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She leaned over the fountain’s edge. Carefully dipping her hands in, she felt the ice-cold water prickle her skin.
She hesitated for a moment. She knew what risks consuming the glacier’s water held. According to the legends, only the purest of souls could consume this water and survive.
She shuddered at the thought of what the consequences may be if she let this water touch her lips. After all, her soul was tainted by Agamemnon; she was anything but pure.
But she had to uncover the truth somehow. She had to figure out the meaning behind her recurring dreams of ocean waves and a salty breeze.
If she wanted any hope of understanding the secrets locked deep within her subconscious, she had to take this risk.
So, cupping the water in her hands, she closed her eyes and brought the glacier’s water up to her lips.
*****
“Finally we’re here!” Julie exclaimed eagerly as she made her way across the sand, taking in the salty seaside air, “That car ride took forever!”
“I know right?” Lana asked as she began setting up some beach chairs, “That drive was more exhausting than a full day working in the salon! It was worth it though. I can’t wait for a relaxing day at the beach!”
“Same!” Julie agreed, “I just had to pick the perfect way to spend the day with the perfect girlfriend you are!”
“It’s your birthday, babe,” Lana retorted, “You could’ve decided to to go to an abandoned building, and I’d still be eating up every second. I’m honestly just happy to get to have a little break from the salon for the day. Don’t get me wrong, I love it there, but sometimes the constant stream of annoying customers gets a bit exhausting, you know!”
Julie nodded. “Oh, I know.” After having helped Lana out at the salon over the past couple months, she’d gotten to see her fair share of rude customers. She honestly couldn’t blame Lana for wanting the a small break. Who wouldn’t be screaming for a break in such an environment?
She was just glad to get to spend the day with Lana. It was just the two of them; nothing else in the world mattered except having a relaxing day.
Julie basked in the sun, feeling the soft ocean’s breeze gently flitting past. It had been five months since she’d been freed, and even still, she treasured each sensation which graced her skin. The feeling of the wind whipping against her face and the boiling hot sun against her shoulders served as a reminder that she was no longer a monster; she was human. And she was in control.
In a way, it honestly felt surreal to Julie that today was her 29th birthday.
Not long ago, she’d been trapped as a monster. She still trembled at the memory of aimlessly wandering through the dilapidated hospital’s halls, constantly on the prowl for more blood to spill.
But now she was free, and she was living life the best she could.
Sure, these past few months had been rough. It was definitely an adjustment, trying to get used to all the ways the world had changed during the time she’d been a monster for.
But these had also been some of the best few months of her life. After all, she’d gone from being a prisoner in her own body to living happily with the girl she loved the most. And with every day she awoke to see the sunlight streaming through her window, she was grateful to no longer be trapped in that miserable existence she’d lived through for practically a third of her life.
Admittedly, today was also a little bittersweet. Of course, she was happy to be celebrating her birthday. Who wouldn’t be?
But today was also a harsh reminder of just how many years of her life she’d lost.
An entire decade had passed by while she was possessed.
Everyone else her age probably already had established lives and careers. Everyone else her age already had a clear vision of what laid ahead of them.
And meanwhile there was her, nearly 30, having barely even scratched the surface of making progress towards her future.
Back in high school, she’d been at the top of her class. Adults always used to tell her that she had a bright future ahead.
But now she was far away from that “bright future” everyone always claimed she’d someday have. She’d fallen from the top and was now stranded down at the bottom.
Regardless, Julie tried to remain optimistic. In a little over a month, she’d be starting some college courses so she could finally begin making progress towards her future. And perhaps, at long last, she’d start getting her life back on track.
She was just a little anxious. After all, the path ahead was still pretty murky. She still wanted to go into nursing. Even after everything she’d been through, deep in her soul, her one desire remained intact: she wanted to help people.
But she knew that if she was going to continue working on her plan of pursuing nursing, she was going to have to confront the harsh memories going down that road would bring back. And, honestly, she was a little anxious she’d be unable to handle the challenge.
