The night was colder than usual. A soft mist curled around the ancient ruins, clinging to the cracks of stone pillars that had long lost their meaning. Olivia’s footsteps echoed faintly against the ruined floor as she approached the shrine, her heart pounding with anticipation.

  For weeks, she had traveled through hostile lands, fought creatures born of nightmares, and uncovered lost fragments of history, all for this moment. The shrine of the Forgotten Valley—where the curse of Wisteria could finally be undone.

  She clutched the Lapis Lazuli, a deep blue gemstone said to be the key to summoning the Guardian of Restoration. Its glow pulsed faintly in her hands, mirroring the unease within her.

  "This has to work," she told herself. "I’ve come too far for this to be another dead end."

  She stepped into the shrine, where an altar stood at the center, bathed in a dim silver glow. Strange symbols, worn by time, lined its surface, whispering ancient secrets she could not understand. Taking a deep breath, she placed the Lapis Lazuli upon the altar.

  For a moment, nothing happened.

  Then, a deep, resonating hum filled the air. The ground trembled beneath her feet as an invisible force surged through the shrine. The symbols on the altar pulsed with life, their glow intensifying until they became blinding.

  A gust of wind rushed past her, and from the altar, a figure emerged—a being of pure golden energy, its form towering over Olivia. Its face was hidden behind a cracked mask, its presence both commanding and sorrowful.

  "You seek to break the Wisteria’s Curse," the Guardian’s voice echoed, "but do you understand its nature?"

  Olivia’s heart clenched.

  "Does it matter? I just want it gone."

  She took a step forward, her fists clenched. “I don’t care what the curse is. I don’t care about its history. I just want to be free from it!”

  The Guardian remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

  "Then prove yourself."

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  The world around Olivia twisted. The stone walls of the shrine melted away, replaced by an endless field of wisteria trees. Their violet petals glowed under an eerie moonlight, casting soft shadows upon the grass. The air was thick, suffocating, carrying a sweet scent that made Olivia’s head spin.

  She felt it before she saw it—the curse tightening its grip on her body.

  Her breathing grew ragged. Her muscles coiled unnaturally, twisting as if something inside her was pulling them apart. Her bones ached, bending at painful angles, and a sharp, unbearable agony shot through her limbs. It was as if her own body was trying to destroy itself.

  A voice, cold and eternal, whispered in her ear.

  "You will never be free."

  No.

  She refused to believe it.

  She forced herself to fight, clawing at the ground, trying to break free from the invisible chains. But the more she struggled, the tighter the curse held her.

  Her arms contorted unnaturally, her fingers trembling as her bones shifted against her will. The pain was real. The suffering was real.

  "This is real... isn't it?"

  The Guardian stepped forward, his golden form flickering like a dying star.

  "This is the truth of the Wisteria’s Curse," he said, his voice heavy with something Olivia couldn’t name. "It does not exist—yet it is real."

  Olivia’s breath hitched.

  "What...?"

  The pain in her body, the suffocating pressure, the fear—it was real. It had to be real. She could feel her own bones twisting, feel her own strength leaving her body.

  But the Guardian’s words cut through her thoughts.

  "The curse is an illusion, a shadow born from the mind. It chains not your body, but your soul. But fear—fear makes illusions real."

  The words struck deep.

  The curse wasn’t real.

  It never had been.

  Yet, she had suffered. She had felt every agonizing twist of her bones, every suffocating breath—because she believed it was happening.

  The more she feared it, the stronger it became.

  Her body continued to break, her fingers trembling as her joints twisted. The pain was unbearable. But she took a deep breath—and let go.

  "This isn't real."

  She closed her eyes.

  "It isn't real."

  Her body convulsed one last time. The searing pain exploded through her muscles, and for a split second, she thought she would die.

  But then—

  Silence.

  The pain vanished.

  The wisteria field shattered like glass.

  Olivia gasped, her eyes snapping open. She was no longer in the illusion—no longer trapped in the endless field of wisteria. She was back in the shrine, lying on the cold stone floor. The Lapis Lazuli in her hands had turned to dust, crumbling between her fingers.

  Her body ached, but her limbs were intact. No more twisting bones. No more crushing weight.

  She slowly sat up, her fingers trembling as they touched her own skin.

  The curse had only existed because she believed in it.

  A soft wind rustled through the shrine, carrying the Guardian’s final words.

  "You were never cursed. Only deceived."

  And with that, the shrine fell into silence.

  Olivia sat alone, staring at the empty space where the Lapis Lazuli had been.

  She had freed herself.

  Not by breaking the curse—

  But by stopping her belief in it.

  ---