Veins Of Shadow, Wings Of Snow

THE STILLNESS OF SHADOWS

The sound of clashing swords reverberated through the throne room as Aisha and Tushar's fierce battle continued. Her heart pounded, each strike fueled by the anger and desperation surging inside her. But as their swords locked once more, a glimmer caught her eye.

A mirror, ancient and ornate, stood at the edge of the room. For a brief moment, Aisha's face
Gaze flickered towards it and what she saw made her breath catch in her throat. Reflected in the glass was the chaos she had been fighting so hard to stop-the winds and snow ragging uncontrolled across her World, swallowing up everything in its path. And beyond that, the other worlds, too, were being consumed by shadows, darkness spreading like a poison.

Her heart sank. The destruction was far worse than she has imagined.
This is all my fault.

In that fleeting second of distraction, Tushar saw his opening. With lighting speed, he struck, knowing Aisha's sword from her grasp. It clattered to the ground, the sound echoing in the eerie silence that followed. Before she could react, his shadowy blade was at her throat, cold and unyielding.

Aisha froze, her breath shallow as she stared at the reflection of the world's ruin.a deep, hallow and filled her chest. I couldn't stop it
I failed.

Tushar step closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over her as he pressed the edge of his blade against her neck. His dark eyes studied her instantly, a twisted smile tugging at his lips. "Distracted, snow queen?"he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

But something was happening-something neither of them expected. A faint glow began to surround Aisha, soft at first, but growing brighter with each passing service. The sorrow and guilt weighing down her heart seemed to ignite something within her, something powerful. Her entire body began to shine, radiating a soft, ethereal light that stood in stark contrast to the creeping darkness around her.

Tushar's eyes narrowed, and for the first time, he was caught off guard. The glow from Aisha's body illuminated the darkness, casting delicate shadows that danced along the walls. He lowered his sword slightly, his gaze locked on her as if seeing her in a new light.

He leaned in close, his voice a low murmur, almost reverent."there's no doubt"he said softly, his dark eyes glinting with a strange admiration ,"you truly are the queen is beauty"

But Aisha, her heart her heart heavy with the weight is what she has seen in the mirror, wasn't listening. The glow that now radiated from her body felt like a cruel mockery of the destruction she had failed to stop. She pushed Tushar away with trembling hands, he mind barely registering his words.

Stumbling to the mirror Aisha faxed into the reflection, her shining from a shark contrast to the devastation reflected back at her. Silent tears aloud down her cheeks her chest tight with emotion as she watched the world she had once protected fall into ruin.

Behind her, Tushar watched, his expression unbearable. The queen is beauty was crumbling before his eyes, yet somehow, her sorrow made her even more captivating. But for the first time, the victory he usually felt in others despair seemed hollow.

And in the din light of the throne room, the worlds continued to fall apart.

Aisha's silent tears continued to fall as she stared into the mirror, her heart aching with the weight of the destruction she had witnessed. But as she blinked through her sorrow, something changed. The eerie glow that had surrounded her began to fade, and the mirror’s reflection shifted, growing darker and more distant.

She blinked again, and suddenly, everything was gone.

A sharp intake of breath filled her lungs as Aisha found herself back in the dense, dark forest where her search for Tushar had begun. The cold air bit at her skin, but there was no longer the howling wind or the violent snow that had once whipped around her. Everything was still. Too still.