It's a very sad day for Once Upon a Time [1] fans. On Monday, Jennifer Morrison (who plays lead heroine Emma Swan) announced in a heartfelt Instagram post that she will not be returning as a series regular [2] in the event that the show gets renewed for season seven [3].

"As I reached the end of my 6 year contract on ONCE UPON A TIME, I was faced with a significant decision. ABC, Eddy Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz very generously invited me to continue as a series regular. After very careful consideration, I have decided that creatively and personally, it is time for me to move on. Emma Swan is one my favorite characters that I have ever played. My 6 years on ONCE UPON A TIME has changed my life in the most beautiful ways. I am absolutely blown away by the passion and commitment of the Oncer fans. I am so honored to have been a central part of such a special show. I will be forever grateful to Adam, Eddy, and ABC for giving me the gift of playing Emma Swan. As I move on to other creative endeavors, I will continue to attend the fan conventions whenever my professional schedule allows. I always look forward meeting the fans. If ABC Network does in fact order a season 7, I have agreed to appear in one episode, and I will most certainly continue to watch ONCE UPON A TIME. The creativity of the show runners has always inspired me, and I cannot wait to see the ways that they continue to develop and reinvent the show. #Onceuponatime #EmmaSwan#UglyDucklings"

The news comes just a few days before the show's two-hour finale [4], which will air on Sunday. While some actors like Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle, and Colin O'Donoghue are still in negotiations to extend their contracts [5], showrunners Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis recently confirmed that the next season would take a new direction from a narrative standpoint [6] by "hitting the reset button." We can't help but wonder what this means for the Savior [7] as she preps for the final battle.