But after being possessed and forced to watch herself kill countless people, perhaps whatever challenges came her way wouldn’t be so daunting in comparison.
Deep in thought, her eyes drifted to the ocean waves down below. She watched, mesmerized as each wave came crashing against the shore, accompanied by the sound of its thunderous roars. It was almost hypnotic to watch as each wave came along, the foam atop the water’s surface sparkling in the sunlight.
She’d always loved watching the ocean. There was just something about it that felt so calm and soothing to her.
Whenever her family took trips to the beach back when she was a kid, she’d spend half the time just gazing out at the ocean like she was in a trance. She just had a strange fascination with the sea that she simply couldn’t explain.
“Lana,” she said aloud, breaking the long period of silence she’d fallen within.
“Yes?” Lana asked curiously.
“I’m gonna head down to the water and dip my toes in,” Julie said, “You wanna come?”
“I mean, sure,” Lana said, “So long as we’re not, like, going deep in the water or anything.” Her voice trembled as she spoke; Julie could hear the fear in her voice shine through.
“Don’t worry, we’ll stay right at the water’s edge,” Julie quickly assured Lana, trying her best to soothe her girlfriend’s worries, “I just wanna watch the waves up close. Besides, not like I can really swim today anyways.” She gestured down to her missing leg just to emphasize her point.
“Well then, I’ll come along,” said Lana as she headed over to join Julie’s side, “Lead the way!”
Julie smiled warmly as she turned to begin the trek down to the water’s edge.
It was admittedly a bit challenging navigating her way through the sand with her crutches. She would’ve worn her prosthetic make getting around a bit easier, but considering the amount of sand and water there was at the beach, she didn’t want to run the risk of damaging it. So she ultimately decided to just stick with her crutches for today. Sure, they were kind of inconvenient with getting through the sand. But whatever worked to get her around was fine by her.
When she finally reached the water’s edge, she carefully took a step in. She closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of the cool water sweeping its way up her ankle. Taking in a breath, she couldn’t help but smile to herself; she just felt so at peace here. All her fears and her worries just melted away, swept off by the waves.
Being in the water had always felt so therapeutic to her. She loved the feeling of being submerged in the ice-cold sea. Honestly, if she could right now, she’d dive right into the water and swim straight through the waves.
But she had to hold herself back; after all, swimming in the ocean was a dangerous idea for her since she was missing a leg. Sure, she was working on relearning how to swim missing the one leg. But it was a long process; she had just barely relearned how to swim in a pool, let alone in a body of water as monstrous as the ocean was.
But she assured herself that someday, when she eventually improved enough at swimming, she’d come back here and she’d go in the sea, just as she wanted.
Even if it was going to take her some time… she was going to get to that point. Someday…
“How is it?” Lana asked from beside her, breaking Julie out of her thoughts.
Julie smiled warmly, looking over at Lana, who shot a loving smile right back. Lana honestly looked like a literal angel sent from heaven, all donned in shimmering white.
“It’s amazing,” Julie said taking hold of Lana’s hand. It felt warm and soft against her skin. “I’m so glad we came here today.”
She turned, taking her girlfriend into her arms. “Thank you for the best birthday ever, sweetheart.”
And then she pulled her girlfriend in for a kiss.
*****
Lana relished in the shared space between her and Julie as their lips interlocked with one another. The taste of Julie’s cherry lip balm felt sweet against her tongue.
When they pulled apart, Julie glanced back at the waves. Her eyes were full of wonder as she peered at the sparkling foam atop the water’s surface.
“I’m gonna head in a little deeper,” Julie said.
“You sure?” Lana asked anxiously. She was a little worried about Julie going in too deep. After all, the waves could easily sweep her up and send her off-balance.
She didn’t even want to think of the possibility that if she wasn’t careful, Julie could easily drown.
