The world around Celestia seemed to fade into a blur as Kael's magic tightened its grip on her. She felt the pulse of her own blood, hot and frantic, rushing beneath her skin, the dark power inside her waking in response to his call. It was like a song, one she'd heard before but never quite understood.
Kael's voice cut through the haze of her thoughts, soft yet full of purpose. "You're not just a queen, Celestia. You're the fox. You've always been the fox."
His words echoed in her mind, rattling her thoughts. The fox. The spirit that haunted her dreams, the one she had always pushed away—the one whose power lay dormant within her. It wasn't just a story. It wasn't just a myth. It was her. And now, Kael was awakening it.
Her body shuddered beneath his touch, her magic raging against its confines. She could feel the pull of something ancient—something wild, coursing through her veins, as though the very earth beneath her feet was calling to her. She had always known there was something more to her, but now, it was real.
"Stop it, Kael," she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper, but there was no strength behind the command. The magic was already inside her, unraveling the carefully built walls she had spent years constructing. She could feel it—her true self, the one that had been locked away for centuries, beginning to rise.
Kael's grip on her neck tightened, not in a threatening way, but possessively, as though he were anchoring her to this moment, to him. "I can't stop it, Celestia. It's already begun."
His lips were dangerously close to hers, and for a moment, she was consumed by the heat of his breath, the force of his presence. There was no escape from him. No escape from what was happening inside her.
"You think you're in control?" Celestia's voice was low, but there was a dark amusement in it now, a reflection of the danger she had become. "You think you can force me to accept this curse?"
Kael's eyes darkened, his smile turning into something more feral, more dangerous. "I'm not forcing you to accept anything, Celestia," he whispered, his voice low and almost intimate. "I'm helping you remember who you really are."
Her breath caught in her throat. "I don't need your help," she spat, though her words were weak, a feeble defense against the truth that was being revealed to her.
Kael's hand slid down her arm, sending jolts of fire through her as his touch burned like a brand. "But you do. You've always needed someone to help you see the truth. To help you remember. The fox is your power, Celestia. Your true form. And I…" His voice lowered to a growl, "I want to see you embrace it."
His words, charged with magic, resonated deep within her, and for the briefest moment, Celestia felt something stir in her. Not just the fox, but something darker, more insidious, wrapping around her heart. It was power. The kind of power she had craved for so long.
She tore her gaze away from him, her breath coming faster as she fought the temptation to let go, to allow the magic to consume her. She had always fought against it. She had always fought against the fox, the curse. But now, standing here with Kael, the lines between her hatred for her past and the allure of it blurred.
Kael's hand tightened, pulling her closer, his breath searing against her ear. "Let go, Celestia," he urged, his voice a command, a plea, all at once. "Embrace who you are. Embrace me."
The words hit her like a slap, but they didn't make her recoil. They pulled her in, deeper, until she felt herself slipping. The temptation was undeniable. The power was undeniable. But there was something more that tethered her to Kael—something far more dangerous.
She clenched her fists at her sides, the battle raging inside her. "You don't know what you're asking for," she said through gritted teeth, her voice shaky as the magic surged within her, threatening to break free.
Kael's smile was a mixture of triumph and something darker, something more possessive. "I don't need to know. I'm here, Celestia. And I won't leave until you remember everything."
His hands moved to her waist, drawing her impossibly closer, their bodies pressing together in a clash of heat and magic. She could feel his pulse, the rhythmic throb of life that matched her own. It was a dangerous connection, one that could either break her or bind her forever.
And in that moment, Celestia realized that she was no longer in control. She had never been in control.
"You don't understand," she whispered, her voice breaking as she fought the overwhelming surge of magic. "If I let go, I'll destroy everything. I'll destroy you."
Kael's eyes glinted, fierce and unwavering. "Then destroy me," he breathed, his lips brushing against hers. "But don't run from yourself, Celestia. Don't run from what you were meant to be."
The world tilted on its axis, and in that moment, she felt the curse—her curse—seep into every fiber of her being. Magic surged through her, wild and untamed, and she could no longer deny it.
With a cry, Celestia's power exploded, shattering the confines of her soul, and she felt herself slip into the embrace of her true self—the fox spirit that had once ruled her fate.