After a few minutes, the marine maiden's voice had faded into oblivion. The trio found themselves in a dark area. Though they could see each other, there appeared to be no light source. Their environment reminded Eddie of their Portable Practice Rooms.

Walk straight.

"We should walk straight," Eddie said.

"But the voice is telling me to turn right," Stella argued.

"The voice is telling me to turn left," said Jon.

Eddie touched his chin. "I think the voices want us to separate. We have to face the trials on our own."

Worry painted Stella's face. "On our own?"

"We'll be fine," Eddie said, "last time we—actually, more like you two—managed to defeat a shadow back at Old Port Warehouse, and we were just beginners. We're far more experienced now. As long as we follow the voices, we should succeed."

"Alright. So, let's go?" Jon asked.

Eddie nodded his head. "Let's go. I'll see you two on the other side."

The three of them parted ways. Eddie listened to the voice in his head.

Walk straight.

Eddie obeyed. He looked nowhere else but in front of himself. He walked forward. He perceived a bright light at the end of the path. A portal? Where could it lead to? He continued his march. Once he reached the end, the light flared until it enveloped his surroundings. It faded to reveal a place he least expected to be in.

Bois de Boulogne. Eddie looked behind himself. The dark path that he had just passed through had vanished. Did he take a wrong turn? It could not be; the voice instructed him to walk straight, and only that. There should be a reason why he was brought to the park—or a manifestation of it, rather.

"Edmond."

He recognized the voice. He turned around. Standing in front of him was the person he least expected to see.

Aurore. His first love. There she stood, not far from him, as youthful and beautiful as he remembered. Her locks of chestnut brown cascaded from the top of her head and framed her small visage, and her striking cerulean eyes contrasted the carmine of her luscious lips. The bodice of her dress flattered her lithe body, while its skirt flowed from her waist like a waterfall. As stunning as she was, he knew her physical beauty was the least attractive thing about her.

"Aurore."

"Edmond, I miss you," she said.

His skin tingled upon hearing her. He had forgotten how sultry she sounded. "Euh, what are you doing here? I thought you moved to Switzerland."

"I'm just paying a visit. I'm surprised to see you here. It's been so long."

"Indeed, it has."

She sauntered towards him. His mind urged him to back away. She's not Aurore! She's not Aurore! Yet, he paid no heed. He only stood frozen like an ice sculpture as she ambled towards him. Soon, she was only an arm's length from him.

"Since it's just the two of us here, why not you stay awhile?" she asked. "I would love your company."

"I-I have to go," he told her.

"Go where?"

"I-I don't know. I'm not supposed to be here."

She tilted her head and looked at him, doe-eyed. "Can't you stay just for a short while? We haven't sung a duet in a long time."

He felt his knees weaken. He supposed a single song would not hurt. "Just one song," he said.

Her eyes glittered with delight. "Wonderful! Let's sing our favorite duet."

"Our favorite duet? Which one is that?"

"Oh, sorry, it's from our favorite musical. It might not be your favorite duet, but it is mine. 'The Point of No Return' by Andrew Lloyd Webber."

Its mention hit Eddie like a freight train. The last time he heard her sing that song, he succumbed to her spell. No, no, what had he done? What had he done! He had trapped himself!

At once, she rendered,

"You have come here,
In pursuit of your deepest urge,
In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent,
Silent,
I have brought you,
That our passions may fuse and merge,
In your mind you've already succumbed to me
Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me,
Now you are here with me,
No second thoughts,
You've decided,
Decided."

Dread filled his heart, and so did desire. His inner self screamed at him to resist. Don't sing! Don't sing! Don't you DARE sing! He could only remain steadfast for so long. With each line she performed, his willpower weakened. Its rather sensual lyrics hastened his surrender, and even more when she seized his hand and held it to her mouth. It took four more verses before her siren song bewitched him once more. Consumed by pure passion, he sang along,

"I have come here,
Hardly knowing the reason why,
In my mind I've already imagined
Our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent,
Now I am here with you,
No second thoughts,
I've decided,
Decided."

Unbridled lust fuelled his powerful voice. Everything else around him appeared to fade as he waded towards her, singing a sensuous solo. His deep and resonant register, instead of clashing with her bright and beguiling melody, complemented it beautifully. Flames of fervor ignited in their irises as she welcomed him into her grasp. Their gazes entwined like how their voices did, and soon after, so did their fingers. He knew that if he did not stop, their lips would be next. His mind, heart, and soul beseeched him to break free, but his body had been seduced. She had ensnared him. Together, they chorused,

"When will the blood begin to race?
The sleeping bud burst into bloom!
When will the flames at last consume us?
Past the point of no return,
The final threshold,
The bridge is crossed
So stand and watch it burn!
We've passed the point of no return."