Lana tried to keep that thought to the back of her mind, but it remained persistent regardless.
After all, if she lost Julie, she knew she would never be able to forgive herself.
She’d already watched so many of the people she cared about suffer and even die, both through the doppelgänger’s eyes and through her own.
She simply couldn’t bear to watch yet another person she loved meet that same fate…
Especially not someone as precious as her own girlfriend…
“I won’t go much deeper,” Julie assured her, “The water won’t even go near my knees! I just wanna wade in the water for a bit, that’s all.”
“Well, go ahead if you’d like,” Lana said, struggling to keep her voice steady, “I’d just rather not go in much deeper. Is it alright if I stay over here?”
“Yeah, of course! Do what you’d like,” Julie said cheerfully, “It’ll only be for a few minutes, then I’ll be right back!”
Lana gave Julie a cautious smile, biting back her own fear. “Alright.” Then, after a short pause, she quickly added, “Just please, be careful, babe.”
“I will! Don’t you worry, Lana. I’ll be okay. I promise.”
As Julie turned to head further in, Lana tried her best to ignore as her brain kept screaming about how dangerous of an idea this was. She kept trying to vanquish the thoughts in head, telling herself the same thing over and over again: nothing was going to happen; her anxiety was nothing more than an irrational fear. Julie was going to be just fine so long as she was careful.
Yet no matter how much she tried to push her own worries aside, they lingered in her brain like a parasite.
It was just difficult for her to tell the difference between what was a genuine concern and what was merely her own fear speaking.
For all her life, she’d had an unexplainable anxiety around the ocean. According to her parents, when she was a toddler, she’d scream and throw a fit anytime her parents tried to teach her how to swim. Even when she grew older, her fear lingered. She was terrified of going on boats, in particular. One such memory her parents constantly brought up was the time she had a tantrum going on a cruise when she was five.
No one had any clue where her fear of the ocean came from; she’d just always had it for some unexplainable reason.
Of course, as the years passed by and she grew older, she’d mostly grown out of her fear of the water. Sure, the anxiety around the ocean would never fully leave her alone. But at least standing by the water’s edge didn’t send her into a panic attack like it would’ve when she was little. Hell, recently she’d even bought herself a yacht and taken it out on the sea a couple times.
But no matter how many times she faced her own fear, she still much preferred having both feet on solid ground.
As Lana watched Julie step through the waves, her anxiety just kept pressing down on her brain. She simply couldn’t imagine a life where she lost Julie all over again.
Her mind wandered back to a couple months ago, around Christmas, before Julie came back into her life.
She’d been in a dark place mentally that winter.
Sure, she was grateful to be free from Agamemnon’s control. But even still, Agamemnon’s actions had a lingering affect on her.
Each morning, she’d awake, plagued with guilt over actions she wasn’t even entirely sure were her own. She kept struggling to untangle which memories belonged to her and which memories were belonged to her doppelgängers. She was paranoid, constantly questioning whether she was truly free or if Agamemnon was merely lulling her into a sense of security to ensnare her once again.
And on top of it all, each night, she’d have vivid flashbacks to a time she couldn’t quite place her finger on. The sights and sounds that met her mind were so clear, she could almost swear she’d lived through whatever memory they were from. She’d try her best to hold onto each sensation the vision brought her way, but inevitably, anything she’d try to remember would be long forgotten by the morning.
When she’d learned of the legends about the ancient glaciers near her family’s old vacation home, she’d decided to test out if the stories in the books she’d read were actually true. Her main objective was to finally figure out what exactly these vivid dreams meant.
But at the same time, part of her kind of hoped that the water would kill her instead. After all, according to the legends, only the purest of souls could survive consuming the water. Even if the water ended her life… back then, she’s wondered if maybe death would be better than dealing with the constant guilt and paranoia she was experiencing.
And yet somehow, she’d survived. Not only that, but now she had a clear memory of the once blurry visions she used to see in her dreams; the memory of boarding a ship to flee someone or something that was after her was now clear in her brain.
