h4Chapter 140: Chapter 140: The Impossible Choice/h4

    When the woman who said she was ra’s real mother spoke up, the room went quiet.

    She looked just like an older version of ra, but there was both ancient knowledge and terrible sadness in her eyes.

    "You’re not my mother," ra told her sharply. "My mother died when I was born." The woman asked in a soft voice, "Did she?"

    "Or did she do what any mother would do—fake her death to protect her child?" ra’s dad told her, "That’s not possible."

    "I buried you myself." "You buried a body," the woman told him.

    "But not mine. I’ve been hiding in the space between worlds while I wait for the right time toe back.

    "Why now?" Kael asked with doubt. The woman said,

    "Because my daughter needs me right now." "And because the real war is just beginning."

    Ronan asked, "What real war?" Before the woman could answer, ra, who was dark,ughed really hard.

    "The war between moms, of course. The war to see who gets to keep the children." "What are you talking about?" ra asked. "Your kids," ra in the dark said.

    "They’re not just your children. They’re the key to controlling all worlds. And I want them." "You can’t have them," ra said furiously.

    "Can’t I?" the dark ra asked. She gestured, and dark energy wrapped around the three kids like chains.

    "Mommy!" baby Truth cried. "Help us!" baby Love screamed. "It hurts!" baby Wisdom wailed.

    "Let them go!" ra yelled, but when she tried to use her power, nothing happened. "Oh, did I forget to mention?" the dark ra said mockingly.

    "The life force Darian gave youes with a price. You can’t use it while your children are in danger.

    Motherly instinct trumps everything else." "That’s not true," ra said desperately.

    "Try it," the dark ra dared. ra reached for her power, but it felt blocked, stuck behind a wall of fear for her babies.

    "I told you," the dark ra said. "Love makes you weak."

    "No," Darian said, stepping forward. "Love makes you strong. But it also makes you choose." "Choose what?" Kael asked. "Between saving me and saving them," Darian said quietly.

    "The dark magic binding the babies—it’s linked to my life force. If I live, they suffer. If I die, they’re free."

    "That’s not a choice," Ronan said furiously. "We’re not losing you again." "You have to," Darian said. "It’s the only way."

    "No," ra said strongly. "There has to be another way." "There is," the woman pretending to be her mother said. "But you won’t like it."

    "What is it?" ra asked. "One of your mates has to take Darian’s ce," the woman said.

    "The magic needs a ckwood brother to feed on. It doesn’t matter which one."

    "I’ll do it," Kael said quickly. "No, I will," Ronan said. "Neither of you will," Darian said. "I’m the one who should die.

    I’m the one who was moved. I’m the one who put everyone in danger." "That wasn’t your fault," ra said. "Maybe not," Darian said.

    "But this is my responsibility." The dark force around the babies tightened, and they screamed louder.

    "Choose quickly," the dark ra said. "Every second you wait makes it worse for them." "I choose myself," ra said desperately.

    "Take me instead." "You can’t," the woman said. "You’re the rock. If you die, everyone linked to you dies too."

    "Then what do we do?" Kael asked anxiously. "We trust each other," Ronan said suddenly. "All of us." "What do you mean?" ra asked.

    "I mean we stop trying to save everyone alone," Ronan said. "We work together." "How?" Darian asked. "Simple," Ronan said.

    "We all take the curse. We split it three ways." "That’s insane," Kael said. "It will kill all of us." "Will it?" Ronan asked.

    "Or will it make us stronger? The mate bond links us. If we share the evil, we also share the strength to fight it."

    "It’s never been done before," the woman said. "Good," Ronan said. "Time to make history." "I’m in," Kael said. "Me too," Darian said.

    "No," ra said. "I won’t let you risk your lives." "You don’t get to choose," Kael said softly.

    "We’re your mates. This is what we do." "We protect each other," Ronan added. "And we protect our family," Darian ended.

    The three brothers joined hands, and golden light began to surround them. "Stop!" the dark ra screamed. "You’re ruining everything!"

    "That’s the point," the brothers said together. The golden light shot toward the babies, breaking the dark bands around them.

