My Blood, His Choice

Synopsis

For a thousand days, I bled myself from the heart to grow a Soulbloom, a herb with the power to cheat death. When I finally offered it to him, I whispered, "This herb is special. It only works for the one its owner truly loves." He smiled, took it, and immediately gave it to the frail woman he adored. Three days later, she was dead, blood streaming from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, yet a smile lingered on her lips. He stormed into Willowbrook Sanctuary like a madman, gripping my shoulders and screaming, "What did you do?" I brushed away the shards of the bowl he had shattered and slowly lifted my head. "The Soulbloom chooses its owner," I said. "It drank my blood for three years. Now, it only works for the one I love."