She still didn’t know where, exactly, the memory was from. But now that it was vivid in her mind, she could finally begin piecing together the answers behind what exactly this memory meant.
For months, she’d questioned why she’d even survived consuming the water. Her soul was tainted by Agamemnon; how could she have possibly lived?
But now, she was starting to understand.
Perhaps she’d been allowed to live, not because her soul was pure, but because she deserved to live a better life.
Ever since that time, her life had improved by a large margin. As she began moving past the trauma Agamemnon had left her with, she drafted to become happier. And when Julie returned to her side, her world just kept getting brighter.
Now, she and Julie were living their best lives. And she knew that she deserved it.
She was glad that she’d survived consuming the glacier’s water. She was glad to live the life she deserved.
So the thought of losing Julie again, even after everything the both of them had been through, it scared her to her core.
As much as she tried to place her own fears aside, she knew that the anxiety of losing everything and everyone would never fully leave her.
Yet Julie just stood in the water, looking so relaxed, in stark contrast to the clear fear in Lana’s eyes. How could Julie possibly be so calm in the ocean? God, did Lana wonder how anyone could possibly go in the sea without having a mental breakdown.
Lana took a breath, trying to soothe her nerves; she just had to trust everything would be alright.
After a few minutes of wading in the water, Julie glanced back at Lana, calling out across the waves between them, “I’m coming back now!”
As Julie began making the trek back across the water, the fear in Lana’s heart began to melt away. Nothing had happened; everything was fine.
But just as Lana finally let herself relax a little, a huge wave came barreling forwards. Lana didn’t even have the chance to warn Julie before the wave crashed right into her, knocking her off-balance. Julie desperately thrashed about, trying to fight against the cruel ocean, only for another wave to come racing straight her way, dragging her under.
Adrenaline pierced through Lana’s heart. Without a second thought, she dove straight into the water, her fear of the ocean forgotten in the haze of panic.
She frantically swam through the waves, eating up the distance between her and Julie. She kept reaching out her hand, desperate to grab hold of Julie’s, yet Julie remained just out of her reach.
Her heart pounded in her chest as her mind raced like a freight train. Oh God, she couldn’t lose Julie again… she couldn’t watch fate rip them both apart all over again…
But no matter how much she kept fighting her way through the waves, nothing she did got her close enough.
And when yet another wave shot forth, she found her strength unable to compare to such a beast, and she, too, went under the water.
She frantically thrashed about, desperate to get back above the water and to breathe. But each wave slamming against her body sent her further and further under. She helplessly flailed about, fighting a losing battle against the unforgiving waves.
She gazed up, watching the sunlight above get muddled by the darkness around her. Her vision grew blurry as she tried to breathe, only to choke on salty water. Water clogged her ears, encasing her in silence.
There was nothing she could do except watch as the world around her slowly faded away…
Yet through the deafening silence, a single sound came through: a voice, singing a melodic hymn. The voice was so sweet and pure, she could almost swear it belonged to an angel. It was hypnotic, in a way. She almost wanted to swim after the voice and follow the song…
Then more voices chimed in. Each voice was more angelic than the last, forming a beautiful harmony. The song was so ethereal, she almost wondered if she was dead and this was heaven.
Suddenly, her head jerked above the surface. Except something was off. Instead of the sight of the bright summer sun, her eyes were met with a night sky dotted with stars. Her hands clutched onto a splintered plank of wood drifting atop the waves. Her hands were bruised and stained with blood, as if she’d been clinging on for hours. She squinted off in the distance to find a massive ship caught on some rocks, its hull completely shattered.
Before she had any time for questions, she felt sharp claws digging into her legs. With an almost inhuman strength, they dragged her right back under the water again.
And there she was, surrounded by darkness once more.
