Silence.
It felt as though the world had stopped spinning as I stared at the figure before me—my own face, yet darker, sharper. The fading firelight around us cast her silhouette in stark clarity. My whole body tensed, my heartbeat wild and erratic.
Aldric stood beside me, his breath ragged. "Seraphine… is this… really you?"
I shook my head slowly, my voice hoarse. "I don't know… but I can feel it. She's… a part of me. A part I've denied for so long."
The shadow smirked, her voice soft but piercing. *"You're right, Seraphine. I am you… but you never truly wanted to know me. You always turned your face away. Now, you can't run anymore."*
I clenched my jaw, trying to steady my breath. "If you're part of me… then why appear now? What do you want?"
The shadow stepped forward, her dark aura shimmering gently in the air. *"I want the same thing you do: freedom. I want to be whole. All this time, you kept me locked away in the corners of your heart—never acknowledged, never allowed to breathe. But this curse… this curse gave me a way out."*
I felt Aldric tighten his grip on my hand. He looked at me deeply, his eyes dark but resolute. "Sera, don't let her break you. You are Seraphine—the one I know, full of light and strength. She's only a shadow."
The shadow laughed—a sound that sliced through the air. *"You always try to erase pain, Aldric. But you don't understand. I'm not just a shadow. I am every wound she buried. I am her fear. I am her rage. I am the despair she held in silence—until now."*
I frowned. "If you truly are a part of me… then I will claim you. I won't let you stand alone here. I will embrace you—and together, we will be whole."
The shadow stared at me, her eyes—so like mine—glinting. *"You think it's that easy? You think the love you built can embrace this darkness? No, Seraphine. I am the curse that lives within your soul—and I will never bow."*
I drew a deep breath, chest tight but mind clear. "I've fought myself long enough. If you really are me… then we should talk. Not fight."
Aldric touched my cheek, his voice low and tender. "I know you can do this, Sera. I'm here. I'll hold you—no matter what."
---
Fragments of Memory
Suddenly, the world around me trembled—the stone walls of the temple faded, replaced by an eerie landscape. I saw myself standing on a black shore, red waves crashing against the sand. The sky was dark, stars falling like rain.
The shadow stood there, her hair fluttering in the strange wind. *"This is the sea of your soul, Seraphine. Every wave is a memory you rejected. Every gust of wind, a fear you buried. And I… I am the center of it all."*
I looked around, my body shaking. "I'm not afraid of you," I said, though my voice quivered slightly. "I'm only afraid of the lies I once whispered to myself."
The shadow narrowed her eyes. *"You're brave enough to admit it. That's the first step, Seraphine. But the next… will be far harder."*
Suddenly, the red waves rose, forming shapes—familiar faces: my mother, my father, Aldric. They all looked fractured, like statues beginning to shatter.
I reached for Aldric, now standing beside me on that shore. "Do you see this?" I whispered. "These… are all I've lived through. All I've hurt."
He nodded slowly. "You're not alone, Sera. I'm here. I'll help you piece this all together—so you can stand whole, without fear."
---
The shadow stepped forward, black sand splitting beneath her feet. *"You're still naive, Seraphine. You think love will save you? No. Love is a source of strength, yes. But also of weakness. And I… am the side of love you never understood."
I clenched my jaw. "I know love can hurt. I know it can drown you. But love is also what lifts me up. You can't break that."
Aldric stared at the shadow, his voice steady but firm. "You misunderstand. Our love is not just weakness—it's the reason we're still standing. You are a part of Seraphine. And she will never surrender to you."
The shadow scoffed. *"Then prove it. Isn't that what you always do, Aldric? Protect her, lift her, even while you bleed?"*
Aldric placed his hand on my waist, eyes locked with mine. "I'll always protect you, Sera. But you must also protect yourself. You must be brave enough to embrace every part of your heart—even the darkest."
---
The dark sky trembled, crimson lightning cracking above. The red waves raged, swirling into a vortex that pulled at my feet. I screamed, reaching for Aldric's hand.
The shadow gazed at me, her eyes cold. *"You'll never be free of me, Seraphine. I am your blood. I am your shadow."*
I held my breath, closing my eyes. In that darkness, I felt the warmth of Aldric's touch, the strength that had always lain dormant in my veins.
"I won't run," I whispered. "If I must embrace you—I will. Because only by becoming whole… can I break this curse."
---
I opened my eyes, meeting the shadow's gaze. "I admit… I'm afraid of you. I hate this part—this part full of rage and hatred. But I also know: I can't erase you. I have to make peace with you."
The shadow looked startled. *"Peace…? You truly believe that?"*
I nodded slowly. "Yes. I don't want to be half a person—I want to be whole. And you… are part of that wholeness."
Aldric embraced me from behind, his voice soft. "You're incredible, Sera. Braver than anyone I've ever known."
--
I reached out my hand to the shadow. "If you are truly me—then take my hand. Let's end this together. I won't reject you anymore."
The shadow hesitated. Her eyes—identical to mine—trembled. For the first time, I saw something behind them: sorrow.
*"I'm… tired of fighting, Seraphine,"* she whispered. *"I just want to be seen."*
Tears streamed down my cheeks. "Then let me know you. Let me be your home. Because only through mutual acceptance… can we end this curse."
---
The shadow took my hand, her fingers cold as they touched my palm. At once, a burst of white and red light exploded around us—forming a circle that wove together every memory, every wound, every love.
My body felt light, as though a weight of centuries had been lifted. I closed my eyes, feeling something entirely new: peace.
Aldric whispered in my ear. "You did it, Sera. You've brought back every piece that was lost."
---
Suddenly, the shadow—myself—looked at me with an empty gaze. Her voice changed, deeper, darker. *"But Seraphine… you forgot one thing: I was born from blood and magic that never dies. I… am not just you."*
I froze. "What do you mean?"
The shadow grinned, her voice cracking like broken glass. *"I am the legacy of Valeria's blood and Astoria's curse that never fades. And even though you've unified us… you haven't seen the true end."*
The world around me suddenly cracked—like shattered glass. I felt an ancient magic—older, darker—surge from within.
Aldric grabbed me, his face pale. "Sera—what's happening?"
I stared at him, my voice trembling. "I… I don't know. But I feel… something darker… something ancient… is awakening."
And in that moment, I knew—
Our journey wasn't over.
The real battle had just begun—
And this time, it wasn't only about love.
This… was about the soul and blood that bound me to a far greater fate.
---