The mist curled around the field, silent and cold. The ground felt like fog under his shoes—barely there, like a dream he wasn't quite awake from. And then, stepping from the shadows… was him.
But not quite.
This version of Leo looked older. Darker. Not in years, but in *spirit*. His hoodie was frayed, his eyes tired. A faint crack of glowing light zigzagged down his left face, like something broken inside was trying to leak out.
SHADOW LEO "You finally made it, I've been waiting."
LEO (stepping back). "What… are you?"
SHADOW LEO "A better question is... "
The other leo starts walking in slow circles around him.
SHADOW LEO "What are you pretending to be?"
Leo didn't respond.
SHADOW LEO "You act brave,"
the shadow continued, voice calm but sharp.
SHADOW LEO "But I remember all the times you were too scared to speak up in class. Too scared to say how you felt to your parents before they left on that mission"
He took another step. Leo couldn't move.
SHADOW LEO "You say you believe in this… but you didn't believe in yourself before the book. You thought you were just some awkward parentless kid no one noticed."
Leo swallowed.
SHADOW LEO "And deep down..."
his double leaned closer, eyes burning like fading embers,
"you still do."
The mist pulsed. The golden symbols on the paper in Leo's pocket flickered, weaker than before.
SHADOW LEO "You think people only like you if you're useful,"
SHADOW LEO " You hide behind laughter and smiles. But when things get hard? You wonder if you're a mistake. If you're not smart enough. If you're not strong enough. Not brave enough. Just… a broken mistake of an echo of who you were meant to be"
Leo's breath caught. The words cut deep—not because they were wrong, but because they were true.
SHADOW LEO "You laugh even when it hurts,"
the double scoffed.
SHADOW LEO "You wanted to disappear at some point, remember? Because you were afraid no one would care. Afraid you'd fail. Afraid you'd disappoint everyone."
The silence that followed was louder than shouting.
Leo clutching his fists not out of anger but determination
LEO (fists clutched) "Maybe I was scared. Maybe I still am."
The shadow paused.
LEO "But Pain doesn't erase purpose, and brokenness doesn't mean I'm beyond repair."
LEO "And that doesn't mean I don't belong here."
Leo took a step forward. And for the first time, his voice didn't shake.
LEO "I've made it this far. I found the book. I followed the clues. I stepped through the portal. And I'm still here. I'm trying, even when I'm failing."
His shadow-self stared at him.
Leo reached into his pocket and pulled out the glowing paper. It shone brighter in his hand now, reacting to the steady beat of his heart, as he held it out in front of him.
LEO "I'm not perfect, but I care. About this place. About saving it. That has to count for something."
LEO (thoughts) "Even if the stars forget my name, I'll carve it into the wind until the sky remembers."
The silence broke.
The double looked at Leo, not angry… but peaceful, as he smiled.
SHADOW LEO "That's all you ever needed to say, Leo..."
SHADOW LEO "To me… and to yourself."
SHADOW LEO "The cracks in you aren't flaws. They're where the light learned to enter."
The double crumbled into ash.
The fog swirling, as it starts to evaporate.
LEO (whispering) "I.. I actually did it.."
And Leo stood alone once more… back in Starwood Hollow.
The trees glowed brighter than before. The stars above the canopy twinkled like thousands of tiny pieces of hope. The air smelled of moss, magic, and the beginning.
Whiskers leapt onto a rock nearby, his expression hinted slight respect but quickly shook it off.
WHISKERS (thoughts) "Damn… kid.."
The deer appeared from the shadows again, dipping its head.
DEER "All you needed to do was face your truest self,"
DEER "Being real is braver than being flawless."
DEER (thoughts) "Only the honest heart can restore the Hollow."
Leo looked at the ground, fist clenched.
LEO (thoughts) "I'm not fearless.. I'm just tired of being afraid…"