Just as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, she suddenly felt an arm around her, pulling her back up again. As soon as she felt the sunlight hit her face, she gasped for air, relieved to finally be able to breathe again.
“Hold on!” a voice called out from behind. Glancing towards the source of the voice, she found it to be a lifeguard.
Holding tight onto Lana’s arm, the lifeguard slowly led her back to the shore, effortlessly gliding through the waves that had threatened to drown Lana mere moments ago.
Once she was finally back on land, Lana collapsed to the ground. Relief washed over her as she clenched the sand in her fingertips. God, how glad she was to be back on solid ground.
She worriedly looked beside her to find that Julie had also been rescued. She laid on the sand, gasping for air herself.
Relief filled Lana’s heart; thank God Julie was still breathing. Sure, Julie was clearly still reeling from the near-death experience. But she was alive. She was alright.
Both of them were just fine…
“Are you guys okay?!” One of the lifeguards asked frantically.
“I… think so,” Lana said quickly before turning her head to face Julie, “You?”
“I’m alright,” Julie wheezed out, “That was… a lot.”
“You can say that again,” Lana muttered.
“I can’t lie though,” Julie murmured, grinning a little, “It was at least little fun.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call almost dying fun, but sure,” Lana teased, grinning a little, “But in all seriousness, I’m never going in the ocean again.”
She staggered over to Julie, falling into her girlfriend’s arms. “I’m just glad you’re safe… I was so scared I was going to lose you again.”
“Me too,” Julie whispered, “But hey, everything’s okay now. We survived, and now we have a killer story to tell Serena when we get back!”
Lana laughed a little. “Yeah, I just know she’ll eat it up!”
As scary as that situation had been, the both of them were okay. They’d survived.
As the lifeguards checked in on both of them, making sure they were alright, Lana couldn’t stop glancing back at the water. Her mind kept wandering back to that surreal vision that had come to her as she was struggling against the waves.
It almost reminded her of those dreams that had haunted her many months ago. The dreams that had led her to seeking out the fountain of enlightenment…
The memory from today and the memory from her dreams almost felt… connected, somehow. As though both were small pieces of an even larger story.
And perhaps, if she pieced all the shattered fragments back together, maybe she’d finally find an answer to the one question she’d been asking all her life:
Why me…?
*****
She laid on the floor in defeat. She had no clue how long it had been since she’d awoken in here. Hours? Days? She didn’t know, and honestly, she couldn’t care less. Nothing mattered to her. Not after she’d lost any hope she’d had for a better life.
Her stomach rumbled; she hadn’t eaten in who knows how long. Part of her honestly hoped that starvation would put her out of her misery. Honestly, she’d rather die than end up back under Agamemnon’s control again.
She ran her fingers through her hair, letting her nails cut into her scalp. God, she hated being stuck in here. Why did Lina have to drag her into this nightmare of a reality?
She began pulling on her hair in frustration. Why did Lina have to ruin her life, just when everything was finally starting to get better?
Why did she have to be thrown right into the Agamemnon’s little game all over again?
Just then, her finger hit a hairpin, which kept her hair fixed in its typical half-up style. Carefully pulling it out, she let her hair fall loose around her shoulders.
She stared down at the hairpin in the palm of her hand for a while. Then she glanced up at the key fob on the door.
Slowly, an idea sprung to mind.
Pulling herself up to her feet, she staggered over to the door.
She pulled another hairpin out of her hair, a small smile forming on her lips.
She going to pick the lock to get out of here…
*****
After a few minutes of fumbling with a couple hairpins in the key fob, at long last, the door unlocked.
Overjoyed, she opened the door and moved to rush through. But her moment of victory was cut short when the door stopped in its tracks. Glancing down, she noticed a string tying the doorknob on the opposite side to a piece of furniture nearby.
Groaning, she tried to tear the string apart, but with her strength weakened from God knows how long without food, her attempt was unsuccessful.
Things got even worse when she heard the sound of a portal opening up behind her, followed by the clacking of heels.
