"Now begin! No holding back! Use magic to your full abilities!" Evelyn's voice rang across the training grounds, her sharp gaze scanning each of us like a hawk.
I barely had time to process her words before Camille's voice rang out.
"Don't get distracted!"
[Frostbolt]
A sharp projectile of ice shot toward me with terrifying speed. My instincts screamed at me to move, and I barely managed to twist my body out of the way. The icicle whizzed past, grazing the air where my shoulder had been just moments ago before shattering against the ground.
"At least let me prepare myself!" I exclaimed, glaring at Camille.
She only grinned. "The battlefield won't let you prepare!"
Of course she'd say something like that.
I huffed, shaking my head. Fine. Two can play at that game.
Digging my heel into the ground, I charged forward without another word.
[Flame Burst]
A concentrated surge of fire crackled to life in my palm, roaring with untamed energy as I thrust it forward, aiming straight for Camille. The moment the flames surged toward her, she reacted instantly.
[Ice Shield]
A solid, crystalline barrier of ice formed in front of her, its surface glistening under the midday sun. My fire made contact, the explosion of heat and cold colliding with a sharp hiss. Steam erupted between us, thick clouds of mist swallowing the battlefield and obscuring our vision.
But I knew Camille.
She was going to use this to her advantage.
[Fire Shield]
I wasted no time, wrapping myself in a protective barrier of flames. The warmth flickered around me, casting a soft glow through the dense fog.
As the mist finally cleared, my eyes locked onto Camille, who stood just a few feet away, an icicle dagger twirling between her fingers.
She smirked. "Not bad. You knew I was going to try something."
I exhaled sharply, lowering my stance, my hands still tingling from the heat of my flames. "You just happen to be sly, so I knew that."
Camille's smirk widened, her icy-blue eyes glinting with mischief. A chill ran down my spine, but it wasn't just from the frost lingering in the air. It was her. The way she carried herself, the way she thrived in battle, the way she knew I was capable of more.
And in that moment, I knew—this fight was far from over.
"Hope you're ready, Sera," Camille said, twirling the ice dagger between her fingers before crushing it into fine powder. "This time, I'll be coming at you for real."
Oh. That wasn't real before?!
I barely had time to react before Camille's magic surged through the air again.
[Frost Nova]
A sudden blast of ice erupted from her, the ground beneath me cracking as jagged spikes of frost raced outward. She wasn't holding back. The cold rushed toward me in an instant, my feet already threatening to freeze where I stood.
I gritted my teeth. Fine. Let's see if you can handle this.
[Flame Rush]
My body surged forward, fire igniting beneath my heels as I propelled myself straight at Camille. The moment my flames met the ice, steam erupted between us again, the battlefield swallowed in mist once more.
I didn't wait for her next move—I was already moving.
[Blazing Strike]
I swung a flame-coated fist toward where I knew she was. But instead of the satisfying impact of landing a hit—
Nothing.
She was gone.
Suddenly, something cold ghosted against my neck.
"I told you, I was going to get serious," Camille whispered near my ear, her voice like a teasing breeze.
I stiffened.
[Ice Bind]
Chains of ice wrapped around my arms in an instant, binding me where I stood. Camille was fast. Too fast.
My breath hitched. When did she—?!
She leaned in slightly, a wicked grin on her face. "Checkmate."
Oh, HELL NO.
I smirked. Not yet.
[Flame Surge]
A sudden burst of fire erupted from me, melting the ice restraints instantly. I used the force to propel myself backward, putting distance between us.
"Close one," I muttered, shaking off the last remnants of frost from my wrists.
Camille chuckled, looking way too pleased with herself. "Not bad. But I'm not done yet."
I wiped the sweat from my brow, my breath steady despite the burn of exertion in my limbs. "Me neither," I shot back, forcing myself to focus.
She was fast—annoyingly fast—and if I wanted to keep up, I couldn't just rely on sheer force. I needed to anticipate her moves. Think like her.
But as the fight continued, something strange began to happen. The magic flowing through me—it was different. Smoother. More precise. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. My body urged me to use ice magic—and this time, I didn't resist.
[Frostbeam]
A concentrated beam of freezing energy shot from my fingertips, tearing through the air with a force that even I wasn't expecting.
Camille barely had time to dodge, a look of genuine surprise flashing across her face as she skidded backward. "Huh. Ice magic?" she mused, brows raised.
I was just as stunned as she was.
The sensation of wielding ice—it felt odd, but familiar. New, yet as if it had always been there. Like a memory long forgotten, now awakened.
And then—the floodgates burst open.
Memories. Not mine.
Hers.
Sera Vandren.
The original Sera.
Her power. Her mastery over fire and ice. The innate talent that made her terrifyingly strong.
It was as if something inside me had finally clicked—the knowledge settling into place, merging with me, whether I wanted it or not.
And with it came an overwhelming dizziness.
My vision blurred. My body wobbled. The rush of magic, of knowledge, of something more—it was too much.
Something was coming at me. A spell. A strike. But my body wouldn't move.
I couldn't move.
Then—
A burst of flames erupted in front of me.
The incoming attack was deflected, vanishing in an instant.
Through my fading vision, I saw a figure standing before me.
"Sera Vandren," a familiar voice called, steady and firm. "Are you alright?"
"Ah… Ms. Sinclair?" I mumbled, struggling to keep my balance. My legs felt weak. My head—light.
