Alina: Light & Shadows

Chapter 13

The words of the figure echoed in my mind as we advanced through the dark hall.

“The truth is that you are the only one capable of stopping Seline.”

A tremendous weight had settled on my shoulders, yet part of me had known it all along. There was something deep, rooted in my blood, that connected me to Seline and the curse that hung over us.

Kael said nothing as we moved forward, his gaze fixed on the hooded figure leading us.

The shadows seemed to obey her movements, shifting at her command like a living cloak.

It was clear that she was neither an ally nor a direct obstacle. She was guiding us toward something darker, something I had to confront.

“Who are you really?” I finally asked, breaking the silence that enveloped us.

The figure stopped without turning. “Who I am doesn’t matter,” she replied, her voice a sharp whisper.

“What matters is who you are, Alina. And what you are about to discover.”

I didn’t respond, but a growing fear began to take root within me. I knew we were close to something terrible, a truth that would change everything.

But I couldn’t stop now.

We arrived at a large circular chamber, illuminated only by a faint light coming from above.

In the center, on a stone pedestal, was an object that seemed to pulsate with energy.

It was an ancient mirror, its glass opaque and speckled, yet strangely alive. The shadows around us seemed drawn to it, as if it were the very heart of the temple.

“This mirror,” said the figure, slowly approaching the object, “holds the truth you seek. Look into it, Alina. And you will see who you really are.”

I stepped closer to the mirror with my heart racing. Every fiber of my being screamed not to trust it, but I knew I had to.

I had to discover the truth, whatever it was.

Taking a deep breath, I looked into the mirror.

At first, I saw nothing unusual. My reflection was there, pale and weary after days of flight and battle. But then the shadows behind me began to shift, forming faces, indistinct figures.

And finally, I saw him.

A man, cloaked in darkness, stared back at me from within the mirror.

His eyes were two black pits, filled with ancient and dangerous secrets. The face, though obscured by shadows, held something familiar.

I froze.

“That is your father,” the figure behind me said.

“The Shadow King.”

I felt my blood run cold. “No... it can’t be.”

But the figure nodded slowly.

“It is the truth you have always sought. Your father is not a lost hero. He is the darkness you are trying to stop. You are the daughter of the Shadow King, and your fate is bound to his, willingly or not.”

I turned to Kael, searching his eyes for a denial, for a different explanation.

But he avoided my gaze, and his silence was louder than any words.

“You knew,” I hissed, anger and pain swelling inside me.

“You knew all along.”

Kael looked down, his face tense.

“I only found out recently,” he murmured, “but I didn’t want you to know like this.”

“Like this?” I shouted, my voice trembling.

“By discovering that everything I’ve fought for, my entire life, has been a lie? That my own blood is that of a monster?”

The shadows around me seemed to react to my anguish, wrapping around me more tightly.

I felt their power growing, drawn to my anger and pain. And for a moment, I feared I would lose control.

But the figure behind me spoke again.

“You are not destined to follow in his footsteps, Alina. It is true that you have his blood in your veins, but you also have the power to choose. You are not just the daughter of the Shadow King. You are the key to stopping him.”

“How can I stop him if he is my father?” I asked, my heart heavy with confusion and pain.

“By confronting him,” the figure replied. “By breaking the bond that connects you. But first, you must accept who you are. You must accept the darkness within you and use it against him.”

Silence fell over the chamber, interrupted only by the beating of my heart.

The figure’s words were like blades cutting away every certainty I had.

I could no longer flee from the truth.

My fate was tied to that of the Shadow King, but I could still choose how to face him.

I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of that choice.

“How can I break this bond?”

The figure turned, and for the first time, I saw her face.

She was an old woman, with eyes that sparkled with ancient wisdom. “You will find a way,” she said.

“But know that the path will be painful. And you will have to sacrifice something precious.”

The chill I felt in my heart intensified.

Sacrifice something?

What would I have to lose to stop the Shadow King?

As these questions flooded my mind, the figure dissolved into the shadows, leaving us alone in the grand hall.

The temple had fallen silent again, but the echo of her words continued to reverberate in my head.