Aurore placed her left hand on the small of his back as they neared the end of their duet. He shivered; her tender touch was titillating. After the last verse passed her lips, her other hand reached for his face and touched his mouth. A wave of warm sensations washed over him as soon as her fingertips landed on his bottom lip.

She whispered to him, "Remember the last time we met here?"

He nodded his head. "I remember."

"You asked me out and I rejected you." Her fingers left his lip and traced his jawline. "That was a mistake I made; I want to rectify it."

Eddie's breath hitched. He only looked at Aurore, speechless, as her hot-blooded stare pierced into his soul. Her left hand stroked his back while the other cupped the side of his face, shifting his head as if to command him to look at her. He obeyed. The fragrance of her floral perfume made him all the more captivated. He reached for her waist and caressed her curves, later fondling her hips. His gaze landed on her mouth. It was open and inviting.

"Kiss me," she murmured.

She closed her eyes. He followed her. He parted his lips and tilted his head forward. A second later, he could sense her hot breath brushing his face.

Stop! Remember your promise!

He snapped out of the spell and opened his eyes. What was he doing? He lowered his gaze to find their lips almost touching.

"Non!"

He seized her by the shoulders and shoved her away from him. Perhaps he was too forceful, for she was thrown off balance and landed on the grass. He exhaled. Had he been a tad slower, they would have kissed.

She gaped at him, her hand on her bosom. "Why did you do that?"

"I'm sorry, Aurore, I can't," he apologized. "I can't be with you."

"Why not? Don't you love me?"

"I-I used to. I've moved on. I love someone else now."

All sweetness that she once harbored vaporized in a flash, vengefulness left in its place. She growled, "You belong to me."

"I belong with Michelle, and with Michelle only!"

"If I can't have you, nobody can."

She shrieked a high-pitched note. Eddie covered his ears. Beneath him, the soil transformed into water. He leaped. Fire blazed from his feet as he propelled himself above the brewing sea. He glanced at her. Her lean legs had changed into a scaly tail, and the only thing that covered her was her long hair. She sat atop a rock as she bellowed. She had become a siren.

Though Louis was not present, he could clearly hear it calling him an oaf.

Her shrill shrieks metamorphosed into a mesmerizing melody. She rendered no lyrics; only her pure voice resonated through the air. Eddie felt himself weakening with every note. He stared at the sea below him. A whirlpool was stirring beneath him, swelling to the size of two Olympic swimming pools. He widened his eyes.

She was going to drown him.

He fought hard against her song. No matter how hard he tried, he only yielded as seconds passed. She was lulling him to sleep—and to a permanent one, at that. His mind raced for a solution. Think! Think! He covered his ears. Her voice still penetrated him. His heart thumped as he feared his untimely death.

And then it hit him: he was not going to sing with her, but against her.

He shouted a string of random lyrics. He did not care what song they were from or what they meant; whatever it was, it was going to clash with her lullaby. She changed her key at once to match him, but then he switched to another song. He sang out of tune, and the next thing he knew, he was screaming instead of singing. His screeches drowned out her song. The wrath that erupted in her glare and voice terrified him—truly, hell hath no fury than a woman scorned.

He mustered all his strength as he gathered lightning in his hands. He could kill her in one shot. He aimed, retracted his arm, and thrust.

Crack!

A deafening silence soon followed. He glanced at her body. Her flowing hair had frizzled, and her smooth body had charred. He watched as it faded into dust. Below him, the sea calmed till its waves subsided. It then transformed into solid ground. He breathed a sigh of relief. Eddie landed on the path.

Well done, you have passed the first trial, the voice congratulated him. Walk straight.

He gulped. There was still another test? He hoped it would be the last. He marched forward with steely determination. For Michelle, for Michelle, he chanted in his head. He had promised to break the curse, and he had every intention of keeping his oath.

As he followed the path, he wondered what the next trial was. The first trial was his first love, Aurore. The next woman he fell in love with was Kaori. Was she going to be his next test? No, he thought, that would be predictable. If she indeed was his next trial, he supposed that he would have to partake in a battle of wits—Aurore captured him with her voice, while Kaori impressed him with her intellect. He took a deep breath.

