The battlefield stilled.
Arin stood frozen, staring at the shadowed figure before him. It wasn't just a trick of the Abyss—it was him. A twisted, corrupted version of himself, wreathed in darkness, staring back with cold, knowing eyes.
"You've walked too far, Arin," the doppelgänger spoke, his voice a distorted mirror of Arin's own. "You don't belong in the light anymore."
Evelyn stepped beside Arin, her fingers tightening around her staff. "What is this?"
Seraphina's expression darkened. "A reflection. The Abyss is showing him what he could become."
Lilith clicked her tongue. "Great. As if one Arin wasn't enough trouble."
The shadowed Arin smirked. "They don't understand, do they?" He took a step forward, his presence exuding an unnatural chill. "You've already changed, Arin. Every battle, every sacrifice—you're becoming more like me. And soon, you will be me."
Arin gritted his teeth, gripping his sword. "I am nothing like you."
The doppelgänger tilted his head. "Aren't you? You rejected Selene's offer, but deep down, you wanted to accept it. You crave power, don't you? To protect them? To end this war?"
The words struck deep.
For a fleeting moment, Arin hesitated.
And that moment was all the shadow needed.
It lunged.
Arin barely had time to block as his own reflection struck with unnatural speed. Their swords clashed, sparks flying. The impact sent tremors through his arms—this wasn't an illusion. This thing was real.
Evelyn unleashed a blast of fire, but the shadowed Arin simply absorbed it, the flames vanishing into the darkness surrounding him.
Lilith cursed. "Of course it's immune to magic."
Seraphina raised her staff, muttering an incantation. "Then we fight it another way."
Arin pushed back, locking eyes with his dark counterpart. "I don't care what tricks the Abyss plays. You're not me."
The doppelgänger grinned. "Not yet."
And then—
The shadows erupted.
The battlefield was consumed in blackness, and everything—everyone—vanished.
Arin was alone.
Or so he thought.
Because in the void, something else stirred.
A whisper. Ancient. Powerful.
"Do you want to escape?"
A figure loomed in the darkness, unseen but undeniable.
"Then take my hand."
And for the second time in his life, Arin was faced with a choice that could change everything.
---
[TO BE CONTINUED...]