How To End This Marriage-Chapter 191: The Price Of Love

A crimson tide rose in the grand hall, each swing of Alexander’s sword adding another life to the bloody tapestry. Screams echoed through the chamber, pleas for mercy lost in the cacophony of death. The Duke, his face a mask of terrifying rage, moved with a horrifying efficiency, his blade a reaper’s scythe.

Even his own mother, the Duchess, fell victim to his blind fury. Her desperate pleas were silenced with a single, brutal swing. Princess Vixara, her face twisted in a macabre parody of shock, met the same fate.

But amidst the carnage, there was one curious exception. The Crown Prince, kneeling on the ground, eyes wide with terror, was left untouched. Alexander passed him by, his gaze locked on a singular purpose – reaching Bernice.

He stumbled to her lifeless body, cradling her in his arms. His manic rage subsided, replaced by a soul-crushing grief. Tears streamed down his face, each drop a searing brand of regret.

"Bernice," he choked out, his voice raw with emotion. "I love you, Bernice. I do. Maybe I never said it, but that doesn’t mean you meant any less to me. I was trying to prove them all wrong... but why? Why did you leave me?"

His sobs echoed in the deathly silence of the hall. As if in answer, a soft, ethereal light descended upon him. A voice, ageless and powerful, resonated in the air.

"What are you willing to do to be with her again, Duke?"

Alexander looked up, a desperate glint in his eyes. "Anything! I’ll die a thousand deaths if it means holding her again. Just bring her back!"

"Very well," the voice boomed. "You have shown the depth of your love. Here, I return the Duchess Bernice to life. But for this transgression, your memories will be fractured. You will return to a point lost in time, with no recollection of this moment."

A blinding white light engulfed them, then just as swiftly, vanished. A dark aura settled over the scene, a tide of time reversing itself. People gasped, wounds knitting themselves shut, the dead rising with bewildered expressions.

Bernice, ripped from the clutches of death, found herself back in her present life, a gasp escaping her lips. The horrifying scene she witnessed felt like a fever dream, yet the echo of a deep loss lingered.

A wave of understanding washed over Bernice. Aurelia’s words painted a horrifying picture. Alexander, driven by a love that defied fate, had been the one manipulating time, rewinding the clock each time she met a tragic end. But this time, his intervention had been absolute, preventing the massacre altogether.

"This... this is how I’ve lived so many lives," Bernice whispered, the pieces of the puzzle finally clicking into place. "He’s been the reason I kept coming back."

Aurelia nodded solemnly. "Indeed. But there’s more, Bernice. There’s a secret I haven’t shared." She paused, her celestial form shimmering with a newfound intensity. "The one I tried to save, the one who caused my fall from grace... it was Alexander."

Bernice’s breath hitched. This revelation was a blow to the heart. "He... he was the reason you were punished?"

"Yes," Aurelia confessed. "I fell for him at first sight, a mortal man destined to die in a war. The thought of losing him was unbearable. So, I did the unthinkable. I used forbidden celestial magic, a power not meant for mortals, to bring him back."

A tremor of understanding ran through Bernice. Their stories, two sides of the same coin, bound by a love that defied the natural order. But Aurelia’s act of defiance came at a steep price – the curse of the repeating cycle.

"But... but why me?" Bernice stammered.

"Our celestial essence became intertwined," Aurelia explained. "By defying fate for Alexander, I fractured the celestial plane, creating a reflection of myself – you. You were burdened with the curse, a punishment for my transgression."

A heavy silence descended upon them. The weight of their shared history, the consequences of celestial rebellion, pressed down on Bernice. Yet, amidst the pain, a flicker of hope ignited.

"The Supreme God is waiting, Bernice," Aurelia announced, her voice regaining its strength. "It’s time for you to return to the heavenly realm, to reclaim your rightful place."

With a gentle touch, Aurelia guided Bernice through a shimmering portal. The mortal world dissolved, replaced by the celestial plane bathed in an ethereal glow. There, standing before them, was a figure radiating an otherworldly power – the Supreme God, Marcus. However, he no longer wore a stern expression. He appeared as he was before, a celestial princess,devoid of the crown that had become a symbol of his wrath.

Bernice exchanged a surprised glance with Aurelia. A hint of amusement danced in her celestial counterpart’s eyes. "He seems to have missed the princess he used to be," Aurelia whispered, a flicker of a smile gracing her lips.

As Bernice and Aurelia approached Marcus, a warmth spread through the celestial plane. Slowly, their forms began to merge, memories and experiences interweaving. It wasn’t a sacrifice, but a reunification, the two halves of a celestial being becoming whole once more.

When the merging was complete, Bernice stood alone, yet she was no longer just Bernice. She was the Supreme God Aurelia, reborn with a newfound understanding of love, loss, and the power of defying fate.

"I don’t know how many cycles it’s been," she murmured, her voice now imbued with celestial power. "But I am back." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

A chorus of cheers erupted from the gathered celestial beings. "Welcome back to the heavenly realm, the Supreme God Aurelia!" they proclaimed, their voices echoing through the celestial halls.

As Aurelia surveyed her domain, her gaze held a newfound wisdom. Her journey had been arduous, but it had also brought her face-to-face with the true meaning of love and sacrifice. Now, she stood ready to lead, not just as a ruler, but as a celestial being who had tasted the bittersweet complexities of the mortal world. Perhaps, her experience would usher in a new era of understanding, a bridge between the celestial realm and the world below, all thanks to the love story that defied fate, a love story that began with a Duke named Alexander Agnes.