All the light around him dissipated. He expected to enter a familiar environment, but instead, he found himself in complete darkness. He continued his strides.

Stop. Your second trial is here.

It is? Eddie opened his right hand and swung it a short distance. Fwoom. He shivered as he scanned his surroundings. His telekinetic sight detected a living creature in his vicinity. He let out a silent gasp.

A monstrous spider crawled a few meters behind him, each of its eight legs as long as one and a half men.

Terror struck Eddie's heart. He hated spiders. He loathed all bugs. He detested anything that crawled with more than four legs, from flies and mosquitoes to spiders and millipedes. The only insects he did not feel disdain for were bees and butterflies; everything else caused revulsion in him. Of course. A series of trials would not be complete without having to face one's worst fear.

The spider crept in his direction. He wondered if it could see him in the complete darkness. He used his telekinesis to suspend himself in the air and back away from the creature. He scanned the area for an escape path. To his horror, he was surrounded by walls on four sides. A thick and sticky spiderweb served as a ceiling.

Don't escape. Face it.

The spider hastened its crawl. He tucked himself into a corner as he formulated a plan. Fire and lightning were out of the question; the light they would generate would paint a target on his back. Even if lightning was fast, so were spiders—his traumatic experience with one could attest to it. Could he kill it fast enough, though? He tested its reflexes. His telekinetic hand reached behind the arachnid's back and tapped its hind leg.

It sprang towards its behind. Eddie jerked backward, shocked by its sheer speed. No, he could not kill it with lightning. Telekinesis was his only option. He could bind its legs, but then again, tying it up would not kill it. There must be another way. After a few seconds of brainstorming, a lightbulb lit above his head.

He could control heat. His mind went backward in time to his previous science lessons. Spiders were cold-blooded; they were more active in warmer environments, and more placid in colder ones. He knew exactly what to do: "freeze" it to death.

Eddie spread his arms wide and began absorbing heat. He felt a fire swelling his chest as he siphoned the warmth from the spider. His lips curled into a smirk as he watched it become lifeless. Die, you giant pest. Soon, its legs bent and its body fell under its own weight. It did not take long for it to become completely still. Eddie checked its heartbeat; there was none. His telekinetic hands pierced its exoskeleton and scrambled its insides. He recoiled in repugnance as he did so—then again, he had to make sure it was truly dead. He then returned to the ground.

Congratulations, the voice said, you have passed the second trial. Turn around and walk straight.

Eddie obeyed. A dim light illuminated his environment and revealed the same narrow path. He marched onward. He had conquered Aurore and vanquished a spider. What was next? From far away, he could hear the delicate tune of a piano being played. He raised an eyebrow. Would he be asked to play a complicated piano piece? He walked straight and found himself in a small concert hall.

Listen closely.

The concert hall was filled with people. On the stage was Eddie's father, Damien. From his young-looking face and smaller frame, Eddie supposed the man he was witnessing was still in his college years. Eddie watched in awe as his father played Chopin's "Raindrop" prelude, weaving a soft yet potent harmony. He glimpsed the audience's faces. They were all enraptured by the perfect performance.

The scene changed. This time, instead of a concert hall, he was at their house in Le Vésinet. His father was practicing on the Bösendorfer. He was playing another Chopin prelude—Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28 No. 4. Eddie marveled at his father's ability to bring emotion out of such a simple piece. It was not a difficult one technically; Eddie himself could play it by the age of eight. However, there was a certain quality to it that enthralled him. There was something about his dynamics and phrasing that Eddie could not articulate.

The scene changed once more. This time, he was in his Parisian home. Music flowed from the living room to the hallway, where he stood. Eddie approached the living room.

Don't see. Listen.

Eddie raised an eyebrow. Why was he forbidden from seeing the performer? He leaned against the wall and listened intently. It was the same prelude he had heard, the Prelude in E Minor, except it was... better. Eddie angled his ear to capture more of the sound. His heart ached upon hearing the melancholy that was woven into the piece. The way each crescendo and diminuendo was orchestrated added to its suffocating beauty. The previous performance was wonderful, without a doubt, but the one he was hearing then and there was a league above it. It must be my dad when he was older. Eddie recalled the time when his father reached the finals of a world-renowned piano contest; perhaps he was listening to him warming up before the competition.

His environment did not change. This time, the "Raindrop" prelude was played. Just when he thought he could not listen to a better rendition of the "Raindrop" prelude, he found himself astounded by the mastery of the mystery musician. There was a certain delicacy that laced the interpretation, one that showed musical maturity. His heart ached further. What would I not give to be as talented as my father?

