When two worlds collide

Chapter 20

The peacefulness of the morning slowly dissolved as the day pressed on. The sky had shifted, clouds rolling in, casting a gray veil over the world. Y/N and Wanda spent the next few hours going over their plans in meticulous detail, preparing for what was to come. Every contingency, every angle—no stone left unturned.

But there was a tension in the air now, a weight that neither of them could shake. Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was intuition. Whatever it was, it made the safe house feel smaller, the walls closing in as the storm on the horizon grew closer.

Y/N tightened the straps on their gear, checking every piece of equipment with focused precision. "Alright," they said, glancing over at Wanda. "Last check. You good?"

Wanda nodded, her face calm but her eyes burning with quiet determination. "I'm ready," she said, her hands glowing faintly with the red energy of her magic. "Let's do this."

Just as they were about to head out the door, there was a sudden shift in the air—a sharp, cold sensation that sent a shiver down Y/N's spine. They stopped in their tracks, glancing around the room.

"Did you feel that?" Y/N asked, their voice low.

Wanda's brows furrowed, and she scanned the room with her magic. "Something's not right."

Before either of them could react, a loud *crash* echoed through the house. The windows shattered, sending shards of glass raining down like jagged stars. Y/N instinctively ducked, raising their arms to protect their face. Wanda's magic flared, forming a protective shield around them both.

"What's happening?!" Y/N shouted over the chaos, heart racing as they struggled to make sense of the sudden attack.

But there was no answer—only a deep, eerie silence as the dust settled. The air felt wrong, like the fabric of reality had been twisted and torn apart. Something was coming.

And then they saw it.

A figure emerged from the shadows outside the broken window, stepping into the light with slow, deliberate movements. At first glance, it looked like Y/N—same face, same stance, same expression of determination. But something was off, something Y/N couldn't quite place.

"Wait," Y/N muttered, eyes narrowing as the figure stepped closer. "No way..."

The figure smirked, a chilling, too-familiar smile spreading across their lips. "Surprised?" the doppelgänger said, their voice an unsettling mirror of Y/N's own.

Y/N stared, their mind reeling. "I thought we got rid of you."

The doppelgänger shrugged casually, the movement eerily identical to Y/N's mannerisms. "You thought wrong."

Wanda stepped forward, her hands raised, magic crackling in the air around her. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice cold and dangerous.

The doppelgänger's eyes flicked toward Wanda, and for a moment, a strange gleam of recognition passed through them. "What do I want?" they repeated, their voice dripping with mockery. "Isn't it obvious? I want everything."

Y/N took a step forward, fists clenched at their sides. "You're not taking anything from us."

The doppelgänger tilted their head, amusement dancing in their eyes. "I don't need to take anything," they said smoothly. "Because I already have it."

In a swift motion, they raised their hand—and Y/N felt a sudden, sharp pain explode through their chest. They gasped, stumbling backward, clutching at their heart. It felt like something was tearing them apart from the inside.

"Y/N!" Wanda shouted, rushing to their side, her hands glowing with red magic as she tried to assess the damage.

But Y/N couldn't respond—could barely breathe. Their vision blurred, dark spots dancing in front of their eyes as the pain intensified. It felt like their entire body was being pulled apart, piece by piece, like they were unraveling at the seams.

"Stop it!" Wanda yelled at the doppelgänger, her magic flaring with fury.

The doppelgänger only smiled. "I told you," they said softly, their voice filled with a twisted satisfaction. "I already have everything. You just don't know it yet."

With that, the doppelgänger vanished, dissolving into thin air as quickly as they had appeared. But the damage was done.

Y/N collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, their heart pounding erratically in their chest. Wanda knelt beside them, her hands glowing as she tried to stabilize them, her face etched with panic and determination.

"Y/N, stay with me," Wanda said urgently, her voice trembling slightly as she poured her magic into them. "I'm not losing you. Not now."

Y/N groaned, their vision swimming as they fought to stay conscious. "Wanda... what... what's happening?" they croaked, their voice weak and strained.

Wanda's eyes darted over them, her expression torn between fear and concentration. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But whatever that doppelgänger did... it's not just an illusion. It's real."

Y/N squeezed their eyes shut, the pain throbbing through their entire body. "This... this can't be it," they gasped, fighting against the overwhelming urge to give in to the darkness. "We're... so close..."

"You're not going anywhere," Wanda said firmly, her voice hardening with determination. "Not as long as I'm here."

But even as she spoke, Y/N could feel their strength slipping away, like sand through their fingers. They tried to focus on Wanda's voice, on the warmth of her magic, but it was getting harder and harder to hold on.

Wanda gritted her teeth, pushing harder, her magic intensifying as she fought to keep Y/N grounded. But it wasn't enough. Whatever the doppelgänger had done—it was more powerful than anything Wanda had faced before.

And then, just as quickly as the pain had started, it stopped. Y/N gasped, their body going limp as the pressure eased. They blinked, their vision clearing enough to see Wanda's face hovering over them, her eyes wide with concern.

"Y/N?" Wanda whispered, her voice trembling.

Y/N blinked up at her, their heart still racing but the pain gone. They took a deep breath, then another, feeling the air rush back into their lungs. "I'm... I'm okay," they rasped, their voice shaky but steady.

Wanda let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her hands still hovering protectively over Y/N. "What the hell was that?" she muttered, her eyes scanning Y/N for any signs of lingering damage.

Y/N slowly sat up, their body aching but functional. "I don't know," they admitted. "But whatever it was... that doppelgänger just changed the game."

Wanda nodded, her jaw clenched with renewed determination. "Then we change it back."

Y/N met her gaze, their own resolve hardening. The storm had arrived, and it was bigger than either of them had anticipated. But they weren't going to back down. Not now. Not ever.

"Alright," Y/N said, standing on shaky legs and squaring their shoulders. "Let's finish this."

Wanda stood beside them, her magic crackling in the air around her, her eyes glowing with power. "Together."