The moon hung low in the sky, its pale light filtering through the twisted branches of the trees as Ava followed Lord Alexander through the dense forest. Every step she took seemed to echo with the weight of the prophecy that had been thrust upon her. Her heart pounded in her chest, not from fear, but from the growing sense that they were heading toward something monumental.
"What are we looking for?" Ava asked, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. She had asked the same question several times since they had left the safety of Ashford Manor, but Alexander had only answered with vague assurances, each one more cryptic than the last.
Alexander didn't immediately respond. His eyes scanned the dark woods around them, his senses alert, as if he were waiting for something—or someone. His jaw was set in a tight line, and for the first time, Ava saw a flicker of doubt in his usually confident gaze.
"We're looking for a place," he said, his voice low, "where the boundaries between this world and the next are thin. A place that holds the key to unlocking your powers—and finding your sister."
Ava felt a chill run down her spine at the mention of Aurora. Her twin, the sister she had never known she had. It had been days since her vision at the stone in the forest, and the urge to find her was becoming unbearable. Yet, something still gnawed at her—the feeling that there was more to this journey than she had been told. More than Alexander was letting on.
The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it a faint, haunting melody. Ava's head snapped toward the sound, her heart racing as the eerie tune echoed through the night. It was a song she had never heard before, yet it felt… familiar. Almost as if it was calling to her.
"Do you hear that?" Ava asked, her voice trembling slightly. "It's like… someone's singing."
Alexander froze, his expression darkening. "It's not a song," he muttered. "It's a warning."
Before Ava could respond, the ground beneath their feet trembled, and a figure emerged from the shadows of the trees. She was tall, draped in a cloak as black as the night itself, her eyes glowing with an unnatural light. The air seemed to grow colder as she stepped forward, her presence suffocating.
"Mordana," Alexander hissed under his breath, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword at his side. "You shouldn't have come here."
The dark sorceress chuckled, a sound that sent shivers through Ava's very soul. "Oh, but I believe I should," Mordana purred, her voice smooth like silk yet laced with venom. "You see, I'm not the one who has come here. You have come to me, Lord Alexander."
Mordana's gaze shifted to Ava, and for a moment, their eyes locked. Ava felt an icy chill seep into her bones, as if the sorceress could see into her very soul. The weight of Mordana's stare made it hard to breathe, but Ava stood her ground, refusing to look away.
"Ava Ashford," Mordana said with a sly smile, her voice dripping with malice. "How lovely to finally meet you. The one who's meant to end my reign… or perhaps join it."
Ava's pulse quickened. "I'm not here to join you," she spat, her voice filled with defiance. "I'm here to stop you."
Mordana's smile widened. "Such fire. How charming." She tilted her head, studying Ava with a calculating gaze. "But you don't understand, do you, child? The prophecy was never meant for you to stop me. It was meant for you to become me."
Ava felt the words sink deep into her chest, a cold weight pressing down on her heart. She shook her head, refusing to believe it. "That's not true."
Mordana took a step closer, the air around her crackling with dark magic. "Oh, it's all true. You and your sister… you are both pieces of the same puzzle. And the puzzle has only one answer: my reign over this world. Your power, Ava, is the key to it all. And once you embrace it, once you accept your destiny, you'll see the truth."
Ava's mind raced, her thoughts swirling with confusion and fear. She had always known there was something different about her, something powerful. But the thought of aligning herself with someone like Mordana… it was unthinkable. She didn't want to be like her. She didn't want to become a monster.
"I will never be like you," Ava said, her voice shaking with both fear and resolve. "I'll stop you, Mordana. I swear it."
Mordana's eyes narrowed, her smile faltering for just a moment. Then, in a swift motion, she raised her hand, and a blast of dark energy surged toward Ava. Before she could react, Alexander was there, his sword glowing with an ethereal light. He blocked the attack, the force of the impact sending a shockwave through the forest.
"Run!" Alexander shouted, his eyes wild with urgency. "Get to the temple!"
Ava hesitated for only a moment before she turned and sprinted through the trees, her heart pounding in her chest. Behind her, she could hear the clash of magic, the sound of Alexander fighting Mordana's dark power. But she didn't dare look back. Her only focus was reaching the temple. The temple that could hold the answers to everything.
As the wind howled around her, Ava's thoughts drifted to her sister, Aurora. The prophecy, the visions, the whispers in the night—they had all led her here. But the real question was: could she truly stop Mordana? Or was she, as the dark sorceress claimed, already part of the very darkness she sought to destroy?