LEILANI SERENNO bridged the past and the present, born into a family of cruelty and then groomed to fulfil a role in the grand scheme of things. She was a puppet manipulated by her brother, ensnared in a larger narrative orchestrated by the Force. Y...
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Her senses were overwhelmed by the chaotic energy of the scene. She was in the midst of something—of that, she was certain. A grand cupola, its towering ceiling cracked and torn by the ferocity of the storm outside. The wind howled like a creature in pain, its force battering the walls, making them groan and shift as if trying to hold together against some unseen pressure. The wails of the moons' pull mixed with the relentless storm, creating a symphony of chaos that nearly drowned out everything else. Leilani's boots slipped slightly, struggling to find solid ground on the uneven, crumbling floor beneath her. She steadied herself, focusing her breath as the sheer volume of sensations nearly overwhelmed her senses.
Her blade, its lilac light a soft beacon in the oppressive darkness, cast shadows that danced like spectres against the walls. The Force pulsed through her, a living, ancient thing that pressed upon her very soul. She could feel it in the air around her, urging her forward, but where to? What was waiting for her in the gloom? Her body was a tension of readiness, her mind grappling to piece together the fragments of the scene around her.
Focus, Leilani, she told herself, the weight of the moment sinking in. The figure—the shadow—loomed, an invisible weight pressing down on her chest, threatening to choke the air from her lungs. It hadn't moved yet, but she could feel it. Its presence was suffocating, as if the very darkness itself had become alive, breathing down her neck.
A sharp crack above her startled her. A chunk of stone, large enough to crush a man, fell from the ceiling, shattering into jagged pieces just feet away from her. The impact sent vibrations through the stone, causing her to stagger and barely catch herself on the crumbling floor. The sound was deafening, but it was enough to sharpen her senses.
"Come out," she called, her voice clear, despite the chaos around her. She refused to be intimidated. "Face me."
The shadows around her seemed to shift. They rippled unnaturally, twisting in response to her words. It was as if the darkness itself responded to her challenge—coiling, stretching, preparing for a fight.
Then, from the depths of the blackness, the figure emerged. It was an imposing figure, cloaked in darkness. The edges of its cloak billowed around it, caught in an invisible wind that only it could feel. There was no clear shape to it, only a formless presence that radiated an icy coldness. Its face was still obscured, but the piercing coldness of its eyes burned through the dark like two points of unrelenting malice.
"You persist," it said, its voice low, deep, and resonant, like the rumble of thunder before a storm. "But for how long? Even the strongest flame can be smothered."
Leilani squared her stance, her lightsaber humming softly in her grip. "Not this one."
The figure tilted its head, an eerie, unnatural gesture, as though it found her words amusing. "We shall see."
