Chapter 382: No Regrets

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The old woman shook her head, her expression unreadable. “There are some truths that cannot be shared,” she said.

Zoey, who had come to support me, seemed lost in thought. The weight of everything had shifted onto her as well, and it was clear she was struggling.

I took a step closer, unable to keep the urgency from my voice. “Is there really no other way? Does it have to be a life for a life? Isn’t there anything else?”

She met my gaze. “This is your trial,” she said simply. “To overcome it, you must face it as it is. Life for a life—there’s no alternative.”

Her words struck me like a blow, though I’d half-expected them. Carter wouldn’t have gone this far if he’d had another choice.

I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to stay calm. “If the trial hasn’t come yet, I can still live, right? And if I can live, could I… could I have a child? I want to leave him something—someone—to remember me by. If I have to die, at least he won’t be alone.”

The old woman studied me, her gaze sharp. “In principle, it isn’t possible. You don’t truly own this body.”

Her response made my chest tighten. Carter must have known this all along. That’s why he avoided the subject every time I brought it up.

But I wasn’t ready to give up. I clung to her words like a lifeline. “And if we step outside of principle? There has to be a way. Please, I’ll do whatever it takes. Just tell me how.”

I dropped to my knees, clasping my hands together. “I’m begging you. Help me.”

The woman sighed, as though she had been expecting this. “The blood-binding ritual your adoptive parents performed was a step in that direction. It was meant to tie you more fully to this body. It was for this purpose. But there’s still something missing.”

My heart raced. “What is it?”

She pulled a small, dark pill from her pocket. Zoey leaned closer, her brow furrowed. “What is that? It looks like a Milk Dud.”

The old woman almost smiled. “It may look simple, but don’t underestimate it. I spent years creating this.”

She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “If you trust me, swallow it.”

Without hesitation, I took the pill and swallowed it whole.

I asked, “And Zoey? She can’t have any babies of her own as well?”

The crone nodded. “Yes. Her fate is just like yours.”

I asked, “Can you give her another one of those pills as well? At least she’ll leave behind something of hers.”

The old woman reached into her robe again and handed Zoey a small bottle. “If you’re certain, you can take one now.”

I thought of Carter and the Stone of Duality. Only seven days remained. Before I’d left, he’d reminded me several times to return in two or three days. He must have been worried about the stone’s condition. If I stayed in the village too long, he’d come for me himself.

I looked back at the old woman. “I don’t want him to worry. Is there a way to keep him from finding out?”

She retrieved another stone from her bag. It was nearly identical to the one I carried. “Wear this,” she said. “It will do the trick.”

I turned the stone over in my hand, its likeness to mine astonishing. “Who are you?” I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.

The old woman clasped her hands behind her back, her expression calm. “I am no one of consequence,” she said. “Just a grain of sand in the ocean of existence.”

I slipped the fake stone around my neck, clutching the real Stone of Duality—Carter’s blood and soul bound within it—in my other hand. I couldn’t bring myself to destroy it. It was too much a part of him. But I knew I’d never risk his life, not for anything.

The old woman studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. “Chloe, you still have a chance to turn back. In seven days, there will be no undoing what’s set in motion.”

I met her gaze, steady and certain. “If my happiness means his death, then I don’t want it. Not like this.”

Turning toward the blackness of the well, I felt the weight of the stone in my hand. Then I let it go. It fell soundlessly into the depths, disappearing as though it had never existed.

A tear slipped down my cheek, but I didn’t waver. “I’ll never regret this. Not now, not ever.” I was more than happy with whatever happiness I’d lived on this borrowed timeline.

The old woman placed her hand lightly on my shoulder. “Make the most of the time you have left. Life is unpredictable. No one knows if tomorrow or the unexpected will come first.”

“Thank you,” I said softly.

She nodded, her voice calm yet final. “I’ve said all I can. Don’t come back here again.”

She turned and walked away, her steps deliberate. I knelt, bowing my head to the ground three times, gratitude flowing from me like a silent prayer. The woman stopped but didn’t turn.

“Chloe,” she said, her voice carrying through the stillness, “you’re stronger than I ever was. Perhaps your path will lead to something different. Go forward. Don’t look back. Live without regret.”

“I understand,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

A cool breeze stirred, and the wind chime on the tree swayed gently, filling the air with soft, fleeting notes. To anyone else, it might have seemed like nothing. But to me, it felt like waking from a dream—a dream of all that had been, in this life and the last.

Zoey slipped the bottle of pills into her bag, her movements deliberate yet unhurried. “You’re not taking one?” I asked, surprised.

She smiled, a touch of mischief in her expression. “I’m not like you, Chloe. I don’t have anyone I’d want to have a child with.”

Her words hung in the air, unspoken truths woven between them. After a pause, she added, “Chloe, life doesn’t come with guarantees. Some kids don’t even get to grow up. People die every day. What makes us think we’re the exception? Most of us don’t make it to old age. We just need to live in the moment,” she said, her voice firm. “Like the old woman told us—don’t waste our youth. That’s all we can do.”

Zoey stretched, her smile widening as if she’d shrugged off a heavy weight. “Instead of worrying about things we can’t control, why not enjoy what we have? Make the most of each day. Then, if death comes, at least we’ll have no regrets.”

Her nonchalant attitude made me pause. She seemed fearless, untethered by the things that weighed me down. But she had the luxury of being free. Her mother was safe; her responsibilities were few. I, on the other hand, had been born into regret. It followed me everywhere, a constant shadow I could never shake. I dreamed of having a child with him, of watching them grow and living out our lives together. Perhaps this was simply the price of wanting too much.

“It’s getting late. We should head home. Mom and Dad are probably waiting,” Zoey said, pulling me back to reality.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I replied, though I felt a reluctance to leave.

As we walked away, I took one last look behind me. The old woman stood beneath the cherry blossom tree, her gaze following us. Her eyes were swollen, as though she’d been crying. For just a second, our eyes locked, and it felt like time itself had paused. Without thinking, I let go of Zoey’s hand and ran toward the old woman. Before she could react, I embraced her tightly.

“You’ve been through so much to get to this point, haven’t you?” I asked.

She froze, clearly caught off guard. I gave a small, reassuring smile. “I won’t let you down. Even if fate is already set in stone, I still believe we can change it.”