Chapter 51: Beneath the Cracked Sky

They didn’t sleep that night.

How could they?

The fortress groaned under the weight of battle, smoke rising in columns from shattered towers. Bodies of shades littered the grounds—fading into ash that whispered away in the wind. The scent of scorched stone and blood was thick in the air, yet within the inner sanctum, a moment of breath had formed.

Serena sat on the cold stone floor, her hands still glowing faintly. Her shoulders sagged, but her eyes burned with resolve.

Theron stood beside her, silent, his chest rising and falling with the weight of what had just unfolded. The golden glow of sunrise had barely begun to breach the edges of the sky, but it brought no comfort. Not yet.

“I saw her,” Serena said, her voice a whisper. “The woman I could’ve been.”

Rylan leaned against the far wall, arms crossed. “More powerful. More dangerous. You think she’s the one behind this?”

“I don’t think,” Serena replied. “I know.”

Theron shifted, finally speaking. “She knew things about you. Things no imposter should know.”

“She’s not an imposter,” Serena said, meeting his gaze. “She’s me. Or a fragment of me. A version born of shadow instead of light. I don’t know how—but she’s real. And she’s strong.”

“Then we’ll destroy her,” Rylan said bluntly.

Theron’s jaw clenched, but his tone softened when he turned back to Serena. “You don’t need to carry this alone.”

Serena looked away. “I’ve been carrying it since the first time I shifted. Since I saw the way people looked at me—like I was some ticking bomb. Even my own father tried to bind my powers.”

Theron knelt beside her. “I’m not your father. And I don’t fear you. What I saw today... it wasn’t weakness, Serena. It was strength. It was you choosing light even when the dark was easier.”

Their eyes met. The space between them thinned. Her breath hitched as she saw it again—that flicker in his gaze. That pull.

But this time, she didn’t look away.

He reached for her hand, slow and deliberate, and when their fingers touched, it was like a circuit completed. Warmth spread up her arm, across her chest. His other hand came to rest on her cheek.

“I almost lost you,” he murmured.

“But you didn’t,” she replied. “And you won’t.”

His forehead touched hers, just for a heartbeat, and in that silence, their world stilled. It wasn’t a kiss—but it was something far more intimate. A promise.

“I want to fight with you,” he whispered. “Beside you. Always.”

And she answered with a nod. “Then stay.”

Before more could be said, a sharp rap on the door broke the moment.

Rylan’s tone was dry. “Sorry to interrupt the honeymoon. We’ve got company.”

Serena stood instantly, magic humming back to life. “Who?”

“Scouts. Survivors from the northern watchtower. They say the shadow forces are regrouping at the dead forest. And they’ve got prisoners.”

Theron swore under his breath.

Serena’s stomach dropped. “We can’t let them build again. We need to strike first.”

Rylan raised a brow. “You sure you’re ready for that?”

She looked him in the eye. “I was born ready.”

They rode out at first light—Serena, Theron, Rylan, and a vanguard of two dozen elite warriors, their armor patched, weapons sharp, and expressions grim.

The dead forest loomed ahead like a wound in the earth—twisted trees with bark blackened by fire, roots like claws clawing from the ground. The air buzzed unnaturally, and even the wind refused to enter.

Rylan whistled low. “Well, that’s not ominous.”

“Keep your eyes open,” Theron said, drawing his blade. “And your mind guarded.”

Serena’s fingers itched with the pulse of her magic. She could feel the shadows coiling, watching. Her twin—her other self—was close.

They dismounted near the outer trees, tying their horses under the camouflage of low-hanging limbs.

As they crept into the forest, silence pressed in like a blanket. The trees muffled every footfall, and even the birds refused to sing.

Then they saw them.

Cages.

Dozens of them, made from twisted metal and bone. Inside, prisoners—some unconscious, others awake and trembling. Most were mages. Some children. All wearing marks of suppression etched into their skin.

Rylan cursed. “They’re harvesting power.”

“They’re turning the gifted into fuel,” Serena whispered, horror tightening in her throat.

Theron’s eyes hardened. “We end this. Now.”

But just as they stepped forward, a voice rang out—smooth, taunting.

“You’re early, sister.”

The imposter stepped from the mist—her red robes flowing like blood, eyes glittering with cruel amusement. And this time, she wasn’t alone.

A massive beast stalked beside her—horned, fanged, covered in armor made of shadow. It growled low, each footstep shaking the ground.

Behind her, cloaked figures began to appear. A full legion.

They were outnumbered.

Rylan’s daggers flashed. “Change of plan?”

“No,” Serena said, stepping forward. “We’re sticking to it.”

Theron moved beside her. “Together.”

The imposter smiled. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”

Then the battle began.

The clash of steel and shadow echoed through the forest. Serena’s magic flared—golden bolts striking down cloaked figures as Theron fought beside her, blade meeting shadow again and again.

Rylan darted through the chaos, disabling cages and helping prisoners escape, his movements a blur of lethal grace.

But the beast charged.

Serena turned just in time to raise a shield—but the impact still sent her flying into a tree. She coughed, blood in her mouth, and barely rolled aside as claws struck the earth where she’d been.

“Serena!” Theron yelled, fighting to reach her.

The imposter laughed. “You're weak. Just like he was.”

Serena’s blood boiled.

She rose, ignoring the pain, and unleashed a burst of pure light. The beast shrieked, rearing back.

And then she faced her other self.

They clashed—light against shadow, fire against ice. The world narrowed to the dance between them. Serena screamed as she poured every ounce of herself into the magic, striking again and again.

And finally—

The imposter faltered.

Serena struck once more, the light piercing her twin’s chest. The shadows shrieked—and then silence.

The forest began to breathe again.

Theron ran to her, catching her as she collapsed.

“You did it,” he whispered, voice shaking.

She leaned into him, eyes heavy. “No... we did.”