“What the fuck are you doing?!!” An uncomfortably familiar voice called out from behind.
Her heart stopped.
Shit.
It was Lina.
Panic shot through the doppelgänger’s veins. No, this was the worst time for Lina to show up! Not when the she was so close to freedom!
Her mind raced as she scrambled to figure out how to cut the string as Lina’s heels sounded out behind her, getting closer with each step.
Finally, in a moment of desperation, she lifted a finger to her mouth a bit down on her nail, sharpening the edge until it was almost like a blade. She sawed the sharpened edge against the string. Finally, the string gave way, and without a moment to spare, the doppelgänger darted out into the hall.
Lina chased after her in hot pursuit. The irritating clack of Lina’s heels made the doppelgänger grit her teeth.
“Why you little—!” Lina shouted from behind, but the doppelgänger paid no mind; her brain was laser-focused on getting out of here.
When she was met with a window at the end of the hall, she didn’t even give a single thought before she hurled her fist straight into the glass. Shards of glass drove their way into her hand as the windowpane shattered into pieces; it felt like a million needles were piercing her skin. But she just grit the teeth and ignored the pain; she had to get out of here before she could focus on her injuries.
She leapt out the window, landing on the sidewalk a story below. She glanced back up at the window, hoping she’d lost Lina, only to find the woman standing in the windowsill, eyes fixed on the doppelgänger like a predator hunting its prey.
Turning back around, the doppelgänger took off once again. She heard the wind whipping against Lina’s cape as the woman leapt out the window after her.
The doppelgänger raced down the sidewalk. Every bone in her body screamed at her to stop, exhausted from the lack of energy, but she just kept pushing herself forwards. She couldn’t rest until she was out of Lina’s reach.
She sprinted past nearby buildings, all of which were pretty run-down, much like the hospital was. It almost felt like she was running through a ghost town, there was nobody around.
She kept glancing back to find Lina, still hot on her heels, desperate to catch her.
Oh, but she wouldn’t let Lina get her way. She couldn’t.
She bolted up a set of stairs leading to an old apartment building. Her legs throbbed with soreness, but she just kept running. She couldn’t stop. She had to keep moving forwards.
She zipped her way up the staircase, steadily making her way up to the rooftop, only to stumble on the final step. Her bloody hand slipped from the railing and she toppled over, her knee slamming against the rusted metal step. She groaned in pain as she felt blood trickle its way down her lower leg, but she quickly pulled herself back up. No matter how many obstacles got in her way, she simply wouldn’t stop.
She just kept running, fueled by nothing but pure adrenaline. She leapt across the rooftops, almost like she was doing parkour. With each move she made, she hoped she’d lose Lina, yet Lina remained close behind, still in pursuit.
God, was that woman terrifying.
Her legs screamed in pain, yet she just kept going. She couldn’t slow down, not even for a second; she had to keep going.
But eventually, she inevitably slipped up. Having underestimated the distance between two of the buildings, she attempted to leap across a gap she simply couldn’t cover. She briefly considered just giving up and letting herself fall before her survival instincts kicked in, and she grabbed hold of a ladder on the side of the nearby building.
She pulled herself up, clinging onto the rusted metal for dear life. The ladder’s rungs bent beneath her feet, weakened by age.
Just as the doppelgänger pulled herself onto the rooftop, Lina leapt across as well, grabbing onto the ladder to climb up after her. But the ladder, tired of holding itself up any longer, collapsed beneath Lina’s heels, sending her plummeting down. The doppelgänger smiled in satisfaction, hoping the fall would kill Lina, only for the damn woman to summon yet another portal. Before the doppelgänger had the chance to run, she heard a portal open up right behind her, and she felt Lina’s hands wrap tight around her throat.
She tried to breathe, only for no air to reach her lungs. Her throat burned as her mind flashed back to that moment with Julie in the garden.
