No one's POV
Later that evening, Chloe sat alone in her room, still seething with frustration from the afternoon. Her thoughts kept returning to the picnic she had witnessed between Adrien and Marinette, the anger bubbling inside her with every passing second. She couldn't stand how Adrien had defended Marinette, how he had chosen her over someone like Chloe.
She doesn't deserve him, Chloe thought bitterly. She's just some clumsy girl, a nobody who thinks she's special...
Her mind was spiraling, and it was in that moment of bitterness that a familiar voice broke through the fog of her thoughts.
"Chloe Bourgeois..."
She froze. The voice was deep, smooth, and yet eerily comforting. It was the same voice she had heard in her nightmares, the same one that whispered to her in moments of weakness.
"Who's there?" she demanded, her voice shaking slightly.
A dark mist materialized before her, swirling and taking the shape of a tall, shadowy figure. A mask, gleaming in the dim light, slowly formed within the mist.
"Do not be afraid, Chloe," the voice spoke again, and the figure's form became clearer. Hawk Moth. "I am here to offer you power. Power to take what's rightfully yours."
Chloe's eyes widened. "Power?"
"Yes, power over Marinette," Hawk Moth's voice purred, coaxing. "She thinks she can take everything from you, doesn't she? But I can make them all see just who you really are."
Chloe's heart began to race. The desire for revenge, the need to put Marinette in her place—it all consumed her, drowning out everything else. She was tired of being overlooked. Tired of playing second fiddle to everyone else. Hawk Moth's offer sounded... tempting.
"You can help me?" she asked, her voice soft, almost hypnotic.
"I can," Hawk Moth said with confidence. "But first, you must help me. You must take control. Take Ladybug and Adrien away from each other, and let me guide you. You will have everything you've ever wanted, Chloe. No one will stand in your way."
Chloe's eyes sparkled with longing as she stepped closer to the dark figure. "How do I do that?"
"Close your eyes, Chloe," Hawk Moth instructed, his voice lowering to a soft whisper. "Let me in. Let me show you the power you truly possess."
Without thinking, Chloe closed her eyes, her breath steady. Hawk Moth's voice continued, soothing and persuasive, like a lullaby.
"You are mine now, Chloe. Let go of your doubts. Let go of your fears."
The darkness swirled around her, filling her senses, until she felt like she was drowning in it. She could hear Hawk Moth's words, feel his presence like a weight pressing down on her. Slowly, the anger that had been bubbling inside her began to fester, turning into something darker.
"You are strong," Hawk Moth whispered, his voice sinking deeper into her mind. "Take what is yours. Take back your control."
And with that, Chloe's body seemed to go still, her eyes blank, devoid of all emotion. She was no longer the Chloe Bourgeois who had been struggling with jealousy and rejection. She had become something darker, something far more dangerous—a puppet, now under Hawk Moth's control.
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Chloe stands before a cracked mirror in her lavish bedroom, now filled with the strange, dark glow of the relic's power. Hawk Moth's influence pulses through her, and the whispers in her mind grow louder, feeding her insecurities and amplifying her ambition. She feels the relic's energy radiating, reshaping her into someone stronger, more feared.
I'm so tired of pretending
She tosses her designer bag onto the bed with frustration, glaring at her reflection. The glowing patterns of the relic begin to spread across her arms like a dark tattoo.
Where's my happy ending?
Her expression hardens as memories of Adrien and Marinette flash in her mind. The way he smiles at Marinette, the way everyone seems to adore her... it all fuels her rage.
I followed all the rules
I drew inside the lines
I never asked for anything that wasn't mine
I waited patiently for my time
But when it finally came
He called her name
And now I feel this overwhelming pain
I mean it's in my veins
I mean it's in my brain
My thoughts are running in a circle like a toy train
I'm kinda like a perfect picture with a broken frame
I know exactly who to blameI never thought of myself as mean
I always thought that I'd be the queen
The room darkens as her anger takes form. She lifts the relic, watching its light pulse, and smirks.
And there's no in between
'Cause if I can't have that
Then I would be the leader of the dark
And the bad
Now there's a devil on my shoulder
Where the angels used to be
And he's calling me the queenBeing nice was my pastime
But I've been hurt for the last time
And I won't ever let another person take advantage of me
The anger burns my skin, third-degree
Now my blood's boiling hotter than a fiery sea
There's nobody getting close to me
They're gonna bow to the Evil Queen
Your nightmare's my dream
Just wait until they fall to my wicked schemesI never thought of myself as mean
I always thought that I'd be the queen
She strides to her closet, pulling out her most dramatic outfit—a black-and-gold gown that seems to shimmer with malevolence. She spins in front of the mirror, her movements sharp and deliberate.
And there's no in between
'Cause if I can't have that
Then I would be the leader of the dark
And the bad
Now there's a devil on my shoulder
Where the angels used to be
And he's calling me the queen of mean (calling me, calling me)
With every note, Chloe's transformation becomes more vivid. Her blonde hair seems to glow, her eyes burn with power, and the room vibrates with the energy of her song.
The queen of mean (calling me, calling me)
The queen of mean (calling me, calling me)Something's pulling me
It's so magnetic
My body is moving
Unsure where I'm headed
All of my senses have left me defenseless
This darkness around me
Is promising vengeance
The price that I'm willing to pay is expensive
There's nothing to lose
When you're lonely and friendless
So my only interest is showing this princess
That I am the queen
And my reign will be endless (endless)I want what I deserve
She throws open her balcony doors, stepping out to overlook the city of Paris, the Eiffel Tower glowing in the distance. The wind carries her voice as she declares her intent to rule, her voice resonating like a dark anthem.
I wanna rule the world
Sit back and watch them learn
It's finally my turnIf they want a villain for a queen
I'm gonna be one like they've never seen
The song crescendos as she raises the relic high into the night sky. The power within it bursts, casting an ominous light across the city, and Chloe lets out a triumphant laugh.
I'll show them what it means
Now that I am that
I will be the ruler of the dark and the bad
'Cause the devil's on my shoulder
Where the angels used to be
And he's calling me the queen of mean (calling me, calling me)
The queen of mean (calling me, calling me)I want what I deserve
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As the song ends, Chloe's transformation is complete. She stands taller, her voice colder and more commanding, as she turns back to her room. Hawk Moth's voice cuts through the silence, now full of approval.
"You are ready, Memory breaker," he says, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Go and take what is rightfully yours."
Chloe smirks, her eyes glowing faintly as she replies, "Marinette won't even see it coming."
YOU ARE READING
Eclipsed memories
ActionWhen an ancient relic surfaces in Paris, it shatters everything Marinette Dupain-Cheng thought she knew about love, loss, and the strength of her bond with Adrien Agreste. As Ladybug and Chat Noir, they've saved their city countless times, but this...
