I'm not like her..

Silence hung in the air like smoke after the fire of the fight.

The crowd around the platform remained still. Lira's eyes darted nervously. Nyxara hovered above, her usual smug smirk replaced with an unreadable expression. The rawness of what had just been laid bare left a tension too thick to ignore.

And then Solene stepped forward.

Her boots echoed against the stone as she walked between Nerys and Seraphyne, raising a hand to both—not in warning, but in heartbreak.

She turned to Nerys, her eyes misted, her voice trembling—not from fear, but from something deeper.

"Are you not satisfied?"

Nerys blinked. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came.

"You were the one who said you didn't want to interfere with me and Seraphyne. You said you didn't want my attention. That you would just... take what you wanted."

Solene's breath hitched.

"You told me that. And I believed you. But now—now you stand here, looking at me like I betrayed you just for loving someone else. For trying to find happiness after everything we've been through."

Nerys clenched her fists, but she didn't interrupt.

Solene stepped closer, her voice rising, cracking.

"Sis, I've changed. We both have. You were the one constant in my life when everything was dark. You were the one who helped me believe I could feel something warm again. And yeah... I still have feelings for you. I always will. But this—this version of you standing in front of me—"

Her voice broke.

"—you remind me of Mother."

That last word cut deeper than any blade.

Nerys took a full step back.

Even Nyxara blinked.

"I am not her," Nerys said through gritted teeth.

"Then don't act like her," Solene snapped, wiping her eyes. "Don't punish me for trying to build a life with someone who saw me when I was shattered and still wanted to hold me."

Seraphyne moved to place a hand on Solene's shoulder but stopped herself, recognizing this was between sisters.

Nerys looked away, face twisted with pain, pride, and something that looked a lot like shame.

Solene's voice dropped to a whisper.

"We're supposed to be fighting together. Not tearing each other apart."

And with that, she turned and walked off the platform.

Leaving a silence so complete, it echoed.

---

If you'd like to continue into Part 2 or the rest of the chapter, just say the word.