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And although there is nothing scary about the darkness, it becomes a mirror for our deepest fears and insecurities...

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I sat by the tree where I once met Dorian and couldn't hold back my tears. Why? Because for the first time in my life, I understood who I really am. But did I truly want to know this truth?

His gaze wasn't hostile, but it filled me with confusion.

— Are you puzzled after hearing your name?

— My name is Riana, — I replied, trying to gather myself.

— And your full name?

— Full? — I paused. — So I've always been called by a shortened name? But why?

My thoughts became even more tangled. I tried to find answers, but the old man had already begun to speak:

— Have you heard the legend of the ancient Moriana?

— Which one? There are so many.

He just nodded and tapped his stick before continuing:

— In the times when the stars of the ancient gods still illuminated the earth, on the edge of the world, there was a kingdom shrouded in eternal mists. In that kingdom, among dense forests and dark mountains, a girl named Moriana was born. Her birth was surrounded by ominous signs: the night sky was covered with clouds, and the moon turned into a blood-red circle.

The prophecies of the sages claimed that this child would bring balance between light and darkness, but this balance came at a cost.

Moriana grew up carrying part of this prophecy within her, although no one, not even she herself, knew about it. She was drawn to shadows, to the dark corners of the forest where other children feared to tread. But it was in these places that she found peace.

Over time, she began to have visions in which the battle between light and darkness was endless. In one of the visions, she saw herself leading dark armies that devoured worlds, and in another — how her power protected people from an even greater evil.

Eventually, Moriana couldn't cope with the darkness within her and completely succumbed to it. Her death brought with it a curse that was passed down through generations until it reached the demon Elai, who managed to withstand it and spread evil throughout the world.

— You, Riana, are a direct descendant of Moriana, — the old man continued, — but you have what others did not: a balance between light and darkness. Only you can stop Elai.

— Me? How?

— What will you choose? To go to certain death in the jaws of the usurer or to live like the others, only to die later?

— Wait, WHAT? I'm going to die either way?

But the old man had already raised his stick and, turning back to the darkness, said:

— What will you choose, Moriana?

I sat there, trying to understand how it happened that I — darkness, evil — am the one who must stop it. Everything I knew and loved seemed to have become a victim of this curse.

I see nothing and hear nothing. I am completely devastated. So I am to blame for all these deaths—my parents, Dorian, the villagers, everyone...

Into the jaws of the usurer? Only a madman would agree to this... Or a madwoman.

Suddenly, I saw Dorian again, pale and dejected, as in my worst nightmares. I've already come to terms with the fact that the dreams won't leave me just like that. But this time he looked different, his eyes were not full of hatred, but filled with light and sorrow.

— Choosing is always hard, isn't it? — his voice was warm, almost compassionate.

— Why do you hate me? — I asked, my voice trembling.

— How could I, my Neferut? I chose hatred to protect you. But perhaps I was wrong. Don't repeat my mistakes. Don't blame yourself for what you're not guilty of. Don't regret what cannot be changed.

He raised his head to the sky and smiled, the same smile I remembered from the best times.

— Go, seek adventures. Remember your wish?

— But how can I without you? You promised we would seek them together...

I couldn't finish, because tears choked me. But he was still smiling.

— I will return, my Neferut. You will see me again when the time comes.

— Goodbye, Riana, goodbye, Moriana, goodbye, my Neferut...

He dissolved into the darkness that I had created myself.

I was left alone with the decision I had to make. Weighing all possible consequences, I realized that the only way forward was to keep moving, even if it led to certain death in the jaws of the usurer.

But I choose to go. I choose to fight. Even if it leads to the end, it will be my choice.