Aria stood alone in the center of the temple courtyard, every breath echoing in the oppressive stillness. The stone beneath her feet trembled with unknown power, and the moon hovered impossibly close, its pale light bleeding through the rift overhead. A soft electric hum pressed against her ears.
Rowan and Caleb formed a silent guard behind her, their muzzles raised and eyes hard. Even they seemed wary—not of Aria, but of what was emerging from the temple's broken gate.
The rift shimmered. In that wavering threshold of fractured energy, her reflection appeared first: the opposite of what she knew. Silver eyes rimmed with shadow, hair floating like a living halo of moonlight and smoke. This mirror–self stared back at Aria with intent calm.
Aria's heart seized. "You…" she whispered.
Caleb clenched his jaw, stepping forward. "Aria—"
"Stop," she said, voice unwavering. She faced the reflection, her back straight, her heart thrumming. The rift's energy crackled sharply.
