Chapter 3: The Shadow’s Truth

The forest fell silent.

Elara's heart raced as she stared at the shadowy figure before her. Her breath was shallow, her body frozen in place as the echo of the strange voice reverberated in her mind. Her own face—twisted, dark, and full of malice—stared back at her, a mockery of the person she was.

"W-Who are you?" Elara's voice trembled, despite her best efforts to remain composed. "What is this? What do you want from me?"

The figure did not answer immediately. Instead, it stepped closer, the light from the glowing aura surrounding it flickering in a sinister dance. Elara wanted to step back, to flee, but her feet felt as if they were rooted to the earth itself.

The figure's lips curled into a smile, but it was a cruel, knowing smile—one that sent a cold shiver down her spine.

"You know me," the figure said softly. "You always have."

Elara's mind raced. There was no way she could know this... this version of herself. It was impossible. Yet, the words resonated in a way that made her heart ache with a familiar sorrow.

"No." She shook her head, forcing herself to take a step forward, her hands clenched at her sides. "You're not me. You can't be."

The figure laughed softly, a sound that echoed eerily through the clearing. "You still don't remember, do you? How sad..."

Cassian, who had been watching silently, stepped forward cautiously, his eyes narrowing at the apparition. He spoke, his voice calm but filled with authority. "This is a trick. A shadow, a mirage. You are not real."

"Oh, but I am," the figure crooned, its voice gaining strength as it rose to its full height. "More real than you could ever understand, Prince Cassian. You and Elara are both part of this. You both will be bound to it."

Elara turned to Cassian, her brow furrowed with confusion. "What does it mean? What is it talking about?"

Cassian's jaw tightened. "It speaks of an ancient curse, one that has been passed down through the bloodlines. The Moonlit Kingdom and the Eclipsed Realm—your kingdoms—are bound by fate. A prophecy that's older than both our lands."

"A prophecy?" Elara repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "But what does it have to do with me? I'm just... I'm just a princess."

Cassian's eyes softened, as though he wanted to explain something difficult, something too heavy to carry. "Elara, you are not just a princess. You are the heart of this kingdom. You have powers that you don't even know yet. And the kingdom... it's dying. The magic that has held us together for centuries is failing."

Elara's mind swirled. She had always known there was something more to her—an intuition, a connection to the magic of the kingdom, but she had never understood it. Never believed it would mean anything beyond her duties as heir to the throne.

And now, this shadow—this dark version of herself—was standing before her, telling her that the very land she loved, the very magic that defined it, was in peril.

The shadow spoke again, its voice a mix of mockery and sorrow. "You cannot escape it, Princess. The kingdom is dying because you are... unfinished."

The word landed like a heavy blow.

Unfinished?

Elara's eyes widened. "What do you mean by unfinished? I'm the heir. I've always been the heir."

"You are, but you are not the true heir," the shadow whispered, its voice now sharp, cutting through the air. "Not until you embrace what lies hidden in your blood. Not until you accept who you really are."

The world around her seemed to tilt, and Elara stumbled back, shaking her head. "This doesn't make sense. You're lying. You have to be."

Cassian stepped in front of her, his presence protective. "Do not listen to it, Elara. These are lies meant to confuse you."

But the figure's smile never wavered. "Ask her, Prince. Ask her about the blood that runs through her veins."

Elara turned to Cassian, her heart pounding in her chest. "What is it talking about, Cassian? What blood? What truth?"

He hesitated, a shadow crossing his face. "The truth about the prophecy," he said quietly. "About the ancient magic that binds your family to this kingdom. The magic of the Moonlit Kingdom is no ordinary magic, Elara. It's a bloodline magic. Your ancestors... they were not merely rulers. They were keepers of something far more powerful."

The weight of his words sank in, and Elara's heart began to race. "What are you saying?"

"You were born with the power to restore this kingdom," Cassian continued, his eyes intense. "But you were also born with a darkness that threatens to tear it apart. It is the blood of the Eclipsed Realm that runs through you. The curse... it was never meant to be broken. But you have the potential to either save the kingdom or destroy it. That is why this shadow exists. It is a part of you—a part that was buried."

The shadow laughed again, the sound of its voice dripping with cruel satisfaction. "You see? She has always known. You cannot escape the truth, Princess. You are both light and dark, both queen and destroyer. And only one can reign."

Elara felt the ground beneath her feet tremble as if the very earth were shaking in response to the shadow's words. The magic of the kingdom, the force that had been so familiar to her, now felt foreign, unsettling. She had always known there was something different about herself, but to hear it laid out so plainly, so brutally—it was too much to bear.

Cassian moved closer, his voice soft but resolute. "We will find a way, Elara. Together. We will uncover the truth and make our own fate, not be controlled by these forces."

But Elara could only stare at the shadow before her, its words echoing in her mind.

You are unfinished.

The truth was staring her in the face, and it was more terrifying than any enemy she had ever faced.

With a final, mocking smile, the shadow began to dissolve into the air, fading into nothingness as the moonlight once again returned to its soft, calming glow. But the damage had already been done. The weight of the truth, the weight of her destiny, pressed down on Elara's chest like a heavy stone.

Cassian turned to her, his expression filled with worry. "Elara, are you alright?"

She barely heard him. Her thoughts were clouded with a thousand questions, none of which she could answer. The bloodline. The curse. The prophecy. Was it all true?

"I don't know anymore," she whispered, her voice hollow. "I don't know what to believe."

But one thing was certain: whatever path lay ahead, it would not be an easy one. The fate of the kingdom, her own fate, and the secrets of her past were all tied together in a web of magic, blood, and destiny. And the truth... the truth would either save them or destroy them all.

And Elara had no choice but to face it.