When Tara opened her eyes, she wasn't in her bedroom.
The scent of damp earth filled her nose. Cold stone pressed against her skin, and eerie blue lights flickered around her, casting ghostly shadows across strange metallic walls.
Panic surged through her chest.
And then she saw her.
A girl standing only a few feet away.
Tara's heart pounded violently. The girl had the same dark eyes, the same face—everything was identical.
It was like staring at herself.
Flashback
Golden autumn sunlight streamed through the kitchen window as Tara sat quietly at the breakfast table. At eighteen, she had dark eyes, a calm demeanor, and a habit of disappearing into her own thoughts. Her mother moved around the kitchen, humming softly while flipping an omelet.
"Eat quickly, Tara. You'll be late for school."
Tara stirred her cereal absentmindedly.
"I'm almost done."
Her mother sighed. "You're always lost in your own world."
Tara ignored the comment. She grabbed her bag and stepped outside into the crisp autumn air.
I'm not lost in my own world, she thought quietly. I just notice everything around me. That's why I don't talk much.
At school, Lily waved excitedly from their usual spot beside the classroom window.
"Tara! I saved you a seat!"
A small smile appeared on Tara's face as she sat beside her.
"Wanna watch a movie tonight? At my place?"
Lily made a face. "I gotta do something this afternoon."
Tara smirked faintly. "I know. You don't like movies."
Lily laughed before pulling something from her bag.
"See? I got matching bracelets for us."
The silver bracelets glimmered beneath the sunlight.
"Let's stay like this forever, okay?" Lily said warmly. "Just the two of us, having fun."
For the first time in a long while, Tara felt something peaceful settle inside her.
"Yeah," she whispered softly. "Forever sounds nice."
That night, Tara sat at the dinner table with her mother. The room was dimly lit, shadows stretching across the walls. Only the sound of cutlery filled the silence.
Then her mother spoke.
"You hardly talk anymore, Tara. All you do is stay in your room."
Tara looked down at her plate. "I just like being alone. Is that a crime?"
"I just wish you'd share things with me," her mother replied gently. "Like Lily does with her mother."
Tara clenched her jaw.
"I'm not anyone else. I'm me. I like being this way."
The air between them grew heavy.
"I'm just trying to help."
"Maybe I don't need help."
Pushing her plate away, Tara stood abruptly and walked to her room.
As she sat on the edge of her bed, her thoughts swirled endlessly.
Why do I always have to talk to people? And for no reason, too… Everyone else speaks so easily. I'm just not in the mood most of the time. Does that make me weird? Why is it so hard for me to fit into this world?
That night, exhaustion pulled her into sleep before she could think any further.
But when she opened her eyes again—
Everything had changed.
Present Time — The Otherverse
Tara awoke beneath a soft, unfamiliar glow.
The bed beneath her wasn't hers. Above her, the ceiling was carved from dark wood etched with swirling symbols that pulsed faintly with silver light.
Fear bloomed instantly in her chest.
She sat up sharply.
A girl stood at the foot of the bed, watching her in silence.
Tara froze.
The girl looked exactly like her—same dark eyes, same sharp features. It felt like staring into a living mirror.
But there were differences.
A scar rested beneath the girl's left eyebrow, and her hairstyle was shorter and uneven.
"Who are you?" the girl asked cautiously.
Tara swallowed hard. "I… I'm Tara. Who are you?"
"I'm Nadia."
The tension between them thickened.
Then Nadia turned toward the door.
"Come with me."
Though every instinct told Tara to run, curiosity rooted her in place. Slowly, she followed.
Outside the room, an entirely different world unfolded before her eyes.
Silver and obsidian towers pierced the sky. Trees shimmered with glowing blue-green leaves. Students crossed floating platforms suspended in midair while others walked across wide marble paths.
Some floated effortlessly above the ground.
Others summoned flames into their palms or bent streams of water like living ribbons.
The air itself felt alive.
"Welcome to Eclipse Academy," Nadia said calmly. "This is where we learn to control our superpowers."
Superpowers?
Tara blinked rapidly, struggling to process anything around her.
This wasn't her world.
But she forced herself to stay calm.
Cool down, Tara, she told herself silently. Observe first.
"That's… cool," she muttered awkwardly.
As they walked farther, they passed a massive training arena where students sparred with swords. Their movements were unnaturally fast and fluid. Blades clashed in bursts of glowing light.
"They're training," Nadia explained casually. "They're physically very strong."
Then she glanced toward Tara.
"I'm sure you have powers too. That's why you're here."
Tara stopped for a second before forcing a nervous smile.
"Yeah… of course."
A deep voice suddenly echoed behind them.
"Really?"
Tara stiffened instantly.
She turned slowly.
A tall man stood a few feet away, dressed in dark grey clothing with a silver crest pinned to his chest. His gaze was sharp and unreadable—like a predator studying its prey.
Nadia straightened immediately.
"Tara, this is Mr. Rayan. He's one of the teachers."
Mr. Rayan folded his arms.
"Hi, Tara," he said smoothly. "Welcome to Velmora."
Velmora? Tara thought uneasily. A hidden world?
Then he spoke again.
"So, Tara… how's your mother?"
Her stomach twisted violently.
"How do you know about my mother?" she whispered.
A slow smirk appeared on his face.
"Oh, Tara… I know far more than you think."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"You have her eyes."
A chill crawled down Tara's spine.
He wasn't guessing.
He knew something.
Before she could ask another question, Mr. Rayan turned away casually.
"Nadia, take her to your room."
Still shaken, Tara followed Nadia across a stone bridge and into a tall tower covered in glowing protective runes.
Inside the room were three beds, three desks, and another girl arranging books onto a shelf.
Tara stepped inside.
Then froze.
"Lily…" she whispered.
The girl turned around, equally shocked.
"How did you get here?" Lily asked quietly.
Tara's chest tightened painfully.
It was really her.
Her only friend.
The girl who shared secrets with her. The girl who laughed with her, cried with her, promised never to hide anything from her.
Yet here she was.
In this impossible world.
Silence stretched heavily between them.
And suddenly, memories flashed through Tara's mind—
The bracelets.
The birthday gifts.
The comfort of believing someone would always stay beside her.
Was it all a lie?
(Episode 1 Ends.)