Working With Phantoms

The Grand Revival

Shadow Elia backed away from the group as she shook her head.

"No... no! Why... why did this happen?"

Madran stepped forwards and looked at her mom's shadow.

"You're stuck in the past. You, as well as mom, can't escape from that mental mark your parents left on you. You then let this mark kinda ruin many things, and..."

Madran looked to Elia and back to her shadow.

"You are quite the perceptive one... ever since I was born, my goal has been to never forget the past, but... I guess that goal ended up for the worst."

Shadow Elia looked to Elia, with her nodding.

"No, I understand. You, you're not wrong. I felt trapped by them, even when I was an ocean away. However, nobody was to know about it, because..."

"Because why?"

Shadow Elia began to approach Elia.

"Admit it. Why were you so scared to let Travert, your friends, your workmates, everyone... why were you so scared to let them know why you were so damaged?"

"It's... I thought they wouldn't believe me. It all sounded too much like fiction: a girl from the south, beat up by angry parents, only to escape from them. It's like those dumb soap operas mom would like."

"Yes. You were oh so afraid of your past due to how far fetched it sounded. How would anyone believe your story after seeing who you are now?"

"I know, right? I'm a successful individual who can think for themselves, not some... damaged person who can't function right."

"No, you're damaged."

Shadow Elia stood right in front of Elia.

"You've been damaged ever since that day so long ago... do you remember?"

Elia nodded as Madran saw tears begin to swell in her eyes.

"Y-Yes, I do... from the smell of the lawn as I was walking back, to the smell of burnt food and the sound of them screaming at each other."

Elia wiped a tear from her eye.

"It felt so unreal, and then, just like stepping in the way of a feral cat, they went upon me."

"Day after day, they beat you, scolded you... then, you began to withdraw. You took to sports, to getting stronger, just so that you could live to the next day."

"Yeah. It brought so much attention from everyone else, they all thought I was so weird. Like, why could a young girl be wasting her time hanging out with boys, huh?"

Shadow Elia smiled.

"Do you realize it now? That you're safe, and free from this perpetual nightmare? Are you ready to move on?"

Elia nodded.

"Yeah. I do. I finally see the sun..."

Just then, Madran looked through the windows of the room to see that the clouds above the palace had started to clear, with rays of sun shining down on everyone.

"I see it now. You're me, the me who couldn't get past what my life was. I trapped you in so much despair, and you, branding yourself as crazy, trapped yourself inside this place, feeling that others would view you as insane for fooling yourself into thinking that you had such a past."

Elia smiled back at her shadow.

"You're right. I couldn't move on, but now, I'm ready to. I can face this world with my whole self, and let the world know that I'm not just some ordinary person."