I stopped running.
Why was I running? Why was I letting fear control me?
I clenched my fists, took a deep breath, then lifted my head and looked straight at the shadow approaching me. I didn't want to run anymore. No more hiding.
"Who are you?" I spoke with a steady voice, even though my heart was pounding wildly.
The shadow halted. For a moment, there was a heavy silence, then… it smiled.
"Finally, you've decided to face me."
A shiver ran down my spine, but I didn't back away.
"Why do you look like me? What do you want from me?"
The shadow took a step closer, and now, under the dim light, I could see its features more clearly. It wasn't just a reflection of me… it was another version, but with darker eyes, as if they were absorbing all the light around them.
"I am not who you want me to be, but I am you… the version you abandoned."
My eyebrows furrowed in shock. "What do you mean?"
"Every time you looked in the mirror and feared what you might see, every time you felt like you weren't enough, every time you stepped back when you should have fought… I was there. You created me."
His words struck something deep inside me. Could this be true? Was this… my darker side?
But no, that didn't make sense… or did it?
I took a step forward. I wasn't as afraid anymore.
"And if I created you… that means I can take back control."
The shadow smiled again—but this time, there was something new in its eyes.
"If you're strong enough… then prove it."
To be continued…