Queen of Both Worlds

Chapter Four:Beyond The Reflection

The hallway felt endless.

I walked with quick, measured steps, the clicking of my heels echoing off the polished floors as I moved further away from the dressing room. My assistant's voice was a faint buzz in my ears as she rattled off my next commitments—interviews, meetings, rehearsals. But I wasn't listening.

My mind was somewhere else.

Every time I blinked, I saw flashes of that other world—the empty street, the house, the other me. The memory gnawed at me, sharp and relentless, like it was trying to claw its way back to the surface. And no matter how hard I tried to focus on the present, I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't truly here anymore. That part of me was still trapped back there, in that strange, twisted reality.

I barely heard my assistant say goodbye as I slipped past security and into the parking lot, my eyes scanning the dark horizon as if expecting something—someone—to emerge from the shadows. But there was nothing. Just the quiet hum of cars in the distance, and the cool, crisp night air wrapping around me like a blanket.

I needed to clear my head.

Climbing into the backseat of my car, I leaned against the cool leather and shut my eyes. I didn't want to admit it, but I was scared. Whatever had happened to me—whatever that place was—I couldn't ignore it anymore. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't just stress or exhaustion. It was real, and it was connected to me somehow.

But why?

I stared out the window as the driver pulled onto the road, the city lights flashing by in a blur of neon and shadow. My thoughts drifted back to the other me—the way she had smiled at me, the sadness in her eyes, the strange certainty in her voice when she'd said I didn't belong there. That this world wasn't meant for me yet.

**What did she mean by that?**

I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the tension building behind my eyes. I had a million questions, and no answers. All I had were fragments—pieces of a puzzle I didn't know how to solve.

As the car wove through the city streets, I pulled out my phone, my fingers hesitating over the screen. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, or if there was even anything to find. But something told me that I had to start somewhere.

I searched for any sign, any mention of strange events—disappearances, people seeing doubles of themselves, anything that might explain what had happened to me. But the more I scrolled, the more frustrated I became. Nothing. No one seemed to be experiencing anything remotely like what I had.

I sighed and slumped back in my seat, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me. Maybe I was alone in this. Maybe I'd never get answers.

The car slowed as we approached my house, the headlights casting long shadows across the driveway. I didn't move right away. I stared at the house for a long moment, unease settling in the pit of my stomach. It looked the same as it always had—luxurious, pristine, like something straight out of a dream.

But tonight, it felt different. It felt... off.

I stepped out of the car and into the still night air, my breath fogging up in front of me as I stood in the driveway, listening to the soft rustle of the trees in the breeze. Something about the silence felt oppressive, as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

I hesitated before walking up the steps, a strange chill running down my spine as I approached the front door. My hand hovered over the handle, my heart pounding in my chest.

**What are you so afraid of?**

I pushed the thought aside and opened the door. The house was dark and quiet, as it should be. But that didn't stop the feeling that something was watching me. I flicked on the lights and stood there for a moment, listening to the silence, half expecting the other me to appear from the shadows.

But there was nothing.

I exhaled slowly, shaking off the tension as I made my way to the kitchen. I needed to calm down, clear my head, get some sleep. I couldn't afford to spiral into paranoia, not with everything on the line. The next few weeks were critical—album promotions, performances, appearances. I couldn't let this distract me. I couldn't let it consume me.

But as I poured myself a glass of water, something strange caught my eye. A flicker of movement in the reflection of the kitchen window. I froze, my heart skipping a beat as I turned to look outside.

The backyard was still, bathed in moonlight. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, their branches casting long, eerie shadows across the grass. But there was nothing there. No one. Just the wind.

I turned back to the sink, telling myself I was imagining things. But as I did, the lights above me flickered, just like they had on stage. My stomach dropped, and a cold dread washed over me.

**No. Not again.**

I gripped the edge of the counter, my pulse racing as the flickering grew worse, the lights dimming and brightening in erratic bursts. The air around me felt charged, like static electricity building in the atmosphere.

And then, suddenly, it stopped.

The lights stabilized. The house was still again. But something had changed.

I turned slowly, my breath catching in my throat as I saw it—her. The other me. Standing in the doorway, her eyes locked on mine, her expression calm but unsettling. She didn't speak. She didn't move. She just stood there, watching me.

My heart pounded in my chest as I stared back, unable to look away. The air between us felt heavy, thick with something unspoken. I wanted to scream, to demand answers, but no words came.

Then, in the same soft, eerie voice I'd heard before, she spoke.

"You need to listen. Before it's too late."

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Thoughts ?