Her heart thumped in her chest as her pure instincts took hold. Her hands found their way to her throat, and she pried Lina’s hands off. Relief rushed straight through her system as air made its way to her lungs.
Then she turned to face Lina, adrenaline now replaced with fury coursing through her entire body. She hurled herself forwards, hands outstretched like claws. She wanted nothing more than to scratch that damn woman’s eyes out and watch her bleed to death.
She clawed and thrashed about like an irate cat, desperate to feel the woman’s skin beneath her nails.
Quickly, Lina grabbed hold of her arm, trying to pry her off, but the doppelgänger wasn’t deterred so easily. She just kept fighting back, channeling forth whatever strength was left within her.
She simply couldn’t submit herself back into a life serving Agamemnon to his every beck and call.
She’d carved out a life for herself with the little she’d been given. She’d managed to free herself from Agamemnon’s cruel little game.
Despite everything that was against her, she’d managed to live her life the best she could. And she was going to keep it that way!
*****
Lina kept tussling with the doppelgänger, doing whatever was in her power to keep her under control, just as Agamemnon had requested.
She simply couldn’t risk disappointing Agamemnon… not again…
Not after she’d already failed him once before…
She kept her eyes fixed on the doppelgänger’s every movement. Each time the doppelgänger lurched forwards for an attack, Lina would block it just in time.
Yet no matter how many times Lina managed to keep the doppelgänger at bay, the doppelgänger remained determined. Each time she failed, the doppelgänger would simply ready herself for yet another attempt.
Lina just had to keep the doppelgänger under control until she tired herself out. After all, Lina knew she couldn’t fail now; she had to carry out Agamemnon’s commands, and she had to do so flawlessly.
If Agamemnon wanted this pesky little doppelgänger to remain under his control, then Lina was going to ensure exactly that.
Honestly, she and this doppelgänger weren’t much different from one another. Once, both had their own respective duties to serve Agamemnon.
And yet their paths had diverged, with the doppelgänger leaving Agamemnon’s side for some wistful dream of being free.
In a way, Lina sort of admired the doppelgänger’s courage to dare to break free. It sure as hell must’ve taken a lot for the doppelgänger to leave behind everything she had.
Admittedly, Lina sort of felt a little bad, dragging the doppelgänger back even after everything she’d done to sever herself from Agamemnon’s side.
But Lina kept reminding herself that what she was doing was for the greater good. Agamemnon needed this doppelgänger under his command for one reason or another, and Lina had to make sure things stayed that way.
She shivered, thinking of what would happen if she failed yet again. She faltered for a second as she remembered the way Agamemnon had mercilessly murdered her after the failed sacrifice of Lana’s soul, twisting her limbs like she was a rag doll until she dropped down dead.
That split second cost her everything, as the doppelgänger took the opening to her advantage, lunging forwards, grabbing hold of Lina’s cape. Lina didn’t have time to react before the doppelgänger ripped the cape clean off her shoulders.
As soon as Lina felt the sun hit her bare skin, she hissed in pain. It felt like a fire was tearing its way across her back, it was so hot.
Ever since she’d been brought back to life, Lina had retained some of Agamemnon’s powers.
But these powers came with small caveats, the most apparent of which being her sensitivity to the sun. It was almost like she was a vampire, the sun was physically painful to her. She had to wear a hat and cape whenever she went outside, she could barely withstand the sunlight against her skin.
She stumbled backwards, her goal of ensnaring the doppelgänger placed on hold as she fumbled to summon another portal before her. Stepping through, she felt relief wash over her as she emerged into a shadowy area nearby.
Looking back up to where she’d once stood, she locked eyes with the doppelgänger, who glared back with a mix of shock and relief.
Lina reached out a hand, voice trembling as she desperately called out to the doppelgänger. “No, don’t you dare leave! Please!”
She stepped forwards, trying to make her way back over to the doppelgänger, only to recoil at the feeling of the sun against her bare skin.
