Chapter 3 – Reborn

Anastasia's lungs burned. The darkness was all around her, endless, suffocating, pulling her deeper into the icy abyss. She tried to scream, but her voice was swallowed by the cold water, and panic surged through her veins. She kicked, fought, clawed at the empty void, but it was useless. Her strength was draining fast, her body heavy, the weight of the world dragging her down.

This was it. She was drowning.

A strange calm began to settle over her. The cold wasn't biting anymore. It was... peaceful. Her body stopped fighting, her mind slipping into that space between life and death. It was so quiet here, so still. She could finally rest.

But then—something changed. She felt it, a presence, someone moving through the darkness. A shadow, cutting through the water like a ghost. She tried to focus, her vision blurring, but she could barely make out a shape swimming towards her.

A hand reached out, grabbed her arm, and suddenly, she was being pulled up, up toward the surface.

Was she dreaming? Was this what death felt like?

Before she could figure it out, everything went white.

Anastasia blinked, gasping as she found herself standing in a vast, empty space. Endless white surrounded her, stretching out in every direction like an infinite void. It felt... weightless, almost like a dream, but far too real to be just that.

Her head swiveled around, trying to make sense of the strange place, but there was nothing—until there was.

A figure appeared in front of her. At first, just a blur. But then, as the figure stepped closer, Anastasia's breath caught in her throat.

It was her mother.

"Mom?" Anastasia's voice trembled, disbelieving. This couldn't be real. But it was. The warmth in her mother's eyes, the softness of her smile—it was real.

"Anastasia," her mother whispered, stepping forward, wrapping her arms around her. "My beautiful girl... I've missed you."

Anastasia crumbled into her mother's embrace, tears spilling from her eyes as she clung to her, feeling that familiar warmth she hadn't felt in so long. It was overwhelming—like all the pain, the confusion, the fear she had been carrying melted away in that single moment.

"I thought you were gone," Anastasia sobbed, her voice muffled against her mother's shoulder. "I thought... I thought I lost you."

Her mother pulled back, cupping Anastasia's face in her hands, her expression tender. "I've never left you, Ana. Not for a single moment. I've always been with you. Watching over you."

Anastasia blinked through the tears. "But... where am I? What is this?"

Her mother sighed, a soft sadness in her eyes. "You're in between, darling. Between life and death."

Anastasia's heart dropped. "Am I... dead?"

"You were," her mother said, stroking her hair gently. "But it's not your time. There's so much more for you to do. You're destined for something far greater than you know."

Anastasia shook her head, confused. "What do you mean?"

Her mother took a step back, her eyes searching Anastasia's face like she was preparing for something difficult. "I never told you the truth... about who you are. About what you're meant to be."

Anastasia's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Her mother's face grew serious, the warmth fading into something darker, more urgent. "When I was pregnant with you, I was attacked... by a demon. I was stabbed with a weapon laced with demon poison. It was meant to kill me. To kill you. But I used everything—every last ounce of strength I had—to keep us alive."

Anastasia's eyes widened, shock washing over her. "I... I didn't know."

"I didn't want you to know," her mother said softly. "But that poison... it changed you. It seeped into you when you were still inside me. When you were born, you were part angel, part demon hunter, and... there's an essence of demon inside you. Dormant. Until now."

Anastasia's heart raced. "But why now? What changed?"

Her mother's expression tightened. "When you drowned in the cold waters, it triggered something. That part of you... it woke up. You're no longer just the girl you were before. You're something more now. Something powerful. You've been reborn, Anastasia."

Anastasia felt a chill run down her spine. "What does that mean? What am I now?"

Her mother took her hands, holding them tightly. "It means you're unstoppable. No being on Earth, demon or otherwise, can stand against you. But it also means... you'll be different. You won't be the same Anastasia. You'll be relentless, ruthless. You'll be the weapon this war needs to end."

Anastasia's stomach twisted. "But I don't want to be ruthless. I don't want to lose myself."

Her mother's eyes filled with sorrow. "I tried to prevent this. I wanted to protect you, to give you a normal life. That's why your brothers aren't like you. I gave up my powers, became human before they were born, so they could live a normal life. But with you... I couldn't stop it."

Tears welled up in Anastasia's eyes again. "I just... I don't want to lose who I am."

"You won't lose yourself completely," her mother whispered, brushing a tear from her cheek. "But you have to embrace this part of you, Ana. You were born for this. You're the one destined to end this war."

Anastasia swallowed hard, her mind spinning with everything her mother was saying. This wasn't just some nightmare she could wake up from. This was real. This was her life.

"But what about you?" Anastasia asked, her voice trembling. "Why couldn't you be there for me? For all the big things?"

Her mother's expression softened, pain flickering in her eyes. "I wanted to, darling. More than anything. But I was bound by forces beyond my control. I've watched over you, every step of the way. I've seen everything. And I love you. I love you more than words can ever say."

Anastasia's heart ached, but she nodded, her tears falling freely now. "I love you too."

Her mother smiled, the warmth returning to her face as she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Anastasia's forehead. "You have to go back now, Ana. It's time."

Before Anastasia could respond, the white around them began to fade, dark shadows creeping in from the edges of her vision. Her mother's figure started to blur, disappearing into the distance.

"Mom?" Anastasia called out, panic rising in her chest. "Mom, wait!"

But her mother's voice was already fading, a whisper carried away by the wind. "Remember who you are..."

And then, there was nothing but darkness.

She jolted awake gasping, finding herself in the arms of a dark figure who held her closely to his chest and she could hear a faint, familiar voice just before slipping into an unconscious state.

"You're alive! I've got you baby girl."