The air smelled of rain, thick with the scent of damp earth and something else—something ancient, something that didn't belong.
Ochieng's reflection smirked at him, the resemblance too perfect, too unsettling. It wasn't just his face. It was the way he moved, the flicker of amusement in his eyes, the way his fingers flexed as though itching for a fight.
Lin Feng stood frozen, gripping his sword, unsure if he was looking at magic or madness.
Ochieng clenched his fists, his voice quiet but deadly. "What are you?"
His mirror image tilted its head. "You already know."
And then he lunged.
Ochieng barely had time to react. Their fists collided, sending a shockwave rippling through the clearing. The impact cracked the ground beneath them, splitting the earth like a broken mirror.
Lin Feng stumbled back. This wasn't just a fight.
It was something far worse.
A collision of realities.
Ochieng gritted his teeth as he pushed back, his muscles straining. The sensation was wrong—like he was fighting himself, every move mirrored, every counter anticipated.
His reflection smirked. "Stronger than before. But still…"
His palm pressed against Ochieng's chest.
"…Not enough."
A pulse of energy erupted from his hand, sending Ochieng flying. He crashed through the trees, his body hitting the ground with enough force to leave a crater.
Darkness swirled around his doppelgänger, tendrils of shadow curling like living things.
Lin Feng rushed forward, but before he could strike—
The world shifted.
Everything dissolved into light.
---
Somewhere Else…
Ochieng's eyes snapped open.
He was no longer in the forest.
He was standing on a long, endless bridge made of glass, suspended in a sky that stretched forever. The stars above flickered like embers, and beneath him, oceans of gold churned like liquid fire.
He exhaled sharply.
This wasn't reality.
This was something else.
A soft laugh echoed through the air.
He turned sharply.
A woman stood at the far end of the bridge, wrapped in a gown of shimmering silver. Her hair cascaded down her back like strands of moonlight, and her eyes—**golden, burning, knowing—**held his with an intensity that made his breath hitch.
She smiled.
"I've been waiting for you, Ochieng."
He tensed. "Who are you?"
She took a step forward, and the entire bridge hummed with energy.
"A question with too many answers," she murmured. "But for now, let's just say…"
Her fingers lifted, and in an instant, Ochieng felt something shift inside him.
Memories—**fragments of another life, another existence—**flooded his mind. A kingdom lost. A name buried in time. A promise whispered beneath a dying sun.
His eyes widened.
The woman smiled gently, as though she already knew.
"You remember now, don't you?"
The wind howled. The sky burned brighter. The stars pulsed like beating hearts.
Ochieng swallowed hard.
Because the truth was…
He did.