Somewhere between reality and the eternal...

  Kali and Dahlia were still in a trance. Walking through places that didn't exist. Or maybe they always had.

  But then something changed.

  A vibration in the air. An ancient heartbeat.

  And then...

  Everything returned.

  The images came all at once. Not one by one, but in a rush, like an explosion of memory.

  As if a thousand lives snapped into place in a single second.

  In their minds

  Kali saw herself—but not as she was now. She was someone else. Stronger. More feared. More... legendary. She walked among ruins, her shadow consuming what it touched. Flames bowed at her presence. Her very being brought death—but also justice. A reckoning.

  Dahlia saw entire fields. Palaces of black marble. Vast armies of shadows marching under her command. She didn't speak. She ruled with her gaze. Queen and executioner. Sorceress and strategist. She saw herself leading wars... and winning them all.

  And in every one of those memories, they were together.

  Always.

  Allies.

  Companions.

  Two halves of the same will.

  They had been generals. Sovereigns. Sisters of war and blood.

  They had protected something. And also destroyed everything in their path.

  And they did it again.

  The meadow – present

  Kali opened her eyes abruptly.

  Dahlia too.

  They were lying on the ground, hand in hand.

  Their breathing was ragged. They looked around.

  And then they saw it.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  The meadow... was no longer a meadow.

  Around them, everything was scorched. Trees reduced to ash. Cracked rocks. Smoking earth. Dead animals. The destruction stretched beyond the horizon.

  Kali slowly sat up. Her face drenched in sweat, chest rising and falling rapidly.

  —Dahlia...? —she whispered.

  —I'm here... —Dahlia replied, also sitting up—. What... what did we do?

  They looked at their hands.

  They were marked with a faint black energy, slowly fading away.

  And in that moment, the silence was louder than a thousand screams.

  They didn't know how far the destruction had reached.

  They didn't know that nearby towns were already in ruins.

  They didn't know how many had died while they slept—joined.

  But they would feel it soon.

  For now, the only thing they knew was that there was no turning back.

  ...

  The air still held a heat with no origin. The earth still steamed. In the distance, a flock of birds fled the sky as if they knew something ancient had just been awakened.

  Kali remained seated on the cracked ground, arms around her knees. Dahlia stood, scanning the area, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what they had done.

  —I remember everything —Kali said, her voice barely a whisper.

  —Me too —Dahlia replied, eyes lost on the horizon—. It's like... it was always there, waiting for me.

  Kali nodded. She closed her eyes for a moment.

  —I don't know if I feel whole... or dangerous.

  —Both.

  The land around them was unrecognizable. Not just the meadow. The landscape. The trees. Even the sky. It was as if they had been cast into another place.

  —We need to go back —Dahlia said decisively—. Now. Before Nicco wakes up and freaks out.

  —But how? Where are we? —Kali looked around desperately—. This isn't the mansion. Not even Aarush. What if we're not even close?

  Dahlia narrowed her eyes. Her expression shifted. Concern.

  —This... this isn't Aarush. Kali, look at the sky.

  Kali looked up. There was no moon. Just thick, almost black clouds that didn't belong to any normal climate. A faint whistling breeze touched their ears, but there weren't any trees nearby to move it. Something was wrong.

  Then, a soft voice broke the air.

  —Kali... Dahlia...

  They both turned instantly.

  In front of them, standing on a cracked stone, was a red-haired girl, her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders like soft flames. She wore a modern black tunic with faded gold details. She smiled serenely, as if she had arrived at the exact right moment.

  —Who are you? —Dahlia asked, already on guard.

  —An ally —the girl answered, her voice soft yet clear, like water breaking on stone.

  Kali frowned.

  —You know us?

  The girl nodded slowly.

  —Always. Not in this life. But in all the ones before.

  Dahlia and Kali looked at each other, tense.

  —How do you know our names?

  —Because I never forgot —she said—. And now that you've awakened... I can finally come near without risking you hurting me by accident.

  They remained silent. The energy in their bodies still vibrated, but this girl didn't seem afraid. Not even uneasy.

  —Where are we? —Kali asked.

  —Far —the girl replied, looking down at the ground—. About six hours by car from where you're supposed to be.

  Dahlia sighed. For a moment, she almost laughed.

  —Six hours?

  —Yes. But don't worry. I won't make you walk —the redhead said, smiling again—. I'll take you home. Your presence can't go unnoticed here any longer. It's already made... quite enough noise.

  Kali and Dahlia exchanged a quick glance. For a moment, their hands intertwined again like when they woke up. As if they still needed to hold each other.

  —What's your name? —Dahlia asked firmly.

  The girl turned, starting to walk toward the edge of the barren land.

  —My name is Skyler. And though it may not look like it now... I've been waiting centuries for this moment.