The Mate I Never Chose
But as he turned the corner into the next chamber, he stopped.
Waiting for him wasn't a monster, or a mercenary, or a ghost.
It was a mirror.
And in the reflection, the man staring back at him wasn't Rangga.
It was Arung.
The reflection smiled, a cold, predatory smirk that made Rangga’s blood run cold.
"Welcome home, kid," the reflection whispered.
Rangga lunged at the glass, his fist glowing with the power of the core, ready to shatter the image—and himself—if it meant finding the truth.
The glass didn't break.
It rippled.
And Rangga fell through.