The playing stopped.

Go, and procure a treasure.

Eddie passed through the doorway. He entered the living room, intent on telling his father how much he admired and envied his talent. Instead, he gasped.

The performer was his eleven-year-old self.

Eddie stood still as he watched Little Eddie retrieve another set of sheet music from a folder. No, no, it could not be! A mere child could not outclass his college-aged father, especially an eleven-year-old Eddie! Eddie's mind recalled the time when his father told him he was the better pianist. He knew his father was sincere with his words, but it did not completely quell his self-doubt. For the first time, he realized his praise was truly deserved.

Eddie watched his younger self played the piece. He recognized it as the work that he himself composed in secret. He recalled being frustrated with his own composition, later tearing it to shreds and burning it to ashes. He had not attempted to transcribe it since. Eddie leaned against the wall and observed himself play. The piece was more beautiful than he remembered, its notes laden with the emotions that he had hidden in the depths of his heart. Was it the treasure that the voice referred to? At once, Eddie regretted destroying his own work.

Little Eddie curled his fists, almost about to bang the keyboard, but grabbed the sheet music instead. His hands held the opposite sides of the page.

"No, don't!"

Little Eddie was startled by his voice. He turned his head, noticed him, and became petrified.

"Calm down," Eddie said, "I'm you from the future."

"N-no you're not!" Little Eddie exclaimed. "Pa—"

Eddie clenched his fist and sealed Little Eddie's mouth shut. He scanned the house. There was nobody on the first floor.

"Look, I'm you. I know our deepest secret."

Eddie whispered something into Little Eddie's ear. He then released his grasp. Little Eddie stared at him in shock.

"You really are me."

"Indeed I am. Anyway, don't destroy that," Eddie said, pointing at the sheet music. "It's a good piece."

"No, it isn't. It's trash."

"You're the only one who sees that. I used to see it that way too until I heard you play."

Little Eddie scoffed. "I'm not good. Papa is good."

"You're not good; you're phenomenal."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, it's true!" Eddie said. "You—I mean, we—are better than we think. The things other people are saying are true. They really mean it."

"If I really were that good, then explain why I can't play the nocturne?"

"You can play the nocturne; you more than have the ability to. The only things holding you back are your memories. Speaking of which, I can play it."

"You can play the nocturne?"

Eddie nodded his head. "It's a long story, but before I came here, I watched our dad play the two preludes you played just now. I was impressed. And then I came here and heard you play, but I didn't see your face. I thought you were our dad. It was only after you finished playing did I see you and, honestly, I was surprised that you were the one playing. You were better than papa."

Little Eddie looked at him with suspicion. "Do you mean what you say?"

"I do."

Little Eddie looked down on his composition. "I still don't like this."

"Then give it to me."

Little Eddie gave Eddie the sheet music. He then folded it and kept it in his pocket. He told his younger self, "One day, you'll realize your worth."

Darkness swept over his surroundings. The same path Eddie had been following resurfaced.

Congratulations, you have passed the third trial, the voice announced. Walk straight. The cure is not far from you.

Eddie rejoiced. He had passed all the trials! He raced towards the end of the path. He scanned the area in front of him. He could detect two teenage bodies approaching the same spot. His friends had succeeded as well.

He called out, "Jon! Stella!"

"Eddie!" they shouted back.

They met in the middle. Fright and relief painted all their faces.

"You have no idea what I had to go through," Jon panted, "I saw my mom dying!"

"My mom turned into a monster."

"Well, my first crush tried to seduce me and then drown me. Look, we have to hurry. We have a life to save."

The three of them hurried down the path. The ground beneath them grew rougher and rockier. Stalactites formed above them. The underground river! Stella opened one palm and shone some light. A natural tunnel was paved before them.

"We're almost there!" Eddie exclaimed. "Come on!"

They dashed through the tunnel. Eddie's heart raced as they neared Medela. They had done it! He could already feel the cool sensation of healing water as he dipped his vial into the river. He imagined giving it to Michelle and watching her revert to her human self. His mouth widened into a smile. However, when they had reached the other end of the tunnel, it was wiped off his face.

An arid riverbed snaked through the ground. The river had dried up.

✧ ✧ ✧

Cliffhanger! Man, that was a rollercoaster of a chapter, don't you think? 😵 If you were Eddie, which trial would you find the hardest?

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please don't forget to vote by pressing the star-shaped button on this chapter or leave a comment or more ☺️