20. Wanessa's new eyes colour

AT THE SAME TIME

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

The evening air was thick with unease. A quiet tension settled over the castle as the golden candlelight flickered against the stone walls. Wanessa sat across the grand dining hall, absently pushing the remnants of her meal with her spoon. She had been quieter than usual, more withdrawn, and it put all of us on edge. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The way she stared at nothing, how her breathing seemed a little heavier, how Elias kept glancing at her like he was waiting for something. Then it happened.

A sudden shiver ran through her body. She stiffened, her fingers clenching the wooden table as her shoulders trembled. Her head dipped forward slightly, and for a brief moment, her entire body went completely still.

"Wanessa?" I called, standing up, my chair scraping against the floor.

She lifted her head slowly. And when she opened her eyes. Blue. A deep, unnatural, unfamiliar blue. The room fell into a stunned silence. No amber glow. No warmth of her usual gaze. Just an icy blue stare that sent a shiver down my spine. Michael and Terrence immediately tensed beside me. King William's goblet nearly slipped from his fingers.

"Wanessa…?" Terrence's voice was barely above a whisper.

She blinked, as if confused. Then her gaze darted around the room, like she was seeing it for the first time.

"No…no, no, no this isn't right." Her voice wavered, panicked.

"Wanessa, breathe." I said, moving toward her, but she flinched back, her chair nearly toppling over.

She wrapped her arms around herself as though trying to hold herself together.

"This isn't right. I shouldn't be here I don't belong here!" She shouted.

"Wanessa, calm down." Elias stepped forward, but she shook her head violently.

And then, just as suddenly as it happened her body jolted. A deep, guttural growl rumbled from her throat, her hands gripping the sides of her head as if in pain.

"There are two of them." Wanny's voice came through."One is yours another is different Wanessa like she said from another world. I am sensing that now too."

A silence heavier than before fell over the room. Two. Two Wanessas. Michael inhaled sharply. Queen Clara covered her mouth in shock. Even Elias, who seemed to know so much, had gone rigid. He was terrified.

"What do you mean, two of you?" I asked, my voice lower, dangerous.

"There is another soul inside this body. Your Wanessa… she's here. She's just… sharing it."Wanny said.

"What-" Terrence cut off, shaking his head, trying to process the information.

Then, as if on cue, Wanessa's body trembled again. Her head tilted back slightly, her breath quick and shallow. And when her eyes fluttered open. One was amber. The other was blue.

The sight was both terrifying and mesmerizing. Two souls. Two consciousnesses trapped in one body.

"What in the name of the Goddess…?" King William muttered.

Wanessa blinked rapidly, confused, as if she was just realizing what had happened. Her breathing hitched as she reached up, fingers brushing over her face as though she could feel the difference.

"What is happening to me…?" She whispered.

No one had an answer. But one thing was clear. Wanessa was no longer just Wanessa.

AT THE SAME TIME

WANESSA'S POINT OF VIEW:

The moment I caught my reflection in the polished silver goblet beside my plate, my heart stopped. I scrambled back, the chair screeching loudly against the marble floor as I stood, my breathing coming out in sharp gasps.

"Why… why are my eyes like this?" I whispered, my voice shaking.

One amber. One blue. Two different eyes. Two different people. A sickening fear twisted in my stomach. I turned to the others, looking desperately at their expressions, hoping, praying, that I was imagining things. But the way Michael's jaw clenched, the way Terrence's fingers curled into a tight fist, the way King William and Queen Clara stared at me with barely masked horror told me everything. This was real.

"Why-" My voice broke as I turned to Elias. "Why is this happening to me?"

Elias exhaled slowly, looking at me with something between relief and deep contemplation.

"Because this is who you are, Wanessa. The real you. Your two souls are no longer fighting for control. They're merging."Elias tried to explain it.

"No! This isn't who I am! I told you. I told all of you! I'm not from here!" I shouted, my hands curling into fists. My voice cracked, raw with frustration, with fear, with anger.

I turned to the princes, my amber and blue gaze sweeping over each of them.

"None of you believed me!" My voice wavered as I backed away toward the open doors. "You all thought I was crazy! That I was confused! But I knew it, I always knew this isn't my world!"

"Wait, Wanessa-" Xavier started, stepping forward.

I didn't know where I was running. I just knew I had to get away. Away from the castle. Away from their prying eyes. My boots pounded against the floor as I ran towards the gates, but then suddenly arms wrapped tightly around me from behind. A strong, unyielding hold. A warmth I recognized immediately. Xavier.

"Let me go!" I shouted, hitting him, but he wouldn't budge.

"No." He said firmly, his voice right against my ear. "You're not running from this. Not from us."

My body was still tense, my pulse wild, my mind spinning but then something unexpected happened. A sound. A vibration. A purr. A deep, contented purr rumbled from my throat against my will, betraying the way his presence soothed something primal inside me. Xavier chuckled against my hair.

"That's a good girl." He murmured.

"Shut up!" I hissed, my face burning, but my traitorous body didn't stop the soft, involuntary sound.

Behind us, I heard two very distinct growls.

I didn't have to turn to know it was Michael and Terrence.

"Let go of her, Xavier." Michael's voice was dangerously low.

"Yeah, you're not the only one she likes, you know.." Terrence grumbled, stepping closer.

Xavier smirked, still holding me tightly.

"Well, she seems pretty happy in my arms right now, doesn't she?"He said.

I wanted to argue. I wanted to shove him away, to fight, to do anything but melt into his warmth like some weak little thing. But my body had other ideas. My tail flicked. My ears twitched. And the purring wouldn't stop. Soon I got taken back to the castle and an hour later I saw an elder again. It seems that this time he is also more serious about my situation.