I froze for a moment, but this time, I refused to let fear control me.
"How can I prove it?" I asked, lifting my head with determination, ignoring the slight tremble in my fingers.
The shadow didn't answer immediately. Instead, it extended its hand forward. Suddenly, a strange light surrounded us, and the room disappeared. In its place was an endless void—no walls, no ceiling—just a vast darkness, but it wasn't as terrifying as before.
"Let's see if you can truly control your fear."
A sudden icy wind struck me from all directions, trying to knock me down. Whispers filled my ears—voices I recognized. The same voices of doubt and fear that had haunted me my entire life.
"You're not strong enough."
"You're going to fail."
"You should have never tried to fight back."
I clutched my head, refusing to let these words sink in.
"This isn't real!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the endless void.
The whispers stopped.
I looked ahead and saw the shadow watching me, its glowing eyes filled with challenge.
"Do you think simply rejecting fear is enough?"
Suddenly, I felt something pulling me down. I looked at my feet and saw the darkness wrapping around them, swirling like a vortex trying to consume me. I struggled, but the more I moved, the heavier it felt.
No! I won't let this happen.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
"I am not weak."
The darkness began to calm.
"I control my own fate."
The vortex that had been dragging me down started to fade, losing its power.
"And I will no longer be a prisoner of my fear."
I opened my eyes and saw the shadow… smiling. But this time, it wasn't a mocking grin. It was one of approval.
"You're starting to understand." it said, before its form began to dissolve into the light.
I stepped forward, but stopped when I heard its final words before vanishing completely:
"But the battle is far from over."
Then… I was back in my room, as if nothing had ever happened.
But I knew the truth.
Something inside me had changed.
And for the first time… I was no longer afraid of myself.
To be continued...