordered, pushing open the side door with a sharp creak. Edward grabbed my hand without hesitation, pulling me toward the exit, his grip firm and protective.
The cold night air hit my face as we stumbled outside, the wind howling like a warning. Behind us, the shadows of the guardians twisted and surged, inching closer with every breath we took.
“We won’t make it far,” Edward muttered under his breath, scanning the horizon. His eyes flicked to a narrow path leading into the woods. “This way!”
We sprinted, the trees closing in around us as we entered the darkened forest. The moonlight barely filtered through the canopy, casting ghostly shapes in every direction. My heart raced in time with my footsteps, the urgency of the chase pressing down on me.
As we ran deeper into the woods, Clara lagged behind, keeping watch as the guardians advanced. I could feel their presence like a dark cloud, drawing nearer and nearer, and I wasn’t sure if we could outrun them much longer.
Edward’s grip on my hand tightened. “We have to make a choice.”
“What choice?” I asked, my voice breathless with fear. “We have to keep going.”
He stopped suddenly, pulling me into a small clearing, away from the path. The moonlight bathed us in a silvery glow, and for a moment, everything seemed eerily calm. He faced me, his expression conflicted, torn between something he hadn’t yet said.
“There’s no time to explain everything,” Edward said, his voice heavy with urgency. “But you have to understand. This is your life on the line—and mine too.”
***
The vulnerability in his eyes was impossible to ignore. Edward stepped closer, his hands gently cupping my face as he leaned in, his breath warm against my skin. “I can’t lose you,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion.
For a brief moment, the danger that loomed just beyond the trees faded away. It was just us, standing in the moonlit clearing, with nothing but the weight of our unspoken feelings between us.
“I won’t let them take you,” he continued, his voice soft but resolute. “No matter what happens, I’ll fight for you.”
I felt tears welling in my eyes, but I fought them back. The tenderness in his words, the intensity in his gaze, it all overwhelmed me. How had I come to care for him so deeply, so quickly?
Edward’s hands slid from my face to my shoulders, pulling me against him in a fierce embrace. His lips found mine, and the kiss was electric—an outpouring of everything we hadn’t said but had felt so deeply. It was filled with longing and desperation, the knowledge that time itself might tear us apart making every second more precious.
For those few stolen moments, I didn’t care about the guardians or the looming threats. I was lost in the warmth of his touch, the soft brush of his lips against mine. My heart pounded not just from the fear of being chased but from the intense emotions swirling between us.
But as the kiss deepened, a terrible thought crept into my mind. Edward wasn’t telling me everything. There was a secret he was keeping, something that made this moment bittersweet.
I pulled away slightly, my forehead resting against his. “What aren’t you telling me?” I asked, my voice trembling. “What choice are you talking about?”
Edward looked away, his jaw tightening. “I’ve been hiding something from you, something I hoped we wouldn’t have to face so soon.”
“What is it?” I asked, dread rising in my chest.
“There’s more to the locket than just time travel,” he admitted. “It’s tied to something deeper, something that binds me to this time. If you go back—if we break its connection—it might destroy me.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Destroy you? What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t supposed to be part of this world,” he said quietly. “I’ve been living out of place, just like you are now. But unlike you, I can’t just leave without consequences.”
The weight of his confession sunk in. This wasn’t just about time travel or escaping the guardians. It was about Edward’s very existence—his life was tethered to this time, and my presence had complicated everything.
Tears brimmed in my eyes. “So if I go back… I’ll lose you?”
Edward nodded, his expression pained. “It’s a choice I hoped you’d never have to make.”
I stepped back, my heart breaking under the weight of it all. I had to choose between going back to my own time, back to the life I knew, or staying here with Edward, knowing that the very fabric of time itself was unraveling around us.
“I—I don’t know what to do,” I whispered, the words barely audible. The reality of the situation felt like a knife twisting in my chest.
Edward reached for me again, his touch gentle but desperate. “No matter what you choose, I’ll understand. But you have to decide soon.”
***
The wind picked up, and the sound of Clara’s voice echoed through the trees. She came running into the clearing, her eyes wide with panic. “They’re here!”
Edward pulled me into the shadows, and we crouched behind a thick tree as the dark figures moved into the clearing, their presence suffocating. They were ethereal, almost ghost-like, their forms shifting and blending into the night.
“They’ll find us soon,” Clara whispered, her voice barely audible. “We need to move.”
But I couldn’t move. I stood frozen, my mind racing with the impossible decision I had to make. If we ran now, I might never have another chance to go home. But if I chose to stay… would Edward be safe? Would any of us?
***
The ground trembled again, the shadows of the guardians swirling closer, their presence growing more ominous with every passing second. Clara was tugging at my arm, urging me to move, but my feet wouldn’t budge.
Edward stepped forward, his eyes locking onto mine. “I can’t decide for you, but I’m not leaving your side.”
Just as his words settled in, the clearing lit up with an unnatural glow. The guardians had found us.
And there was nowhere left to run.