The world swayed dangerously around me. My body refused to cooperate.
Evelyn Sinclair stepped forward, her light blue eyes sharp with concern. But before I could say anything else—
My legs buckled.
And then—warm arms caught me.
"Sera?" Ms. Sinclair's voice was softer now, the warmth of her magic pulsing around me, steady and grounding.
I barely had the strength to respond. Everything was slipping.
The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me whole—
Was her.
Blonde hair cascaded in elegant waves, illuminated by an eerie, unnatural glow. Eyes as blue as the depths of the ocean stared back at me, filled with something sharp, something knowing.
And she smiled.
A smirk. Cold. Calculated. Familiar.
It was me—yet it wasn't.
I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't tear my gaze away.
The original Sera Vandren.
She tilted her head slightly, her smirk widening. "So, you've finally noticed."
A shiver ran down my spine.
"What… What is this?" My voice sounded far away, like an echo in a cavernous void. "Where am I?"
Sera chuckled, the sound laced with amusement, as if she had been waiting for this. "Where do you think?" she mused, stepping closer. The darkness around us shifted with her movements, swirling like a living entity.
I took a hesitant step back, instinct screaming at me to run, but there was nowhere to go. Nothing but an endless abyss stretching beyond her form.
She sighed dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. "You don't need to be afraid. After all…" Her eyes glinted, sharp as a dagger.
"I am you."
No. No. No.
I shook my head furiously. "You're wrong. I'm not you. I'm not—"
Her laughter cut me off. It wasn't loud or maniacal—it was mocking. Amused. Like she found my denial endearing.
"Oh, but you are," she whispered, stepping even closer. Too close. I could feel her presence pressing in, suffocating, as if she was wrapping around me like a second skin. "You carry my magic. My memories. My talent. No matter how hard you deny it, Sera Vandren is a part of you."
I clenched my fists. "I'm not you. I don't want revenge. I don't want to hurt anyone."
She hummed, tilting her head, her smirk never faltering. "Perhaps not yet. But tell me… what will you do when the time comes? When you're backed into a corner? When someone you love is taken from you?"
A pang of something twisted in my chest.
Her smirk softened, but somehow, that made it worse. "Will you still insist you aren't me then?"
I opened my mouth to argue—but no words came.
Because I didn't know.
Sera chuckled again, reaching out, fingers curling toward my face. I wanted to move. To run. But my body refused to obey.
I was frozen.
A prisoner in my own mind.
And she—the original Sera Vandren—stood before me like a phantom, a specter of the past that refused to fade away. Her sharp blue eyes gleamed with something unreadable, something that sent a shiver crawling down my spine.
I had to say something. Anything.
"Not like you loved anyone," I shot back, my voice firmer than I felt.
For a split second, something in her expression flickered—annoyance? Amusement? I couldn't tell. Then she smirked, tilting her head, looking at me as if I were a puzzle she had already solved.
"Well then, Chloe…" she mused. "If that's what you think."
I froze.
Shock slammed into me like a crashing wave. How—?
How did she know my real name?
The name that belonged to me before I transmigrated into this world. Before I became Sera Vandren.
She chuckled again, as if enjoying my wide-eyed horror. "Surprised?" she asked, taking a leisurely step closer. "Did you forget? We are one. You will eventually gain my memories… just like how I've gained yours."
My breath caught in my throat.
"I've seen it, you know." Her voice was almost teasing now, her fingers tracing idle shapes in the darkness between us. "Your world. The bright lights, the strange technology. The long nights spent reading books, scrolling through those little screens, imagining what it would be like to live in this story."
She smirked, her eyes flashing knowingly. Mockingly.
"Tell me, Chloe—does it feel like a novel now?"
My stomach twisted.
This isn't real. This isn't real.
But it was.
Everything was real.
She hummed thoughtfully. "Nothing is going as the 'written plot' dictates, is it? You thought you could predict what would happen, but this world is no longer a story, Chloe. It's alive. And now, so am I."
My fingers curled into fists. "You—You're just some remnant. A fragment of the past. You don't exist anymore."
"Don't I?" Her smirk widened, her voice dipping into something almost melodic, almost… affectionate. "You've been feeling it, haven't you? My instincts? My magic?"
She leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. "The way it's becoming easier to use. The way your body moves without thinking. That's me. And soon, you'll know even more."
I swallowed hard.
"You—" My voice faltered, but I forced myself to meet her gaze. "Why are you telling me this? Why are you being nice to me?"
For the first time, she paused. Her expression softened—only slightly.
And then, she smiled. Not cruelly. Not mockingly. Just… knowingly.
"Because, Chloe…" she murmured.
"You're exactly like me."
The words sent ice through my veins.
No. I wasn't.
I wasn't like her.
She must have seen the defiance in my eyes because her smile only grew. "You'll understand soon enough," she said simply. "This is my gift to you… or rather, to myself."
Suddenly, the space between us shifted.
A rush of energy surged through me—magic, raw and untamed, flooding into my mind like a dam breaking.
I gasped, gripping my head as memories poured in. Spells, techniques, incantations—knowledge I had never learned but suddenly, inexplicably, knew.
Fire magic. Ice magic. The talent that made Sera Vandren so dangerous.
It was mine now.
Her voice echoed around me, fading into the abyss.
"Use it well, Chloe. I'll be seeing you later."
And just like that, she vanished.
The darkness around me collapsed—swallowed whole.