Who is that woman.
The question tore out of me the moment I saw her shape standing in the distance, blurred by the thick veil of fog. At first, I couldn't make out her face, only the outline of a figure that felt strangely familiar.
My breath caught as I stared.
Then the fog shifted.
And I saw her.
My entire body went cold.
She looked exactly like me.
It was my face, my eyes, my very existence standing there as if I had been split into two.
The only difference was the way she carried herself.
She turned to Ezekiel and spoke.
I saw her lips move, saw the way her expression changed, but no sound reached me. I couldn't hear anything they were saying like I could only watch what was happening without being able to interfere.
My heart pounded violently against my chest.
What is she saying to him.
What is she going to do.
Panic clawed its way up my throat. I spun around, my gaze snapping back to the serpent, anger blazing in my eyes.
"What are you planning"
The creature only tilted its head slightly, amusement flickering across its expression.
"Just confirming something," it replied, its voice laced with a playful cruelty.
"Let him go," I said immediately, my voice tight, desperate. "I'll do whatever you want"
The serpent's smile widened.
"That easily? You really are into him that much"
I didn't care about its taunt, didn't care about the way it tried to twist my feelings into something small and laughable. None of that mattered right now.
Ezekiel did.
"But don't worry," it continued lazily, "I won't harm him now that you've agreed. Still, I can't stop this yet… I'm too curious to see what he'll say or do"
Another low chuckle slipped from its mouth, dripping with anticipation.
And I could do nothing but watch.
—
Am I still dreaming.
The thought passed through Ezekiel's mind, but it didn't linger long enough for him to question it.
Something felt wrong.
Not the place, not the fog, not even the presence in front of him. It was his own mind that felt strange, like his thoughts were being dulled, gently pushed into a single direction. He couldn't think clearly, couldn't grasp onto anything beyond what was directly in front of him.
And in front of him…
Was Viola.
"Do you love me"
The question landed heavily, far heavier than it should have. It echoed inside his head, sinking deep into his chest where it stirred something complicated, something he had never properly put into words.
Love
Was that what he felt for her
Towards Viola
His lips parted slightly, but no answer came out. Not because he didn't want to respond, but because he didn't know how to.
The word felt too small, too incomplete to describe everything he felt when he was with her, when he thought about her, when he wanted to protect her even at the cost of himself.
"I…"
The hesitation was enough.
The woman smiled.
She stepped closer, closing the distance between them until there was barely any space left, her presence pressing down on him in a way that felt suffocating.
"You don't have to say it," she whispered, her voice soft, almost teasing. "I already know"
The tone was wrong.
Everything about it was wrong.
"But are you even worthy of me" she continued, her expression shifting into something sharp, something cruel. "A dirty little peasant like you"
The words struck him like a blade.
Hearing them in her voice made it worse.
It made his stomach churn, made something inside him twist violently in rejection.
"A murderer who reeks of blood," she went on, her eyes narrowing with disgust. "Do you really think you deserve to live"
Each word cut deeper than the last.
This was the one thing he never wanted to hear from Viola.
Not like this.
Not ever.
"Why not just die" she murmured, almost sweetly. "Wouldn't that be better You could finally be with your family again"
His chest tightened.
Something dark flickered behind his eyes.
"So, Ezekiel…" she said, lifting her hand slowly, reaching toward his face. "If you really love me… you'll follow my orders, right?"
Her fingers were just about to touch him—
When his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.
Tightly.
"Shut your mouth"
His voice was low, sharp, filled with restrained fury.
"I've had enough of your garbage"
His grip tightened further, his eyes darkening as he glared at her, no hesitation left, no confusion remaining.
"Don't use her face to say those words"
The air around him shifted, heavy with anger.
"You're insulting Viola"
He shoved her arm away, forcing her to stumble back slightly. For a brief moment, irritation flashed across her expression, her perfect imitation cracking just enough to reveal something uglier beneath.
But then—
She smiled again.
Wider this time.
And also creepier.
As if she had already gotten what she wanted.
Slowly, she stepped back, her figure retreating into the fog, her form dissolving piece by piece until nothing remained except that lingering, unsettling grin burned into his memory.
Silence followed.
But not for long.
A presence appeared behind him.
This time, it felt different.
Real and familiar.
Ezekiel didn't turn around immediately.
He didn't need to.
"…Viola"
He said her name quietly, yet with certainty, as if telling himself back to reality after nearly being dragged somewhere far darker.