Emilia "Nox"

You felt tired, and you surrendered to it, falling until you felt your body hit a cloud and ease into it before darkness consumed you.

A cloud of darkness blanketed your body as you were unconscious, and as the cloud dissipated, someone else emerged from it.

"Emilia!" Kieran called out to you, his spear falling from his grasp, he ran to you, catching your body before it fell to the floor.

"Emilia, wake up!" he shook you awake, and when your eyes opened, he felt relieved but instead of green, it was purple, "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned, but was taken aback when you smirked, grabbing him by the face, caressing a single finger from his forehead, all the way down his neck.

"What a view," you spoke, but it wasn't your voice that came out. He was immediately shocked, letting go of you in the process but before you could fall, a Shadow caught you.

"She struggled so much with something so easy," the 'other' you said, flicking her wrist, the Shadows went and gone as she pleased, "And after boasting too, shame," other you shrugged.

Kieran glared at you, wondering what the hell was happening, "Who are you and what hell have you done with Emilia?" his voice was threatening and accusing.

The other you only chuckled, "Oh please handsome, she's fine, just asleep if you'll think it in a way," she said nonchalantly. "And I'm her as she is I, so I won't do anything to harm her, mark my words," she said sarcastically, making it hard to know the truth exactly.

"What do you mean?" Kieran asked, hesitantly unsure of what to make of the situation.

Other you only rolled her eyes, "I mean what I said, she's asleep, in here," and she pointed a finger to your forehead.

"But she'll wake up soon because you see," she began, "I compensate for her weakness, and whenever she's weak," she paused, motioning to the Shadows at her beck and call, "I step in." she finished.

Caelum only growled at the other you, unable to do anything else in his current state, but he sensed it, for he is a creature born from the shadows.

"Oh my poor prince," she gasped, walking towards the prison, "Trapped in this hideous form every full moon, unable to control himself from becoming a monster," she gritted, emphasizing the last word, "but I can change that," she whispered before smirking.

They were surprised by your words, "What do you mean?" Kieran asked, hesitantly.

Other you smirked, "It's as I said, I can help you turn back to human. I can break the curse," were her final words before she passed out, this time Kieran caught your body once more.

"Emilia!" but you refused to wake up. Just then, the headmistress entered the dungeon. As soon as she saw your unconscious form in Kieran's arms, she immediately ran to him and knelt down.

"What happened?!" she asked in a panic, scanning your body for any signs of injury but then she looked towards Caelum who was still in his prison.

"One moment she was this completely different person, talking crazy, controlling these shadow monsters, and the next thing we knew she lost consciousness!" Kieran exclaimed in a hasty attempt to explain the situation.

Her head shot up, "What do you mean by 'completely different person'?" she asked hesitantly, unsure of what to make up of the situation.

"It's as I said," Kieran was frustrated, "One moment, she was showing us these shadow things, but then she lost control, and the next thing I know she was falling, unconscious." he added, "Then she woke up again, but it wasn't Emilia. Her eyes were startlingly purple, and her voice, it was someone else's voice that came out of her, but that's not all," he exclaimed.

"She spoke in a way that Emilia never would've, and she controlled those shadow beings all too confidently when she was barely hanging on before she collapsed," he elaborated further.

Headmistress Felstead was reeling, she couldn't understand at all what had happened, hence she did not know what to reply, so she stood up, "I know just the person we need, I shall return momentarily," and she immediately left in a haste.

Kieran set your body down, putting your head to rest on his thighs as you remained unconscious, but inside your head was a completely different scenario.

"What did you do?" you asked the shadow resembling you that stood in front of you, "What have you done once again?" you provoked.

It was unperturbed, "I simply helped you, you do realize you were about to set those shadows on a rampage if it weren't for me," it replied, nonchalantly. "You really need to work on how weak you are!" it shouted at you.

"I'm working on it!" you shouted back, just as loud, but it only made it smirk.

It slow-clapped at you, "So you CAN fight back, I thought for a second there how wasteful this power has been on you," she commented, condescending. "I've only been up for a few minutes, I just introduced myself," she added.

"What do you mean? What did you tell them?!" you asked, fuming how once again, this darkness inside you has made its way up the surface and taken over you.

"You're only good for this kind of reaction when it's your fault in the first place," it argued, "showing off like that, summoning them when you could barely make them lift a finger without fainting. Show me a bit of gratitude!" it was furious at you, you felt it.

You took in its words, realizing how right they were but you refuse to admit, "I was only trying..." you trailed off, hesitant of what to say next, "I was trying to show them that I'm NOT powerless, and I CAN control my powers." your voice was low, guilty, and disdained with yourself.

This seemed to only make the shadow more infuriated, "Oh please! Look at you, I feel your self-pity from all the way here. I'm you!" it fumed, "The better you at least, but nonetheless, you." it blurted, "Your goal is to be better, because if you're weak, well," it paced and walked closer to you, leaning in, "I'll have no choice but to take over."

