As the days passed, Lari still hadn't awakened. The atmosphere in the kingdom grew heavier with each passing day. Ari could feel his hope dwindling a little more each day. The hours spent in Lari's room had turned into a test of patience. The King, meanwhile, had focused on repairing the walls and making preparations, but his mind was consumed with thoughts of the approaching war and Lari's condition.
One morning, the King summoned Ari to speak privately. The throne room was thick with silence.
King: "Ari, we must make a decision. The war could start at any moment. The enemy forces are gathering. We must prepare, but... Lari's condition..." The King's voice trailed off, the uncertainty in his tone clear. "What should we do?"
Ari was silent for a moment. He knew that Lari's situation was overshadowing everything else, yet they also needed to prepare for war.
Ari: "I don't know... Lari is still asleep, the kingdom is still under threat from the enemy. But with each passing day, I'm losing more hope. Should the war begin, or should we still hold on to hope for her?" Ari's eyes were filled with confusion. "It's so hard to think of both and decide."
King: "The war is coming, Ari. We know this. But losing Lari would be a greater disaster than losing the kingdom. If we lose her, there will be no meaning to this war."
Ari: "Waiting for Lari to wake up won't be enough. Our kingdom needs trust and strength. The war is about to begin, and I must protect both Lari and our people."
The King took a deep breath. For a moment, the room fell silent. This conversation showed just how much their relationship had changed from when they were once rivals.
King: "The war is very close. But there is still a way. We must do everything to help Lari recover. Perhaps she is the light that will save us from this darkness. But we can't waste any time."
Ari nodded. "You're right, my lord. Losing Lari would mean the end of everything. But the war is inevitable. Today or tomorrow, they will breach these walls."
Just then, a servant hurried into the room.
Servant: "Your Majesty, Ari... preparations for war are progressing rapidly. The enemy forces are very close. Our army is completing its final preparations. But there's an even more important development!"
Ari: "What happened?" Ari's voice mixed with fear and hope.
Servant: "Lari... Lari has woken up! Your Majesty, Lari has awoken!"
Ari froze when he heard those words. His mind stopped for a moment, but he quickly sprang to his feet and rushed towards Lari's room.
Ari: "Lari... wake up, Lari!" he murmured, his heart racing.
When he entered the room, Lari had slightly opened her eyes. Ari's heart began to beat faster. Lari's eyes were slowly adjusting to the light in the room. They were silent for a while.
Ari: "Lari... Lari, you're waking up, right?" Ari's voice trembled, and his eyes showed a mix of fear and hope.
Lari struggled to open her eyes and turned them toward Ari. For a few seconds, everything seemed frozen. Then she took a breath and weakly, but deeply, managed to form a smile.
Lari: "Ari... Are you here?"
Ari: "Yes, yes! I'm here, I won't lose you!" Ari's voice resonated with love, worry, and determination. He took Lari's hands in his, his face nearly breaking from the urge to cry. "I will do anything for you."
Just then, the King and guards entered the room. The King's eyes softened upon seeing Lari awake. For a moment, everyone in the room stood still. Seeing that Lari was alive brought a glimmer of hope to the whole kingdom.
King: "Lari, your awakening has given us new life. The war is near, everything is ready, but we need to talk about much more regarding this time of yours." The King took a deep breath. "This war... will be a turning point for the kingdom."
Ari: "Yes, the war has begun, but first I will protect you, Lari." Ari's voice was firm and strong. "The kingdom will survive with you, it will be free with you."
Lari weakly nodded, her eyes clearly darkening, but her inner strength was undeniable. "I know... But this war won't just be a physical struggle. There's something much deeper, isn't there?"
And just then, a loud noise came from the castle walls. The war had begun.
The sky had darkened, and the winds had grown fiercer. Outside, the storm of the enemy army was approaching, and Lari's eyes sharpened even more as she slowly began to sit up.
Lari: "I'm ready..."
Lari's eyes were filled with deep determination, but there was also a sadness behind them. Ari watched her closely. Lari had risen, slowly starting to get out of bed. Ari stepped toward her in a rush.
Ari: "What do you mean, you're going to fight, Lari? In this condition?" Ari's voice was filled with concern and astonishment. "The war is too dangerous for you, I can't lose you!"
Lari gave a slight smile. But it wasn't the same smile Ari had known. There was a change in her, something different.
Lari: "I'll fight, yes... But not as Lari," she said, her voice carrying a hidden meaning. "I'm no longer Lari. I am the Curse of Thanar. I carry it now."
Ari's eyes widened, and Lari's words hit him like a blow. What did this mean? Lari's identity and existence seemed to have vanished for a moment.
At that moment, the wise attendant who had been taking care of Lari entered the room. His face was weary and sleepless, and after rubbing his eyes for a moment, he heard what Lari had said, and his eyes widened in shock.
Wise Attendant: "Lari, you don't know what you're saying. You've been asleep for so long, please leave her alone for a bit..."
But Lari, ignoring the attendant who tried to stop her, took a step forward. The tension in the room made everything feel frozen for a moment. Lari's eyes shifted towards the enemy army outside.
Lari: "I'm standing because I have to fight, Ari. If you want to go to war, I'm with you... but not as Lari, as the Curse of Thanar!" Her voice wasn't trembling, but resonated with determination. "From now on, this curse is my identity."
Ari's eyes grew wide, and his heart stopped for a moment. What did this mean? Was Lari accepting herself as a curse?
Lari, with slow steps, moved toward the window and watched the rising smoke outside, the darkness signaling the approach of war. Then she turned her head, focused her eyes on Ari.
Lari: "Do you know who I am, Ari? My identity, my existence? You knew Lari, but... now I am..."
Ari took a step back, but he saw the depth and pain in Lari's gaze. "Lari... What are you saying? I will always see you as Lari. But this... this is something else, this is a curse. How do we fight against this burden you're carrying?"
Lari paused for a moment, then slightly lowered her head. Taking another step, she moved toward the armor that stood in the corner of the room and began to put it on.
Lari: "I don't know, Ari. But there's one thing that's certain: This war won't be the end of everything. There's more, much more. I will fight, not just as Lari, but as the Curse of Thanar." Her eyes met the darkness for a moment, then a light flashed, as if she was sensing another power.
And at that moment, a silence fell over the room. Everyone had gone quiet, holding their breath, even if just for a moment. What Lari had said had created great uncertainty in everyone.
Ari: "And what about me?" Ari's voice, filled with anxiety, fear, and a sense of being lost, spread throughout the room. "What am I? What am I?"
Lari turned her head and looked deep into Ari's eyes, about to answer. But just then, a scream was heard from outside. The dark armies outside the kingdom were advancing toward the castle. Flickering lights appeared on the walls.
Lari took a deep breath, took a step forward, and looked out toward that dark world. Her eyes were now not just darkness, but determination.
Lari: "This war... is only the beginning. For us... everything will change."
And in Lari's eyes, there was no trace of the old Lari. Now, only Thanar's Curse remained.
Ari shuddered inside, but he felt that everything had not yet ended. It had only just begun. The future was more uncertain than ever, and one question lingered in the air: What would Ari's identity be?
Ari called out to Thanar, "Who am I?" Thanar appeared only to Ari and said, "You're a fool who couldn't sacrifice Lari to continue the 9000-year-old Seer lineage. But don't worry, I will make you kill Lari with your own hands." Then he vanished.