Sparks erupted as our blades locked again, the shriek of metal echoing through the battlefield like a scream from the void.
I grit my teeth, pushing forward, sweat trickling down my temple. My opponent barely blinked.
His expression remained unchanged—calm, cold, clinical.
But his hands were tightening. His perfect form… cracking.
I saw it—the flicker of frustration in his eyes.
"Why do you resist?" he hissed.
"Because I'm not your reflection," I growled, twisting my blade free. "I'm the one thing you could never be."
I struck again. This time, he stumbled.
He wasn't a monster.
He was the outcome of a choice I could have made.
Every time I'd considered sacrificing others for power.Every time I'd wanted to give up on the Queen.Every time I'd hated myself for not being strong enough.
He was my regret, sharpened into a weapon.
But I wasn't him.
I had pain.
And people worth protecting.
And that made me dangerous—because I had something to lose.