    "Daddy!" all three babies cried, reaching for their dads. But as the curse broke, something unexpected happened.

    The golden light didn’t fade—it got brighter, spreading throughout the room. "What’s happening?" ra asked. "The curse isn’t just breaking," her mother said in wonder.

    "It’s turning. The dark magic is bing light magic." "How is that possible?" the dark ra asked. "Because love is stronger than hate," Darian said.

    "And sacrifice is stronger than selfishness." "No!" the dark ra screamed.

    "This isn’t how it ends!" "Yes, it is," ra said. She felt her power returning, stronger than ever. "This is exactly how it ends."

    She raised her hand, and pure white light shot from her fingers toward the dark ra. But instead of destroying her, the light wrapped around her like a warm hug.

    "What are you doing?" the dark ra asked, confused. "I’m healing you," ra said.

    "You’re me from a future where no one loved you. But I do love you. Because you’re part of me."

    "I don’t want your love," the dark ra said, but her voice was weaker now. "I know," ra said.

    "But you need it." The dark ra began to change, her cold face softening, her dead eyes filling with tears. "I’m sorry," she whispered. "I’m so sorry." "I know," ra said.

    "And I forgive you." The dark ra faded away, but this time it was peaceful, like she was finally going home. "It’s over," Kael said, tired. "Is it?" ra’s mother asked. "Look around."

    They looked. The room was full of light, but outside the windows, they could see more shadows forming.

    Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. "Those are all the dark versions of us," Ronan realized.

    "From every timeline where things went wrong." "And they’re alling here," Darian said sadly. "Why?" ra asked.

    "Because we just proved that love can heal hatred," her mother said. "And they want to be healed too." "We can’t heal them all," ra said. "It would kill us."

    "No," her mother said. "But we can do something else." "What?" all three brothers asked. "We can teach them to heal themselves," her mother said. "But first, we need to survive what’sing."

    "What’sing?" ra asked. Her mother pointed to the darkest shadow in the distance.

    "The original darkness. The first evil that ever appeared. The thing that caused all the other dark timelines." "What is it?" Kael asked.

    "It’s the opposite of the Creator," her mother said. "It’s the Destroyer. And it’sing for our children."

    "Why our children?" Ronan asked. "Because they’re the key to everything," her mother said.

    "They’re the bridge between all worlds. If the Destroyer takes them, it can ruin every timeline that ever existed." "Then we stop it," ra said strongly.

    "How?" Darian asked. "We barely survived the dark versions of ourselves." "We don’t fight it," her mother said. "We be it." "What?" everyone asked.

    "The only way to defeat the Destroyer is to be one with it," her mother said. "To absorb its power and transform it into something good."

    "That’s suicide," Kael said. "Maybe," her mother said. "Or maybe it’s evolution."

    The shadows outside grew darker, and they could hear a sound like the end of the worlding. "It’s here," her mother said.

    "The Destroyer has arrived." "What do we do?" ra asked. "We trust each other," her mother said.

    "And we remember that love is the only thing stronger than destruction." "But what if we’re wrong?" Ronan asked. "Then we die trying," her mother said.

    "But we die together." The building began to shake as something hugended outside. "It’s time," her mother said.

    "Everyone ready?" "No," ra said honestly. "But let’s do it anyway."

    They joined hands—ra, the three boys, her mother, and the three babies in the center. "Whatever happens next," ra said, "I love you all."

    "We love you too," everyone said. The wall burst inward, and the Destroyer stepped through.

    But it wasn’t what any of them expected. Standing there was a little girl who looked exactly like baby Hope, but with eyes like ck holes.

    "Hello, Mommy," the little girl said in a voice like breaking ss. "I’ve been waiting so long to meet you."

    "Who are you?" ra whispered. "I’m your daughter," the little girl said.

    "The one you abandoned when you chose love over power." "That’s impossible," ra said. "Is it?" the little girl asked.

    "Or is it exactly what happens when a mother’s love isn’t strong enough to save her child?" "I don’t understand," ra said. "You will," the little girl said.

    "When you watch me ruin everything you love. Starting with them." She pointed at the babies, and they began to scream.

    But this time, the screams weren’t just pain. They were changing into something else entirely.