"Come home, daughter."
The voice echoed through the water.
My body went completely still.
Daughter.
The word didn't sound like a threat.
It sounded like a memory.
A memory I didn't have.
I looked at Marina.
She was staring at the creature with tears running down her face.
"Mom?"
She didn't answer.
"Mom, what is it?"
Marina slowly shook her head.
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I swear I don't."
The creature moved closer.
The darkness around it began forming a shape.
A face.
My face.
I gasped.
Shawshank grabbed my hand.
"Bjei, don't look at it."
But I couldn't stop.
The creature had my eyes.
My lips.
My face.
It looked like an older version of me.
"What are you?"
The creature smiled.
"I am what you will become."
My blood ran cold.
"No."
"You will wear my crown."
"I don't want it."
"You already do."
I looked at my wrist.
The golden crown was burning.
The black mark beneath it was spreading.
Shawshank touched my arm.
"Bjei, fight it."
"I am trying."
"No."
He looked into my eyes.
"Don't fight it."
I frowned.
"What?"
"Listen to me."
He held both my hands.
"You've been fighting your entire life."
I stared at him.
"Every secret. Every person who tried to control you. Every fear."
His voice softened.
"But you don't have to fight everything."
"What should I do?"
"Choose."
The word struck me.
Choose.
That was what Elara had said.
My power wasn't the crown.
It wasn't the sea.
It wasn't the blood.
It was choice.
I closed my eyes.
The creature whispered.
"Choose me."
The queen's voice came next.
"Choose the sea."
Marina cried,
"Choose yourself."
I opened my eyes.
The golden crown on my wrist stopped glowing.
The black mark stopped spreading.
Everyone stared.
The creature stepped backward.
"No."
I took one step forward.
"I choose myself."
The water exploded.
A golden wave rushed from my body.
The creature screamed.
"No!"
Its darkness began breaking apart.
"You cannot reject what you are!"
"I can."
"You belong to me!"
"I belong to myself!"
The creature roared.
The entire kingdom shook.
Then something unexpected happened.
The queen appeared.
She stood beside Marina.
I stared at her.
"You came back."
She looked at me.
"I told you to run."
"You also tried to take me."
"I did."
"Why are you helping me now?"
She looked toward the creature.
"Because I was wrong."
The words shocked me.
The queen lowered her head.
"I thought I could control it."
She looked at the darkness.
"I was wrong."
Malachai suddenly appeared from behind the ruins.
He was badly injured.
Azrael was beside him.
"Father!"
Malachai ignored him.
His eyes were fixed on me.
"Bjei…"
I turned.
He looked ashamed.
"I should have protected Marina."
Marina stared at him.
"You should have protected our daughter."
He lowered his head.
"I know."
The creature suddenly attacked.
A black wave rushed toward us.
The queen raised her hands.
Malachai joined her.
Azrael stepped forward.
Marina lifted her power.
Shawshank stood beside me.
Everyone fought together.
I stared at them.
The people who had lied to me.
The people who had hurt me.
The people who had protected me.
All standing together.
For me.
I raised my hand.
The sea became completely still.
Then I heard thousands of voices.
Not calling me queen.
Not calling me daughter.
They were waiting.
I whispered,
"I choose peace."
The sea answered.
A brilliant golden light filled the kingdom.
The creature screamed.
Its darkness collapsed inward.
The gate began closing.
Slowly.
Slowly.
Until only a tiny opening remained.
The creature stared at me through it.
"You cannot imprison me forever."
I looked at it.
"I don't need forever."
I closed my fist.
The gate slammed shut.
Silence.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Shawshank ran toward me.
He pulled me into his arms.
"You're okay."
I laughed through my tears.
"I think so."
He held me tighter.
"I thought I was going to lose you."
"You didn't."
He pulled back and looked at me.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
He kissed my forehead.
For the first time since I entered the sea, I felt safe.
Then Marina approached.
I turned toward her.
"Mom?"
She smiled.
"There is something else you need to know."
My smile disappeared.
"Of course there is."
She laughed softly.
"I promise this time, no lies."
She took my hand.
"The creature behind the gate wasn't your father."
I stared at her.
"Then what was it?"
Marina looked toward the sealed gate.
"It was the reason your father disappeared."
I frowned.
"Then where is my real father?"
Marina looked at Azrael.
Azrael looked at me.
Then he whispered,
"You've been asking the wrong question."
I felt a chill.
"What question should I ask?"
He stepped closer.
"You should ask…"
He paused.
"…why you were born with two souls."
My heart stopped.
Two souls?
I looked at my reflection in the water.
For a moment, I saw my own face.
Then another face appeared beside it.
A girl who looked exactly like me.
Elara.
But she wasn't smiling.
She was terrified.
And behind her, written in the water, were three words:
SHE IS AWAKE.