“Please, come back!” She pleaded, voice on the verge of tears as the doppelgänger glared right back at her. She couldn’t fail. Not now. “PLEASE!”
But the doppelgänger didn’t seem to care; she simply slipped the cape over her shoulders, lifted her hand, and flipped Lina off before she took off, cape trailing right behind her as she disappeared beyond the horizon.
Lina stared off into the distance, accompanied by nothing but the sound of the wind whistling across the rooftops and her own heart thudding inside her chest.
A mix of anger and fear built up within her at the same time; she just couldn’t believe it. She’d let that doppelgänger get away.
She kept thinking back to the last time she’d failed. She couldn’t forget the night of the full blood moon, where her punishment had been a brutal demise.
All because she’d failed to heed His orders.
And now she’d failed again...
She stood still in the shadows, staring down at the ground. She’d been given another chance, and yet she’d let it slip right through her fingers.
She shut her eyes; this was it. This could very well be her end.
Agamemnon wouldn’t give her another chance after this…
“Oh, it seems you’ve let her get away…” came Agamemnon’s voice from behind.
Lina jumped at the sound, startled. “Oh, shit! Hey Agamemnon.” She forced her lips into a smile, yet she simply couldn’t conceal her fear as she gazed back at Agamemnon’s shadowy form. After all, she knew exactly what he was here for.
“You promised you’d keep her under control,” Agamemnon droned on. Stepping closer, he placed a heavy hand on Lina’s shoulder. It felt ice cold to the touch. “And now she’s gotten away.”
“I-I’m sorry!” Lina pleaded desperately, “She slipped out, and I tried to capture her again, but she overpowered me! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to lose her! I swear!”
She hoped that somehow, her words would manage to change Agamemnon’s mind, but his fingers only sharpened into claws in response. She felt the sharp tips prickling her skin as he went on, “First you fail to ensure Lana’s soul remains in my possession, and now you fail to keep her doppelgänger in check.”
He shook his head in disapproval. “I should’ve known that bringing you back wasn’t worth the hassle.”
Lina felt the claws dig into her skin, drawing blood.
Panic rushed through her system. She had to say something, anything, to change his mind, and quick!
“Maybe your soul truly does deserve to wither and die, just as it should’ve all those months ago…”
She had to think of something…
“You realize that if you kill me,” Lina quickly blurted out, “Then you’ll have no one left to fulfill your duties.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m just saying,” Lina frantically continued, “The Herd doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore. Nelly hates you with a burning passion. Lana’s stupid little doppelgänger keeps running away. I’m the only one you have left to fulfill your desires. If you dispose of me, then you throw away your one chance you have at succeeding. You have to keep me alive, Agamemnon. You HAVE to.”
Lina took a breath, trying to keep herself composed. Her heart pounded in her chest as she prayed that somehow, her words would manage to sway Agamemnon’s mind.
She hoped that maybe, by some miracle, he’d let her live.
Agamemnon was silent for awhile, almost as if he was contemplating his options. Then, finally, he retracted his hand from Lina’s shoulder, uttering, “Fine. I’ll give you one more chance. But under one condition.”
“Which is?” Lina asked. She didn’t care whatever sacrifice she had to make, so long as Agamemnon let her live.
“I’ll give you three months,” Agamemnon told her sharply, “If after three months Lana‘s soul is not under my control, then you are dead. You understand?”
Lina frantically nodded. “Yes. I understand.” She didn’t care how long she was given; she was just relieved to be able to live another day.
Finally, Agamemnon backed away. “Well then, it is settled. I’ll check back in three months, and if by then nothing’s changed, then there will be consequences.”
And then, after a short pause, he added, “I hope you don’t fail me this time around, Lina.”
And then he vanished, as if he’d been nothing more than smoke on the wind.
Lina let out a breath of relief; she’d done it. She’d managed to save herself.
And now she had three months to somehow lead Lana back to Agamemnon’s side.