The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the soft crackling of the energy surrounding us. We stood, two ethereal reflections, staring at each other in a mixture of awe and disbelief. The resemblance was uncanny, a mirror image distorted only by the slight differences in our hair and eye color.
It was Valerie who broke the silence. A smile, tentative but genuine, bloomed on her face, softening her features and making her look younger, more vulnerable.
“Hello, Arianna,” she said, her voice a soft, melodic whisper that resonated with warmth and sincerity. “It’s so good to finally meet you… sister.”
The word hung in the air, a delicate thread connecting us across the void. And, or rather, her other half, I blinked in confusion. My brow furrowed, and my lips parted in a silent question. Sister? The concept seemed foreign to me, a word without meaning.
VALERIE POV
I understood her confusion. I knew, instinctively, that she had no memory of our shared past, of the bond that connected us. The knowledge tugged at my heart, a sharp pang of sadness for the life she had lost, the memories that had been stolen from her.
Without a word, I took a step towards her, my hand outstretched. The air crackled with energy as I reached her, the distance between us shrinking until our fingertips almost touched. A surge of warmth flowed through me, a feeling of recognition, of homecoming.
“It’s alright,” I murmured, my voice gentle and reassuring. “I know you don’t remember. But I can help you. I can show you.”
I gently touched her forehead, my fingers resting lightly against her skin. A bright, glowing light emanated from my fingertips, a beacon of energy that flowed into her temple. The light intensified, bathing the room in a warm, golden glow.
“Remember,” I whispered, the word a command, an invocation, a plea.
Arianna threw her head back, her eyes widening in shock. A torrent of light erupted from her eyes and mouth, a visual representation of the memories flooding her mind. She trembled, her body shaking with the force of the influx.
And then, it began.
Memories flashed across her face, fleeting images of a life she had forgotten. A small girl, with a cascade of blackhair, playing in a field of wildflowers. Another girl, with a red waves chasing butterflies through a sun-dappled meadow. Two children, holding hands, their laughter echoing through the forest.
Our mother. A beautiful woman with a radiant smile and eyes that sparkled with love. She was singing us lullabies, her voice a sweet, soothing melody that chased away the darkness. She was teaching us to dance, twirling us around in her arms until we were dizzy with laughter. She was kissing us goodnight, her touch gentle and tender.
Our grandfather. A kind and eccentric mage with twinkling eyes and a mischievous grin. He was teaching us spells, making the trees dance around us, the snowmen come alive, the flowers sing. He was telling us stories, tales of brave knights and powerful sorcerers, of dragons and unicorns. He was our protector, our guide, our world.
The memories shifted, darkening with a sense of unease. Our mother kissing us goodnight, then slipping out of the house into the darkness. Her promises that she would always return, promises that she couldn’t keep. The sleepless nights we spent waiting for her, our hearts filled with fear.
Then, the day she never came back. The day the light went out of our lives. The days that followed, filled with tears and grief. Our grandfather, his face etched with sorrow, deciding to cast a spell, a desperate attempt to shield us from the pain, to erase the memories of our mother.
The memories became fragmented, distorted, like pieces of a broken mirror. We lived happily ever after, or so we thought. We grew up in the shadow of our lost memories, oblivious to the truth that lay buried deep within our subconscious.
Until that day. The day everything changed.
Arianna was picking firewood in the forest, her brow furrowed in concentration. I came running towards her, my face streaked with tears, my breath comingin ragged gasps.
“Arianna!” I cried, my voice choked with fear. “You have to come with me! Now!”
Arianna, surprised by my sudden appearance, dropped the bundle of wood and rushed to my side. “Valerie? What’s wrong? What’s happening?”
“There’s no time to explain,” I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards our grandfather’s house. “Just trust me!”
We ran as fast as we could, our hearts pounding in our chests. As we approached the house, we saw smoke billowing from the windows, flames licking at the roof. A crowd of angry villagers stood outside, armed with torches and pitchforks.
“Grandpa!” I screamed, my voice cracking with terror.
We pushed through the crowd, desperate to reach him. But the villagers blocked our path, their faces contorted with hatred. They were shouting, cursing, accusing our grandfather of witchcraft and sorcery.
“He’s a monster!” one of them yelled. “He’s been poisoning our minds with his magic!”
“We have to stop him!” another screamed. “Before he destroys us all!”
The mob surged forward, brandishing their weapons. Our grandfather stood on the porch, trying to reason with them, his voice calm but firm.
“Please,” he pleaded, “you don’t understand. I’m not trying to hurt you. I only want to help.”
But they wouldn’t listen. They were blinded by fear and prejudice, convinced that he was a threat to their way of life.
In a moment of panic, fueled by a desperate urge to protect our grandfather, something inside us snapped. Something primal, something magical, was unleashed.
Arianna emanated a blinding white beam of energy from her body, a wave of pure light that pushed the villagers back, scattering them like leaves in the wind. I, on the other hand, felt a surge of raw power coursing through my veins. My bones shifted, my muscles contracted, my teeth sharpened. I transformed, partially, into a wolf, my eyes glowing with feral intensity.
The villagers stepped back in awe, their fear momentarily outweighing their hatred. Arianna, her face pale but determined, ran towards the burning house. I stayed outside, growling menacingly at the mob, protecting her from harm.
Arianna burst through the door, her eyes scanning the smoke-filled room. She found our grandfather lying on the floor, unconscious, surrounded by flames. Without hesitation, she scooped him up in her arms and carried him outside, her clothes singed, her face covered in soot.
As she emerged from the house, one of the villagers, driven by desperation, threw a flaming torch at her. It struck her face, igniting her hair and searing her skin.
She screamed, a heart-wrenching sound that echoed through the forest. And then, from nowhere, our mother appeared.
She was a vision of wrath, her eyes blazing with fury, her face twisted in a mask of rage. Her eyes emanating the same white light Ari hadShe moved with inhuman speed, her hands transforming into razor-sharp claws. She tore through the crowd, ripping and slashing, killing everyone who stood in her path.
The massacre was brutal, swift, and merciless. The villagers didn’t stand a chance. They were slaughtered like lambs, their screams of terror quickly silenced. The ground was soaked in blood, the air thick with the stench of death.
Our mother, her hands dripping with blood, turned to our grandfather. She whispered something in his ear, something that I couldn’t hear. Then, she scooped up the unconscious Arianna and left.
The memories faded, the light in Arianna’s eyes dimming. She collapsed to the ground, her body limp, her mind overwhelmed. I rushed to her side, cradling her in my arms.
“Arianna!” I cried, my voice filled with concern. “Are you alright?”
She opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused, her expression confused.
“Valerie?” she murmured, her voice weak and tremulous. “I missed you so much..”