That did it, something snapped inside of you, making you burst out, "You will never control me!" darkness converged itself around you, swirling and condensing.

"That's it!" it cheered, "Unleash your power and become me! Bwahaha!" it laughed maniacally, unnervingly as it resembled your face. You couldn't help but imagine what would happen if this "you" overtook you permanently.

When you woke up, you were in the infirmary and nurse Felms was tending to you. She immediately went to your side when she saw you open your eyes, "Oh Emilia, darling, how are you feeling?" she asked worriedly.

You looked around you and saw that Kieran was sleeping on the foot of your bed, half of his body was on the bed, "Oh him, refused to leave since you were brought in--argued to stay with you that is," she answered.

"How did I--" you trailed off, your throat hoarse and dry.

"Oh dear, let me get you some water," she immediately ran with the empty pitcher beside your table. Your bed was right beside the window, and the darkness only emphasized the brightness of the moon. It made you wonder and realize, that something only burns ever so brighter in the dark.

Your eyes widened in realization, "Caelum!" you bolted upright, waking Kieran.

"What--what?!" he woke up, frantic and surprised by your outburst, then he realized you were awake, "Emilia!" but then he hesitated, "It is you right?" he asked to make sure.

You understood what his actions meant, making you sigh, "It is me," you answered, your voice still rough. Just in time, nurse Felms walked to you with your water.

"Oh my, here you are dear, slowly," she held the glass of water to your lips, which you grabbed and slowly drank. The water trickled down your chin as you gulped every last drop, feeling refreshed and better, "Thank you," you said.

"You stay here while I inform the headmistress and professor Silas that you've regained your consciousness." she excused herself, leaving a full pitcher of water by your bedside table in case you get more thirsty.

When she left, you and Kieran were left alone, and you remembered once again, "Caelum!" you exclaimed, "Where is he?" you asked worriedly.

He just sighed, stretching his stiff body from his sleeping position. He sat down on the chair next to your bed, leaning in he flicked your head, "Ouch!" you rubbed your forehead.

"Why don't you worry about yourself for a change?" he said seriously, "He's fine, but you clearly aren't. Do you know how worried we were about you? You've been sleeping since last night and it's the evening the next day!" he blurted without pause, fuming and frustrated. "You were talking in your sleep," he whispered.

"Who's Nox?" then he asked, looking straight into your eyes, inquiring and piercing.

"Uhh, well you see, there's--uh, there's this thing that uh--" you kept stuttering, unsure of what to say. There was thing feeling inside you that doubted if they would understand or not.

"Emilia!" the headmistress entered the infirmary in haste followed by professor Silas. Going towards your bed, she touched your forehead, hovering her hand over your body for any signs of damage, and was relieved when she found none, "How are you feeling?" she asked.

You glanced at professor Silas, and you two exchanged a look, "Is there something you would like to explain to me, Ms. Bellerose?" he inquired. Gazing at you with visible disappointment, making you lower your head in shame.

"I'm sorry sir, I got in over my head and got cocky," you answered, twiddling with your fingers at your lap.

"I know that's not all you have to say," he pursued. Headmistress Felstread shook her head, also disappointed, but nonetheless glad you're alright. He turned towards Kieran who stood watching, unsure of whether to step in or just keep quiet, "Why don't you inform your friends of Ms. Bellerose's condition, I'm sure they've been worried sick," he suggested, which Kieran followed, but not before looking back once more before leaving.

"Now," he began, sitting down on the chair that was now vacant, and you prepared yourself for a full lecture, "Tell me what happened and don't miss any detail," he lectured, "Even the tiniest detail," he added.

You sighed, giving up, "You see, what happened was," and you told them everything that happened. From the moment you summoned the shadows up to losing consciousness and meeting your shadow counterpart, and how she threatened to take over you if you remained weak. "I decided to call her Nox, it's befitting of her character," you grumbled.

You've always had a negative opinion about your second name, you were named Emilia Nox by your parents, and your mother always insisted that the Goddess of the night had blessed you with her name, but now, it made it clear that it was no blessing for you, but a curse.

"And what did this 'Nox' look like?" he pursued, piecing all of the parts together, making sense of it all.

You shrugged, remembering how she mocked you in her voice but with your face, "She was me," you answered lowly, "but she was anything but. She had purple eyes instead of my green, her voice sounded like a woman, I mean it was mature, but she was darker somehow, ominous even," you explained.

You noticed professor Silas' face grow dark, "Well then, at least we'll have a name for her the next time she shows up, but this only means you'll have to get stronger," he urged, "because even if she says she won't hurt you, it doesn't mean she won't try to contain you, Because the next time she takes over, you might never wake up," he warned, and you felt the heavy possibility of it.

But instead of encouraging, it made it even more evident to you of the possibility of being trapped inside your own body, in mind, while someone else takes control.