The crack split the air like a scream.
Violet shards rained across the courtyard, embedding in stone, hissing as though alive. From the rift in the crystal, a figure stepped free, barefoot on the fractured floor.
It was Aria.
And it was not.
Her skin glowed faintly, as if lit from beneath. Her hair fell longer, darker, threaded with streams of violet light. Her lips curved into the kind of smile Aria had never worn in her life—one of certainty, of hunger, of absolute ownership of the world before her.
The reflection looked at her, tilting her head.
And Aria felt her heart stop.
The kings moved instantly.
The Crimson King swung his molten blade, roaring so loudly the air shook. His firestorm slashed toward the doppelgänger, splitting the courtyard in molten rivers. But the reflection only lifted a hand.
And the flames bent.
They arced midair, curling like serpents, and turned back on him. The Crimson King cursed, his body alight, armor melting against his skin. He dropped to one knee, teeth bared in agony.
Aria staggered forward before she could think, reaching for him. But the Frostlands King yanked her back sharply, his grip iron cold.
"Not her fight," he hissed, pale eyes locked on the reflection. "Not yet."
Not yet. But it would be.
The Solar King's golden aura blazed brighter, his hand carving runes into the air. They spun like suns, slamming down onto the reflection. For the first time, she faltered, the violet light rippling under the weight of his laws.
But then she smiled.
"You think you can bind me?" Her voice was Aria's, but deeper, coated with echo, dripping with promise and venom. "I am the law."
The golden runes shattered in an explosion of light. The Solar King stumbled back, his perfect mask of control cracking into fury.
The Verdant King's emerald fire surged, roaring to life as roots cracked through stone, wrapping around the reflection's legs. He pulled, dragging her toward the ground. "Then burn, impostor!"
But the reflection only bent down and touched the vines.
They shriveled to ash.
Aria couldn't breathe.
This was more than a shadow, more than some cursed trick. This… thing had her face. Her voice. Her memories, maybe even her heart. And worse—she had strength Aria could never dream of.
She whispered hoarsely, more to herself than anyone else, "That isn't me…"
The reflection's eyes locked onto hers, glowing brighter.
"Oh, but it is."
And before anyone could move, she lunged.
The impact knocked Aria backward, her body slamming into the courtyard stones. Pain cracked through her ribs, her vision sparking white. She gasped, but a hand pressed against her throat before she could scream.
Her own hand.
Cold and hot at once, the reflection's grip tightened, choking breath from her lungs.
"Do you know how long I waited in there?" the reflection hissed, face inches from hers. "Watching you stumble. Watching you doubt. Watching you waste what should have been mine. Do you know what it's like to starve for power while you cling to weakness?"
Aria clawed at her wrist, nails breaking, throat burning.
The reflection leaned closer, her smile sharp as a blade.
"Don't worry. I'll show you."
The Frostlands King struck then, shards of ice raining down like spears. The reflection threw her free hand up, violet fire consuming the storm midair. But in that heartbeat, Aria wrenched free, coughing blood, crawling backward across shattered stone.
The Crimson King staggered back to his feet, molten blade raised. His voice roared across the battlefield, cracked with rage and fire. "No shadow will wear her face and live!"
He hurled himself forward, blade crashing against violet fire. The impact shook the courtyard, deafening, the force throwing sparks in every direction.
But the reflection only laughed, her hair whipping around her, violet eyes burning brighter.
"You can't kill me, king of ashes." She turned her head, smiling directly at Aria. "Only she can."
The words struck harder than any blade.
Aria froze, blood on her lips, her chest heaving.
Her.
The kings could not end this thing. Not truly. Not unless she did.
And the reflection knew it.
She stood tall in the ruins of battle, violet light spilling from her like smoke, her hands spread as though welcoming them all. "Let her fight me. Or I'll tear each of you apart, one by one, until nothing remains but her and me."
The Solar King's jaw clenched. His golden aura flickered, unstable for the first time Aria had ever seen. "She is not ready."
The Verdant King growled low, emerald fire spilling from his clenched fists. "She won't survive."
The Frostlands King's pale gaze cut to Aria, piercing, searching, as though weighing something unspeakable. "…Or perhaps she already has."
Aria trembled, her mind screaming at her to refuse, to hide, to let them fight in her place. But another voice whispered louder, curling through her chest.
You've always been afraid. You've always hidden. That's why they fight for you instead of against you. But do you know what's worse than death, little Aria? Living a life that isn't yours.
She clenched her hands, nails digging into her palms until blood dripped. The voice in her head was hers. And not.
And for the first time, she wasn't sure which side she wanted to believe.
The reflection extended a hand, palm upward, violet light flickering like fireflies. Her smile softened, almost gentle.
"Come," she whispered. "Fight me. And if you win, I'll vanish forever. But if I win…"
Her eyes burned hotter, violet flames licking her skin.
"…then you will never wake again."
The kings tensed, ready to strike.
But Aria took a shaking step forward.
She whispered one word, her voice raw, broken, but unyielding—
"Yes."
The courtyard erupted in violet fire as Aria lunged to meet herself.