Destined Meeting

L'ac fled into the depths of a cavern, the entrance hidden by overgrown trees and jagged rocks. Inside, the air was thick with moisture, and the only light came from fractured openings in the ceiling, where faint shafts of light barely pierced the darkness below. The deeper she ventured, the darker it grew, until the shadows seemed to pulse with life of their own, responding to the dark power coursing through her veins.

Eventually, she reached a riverbank where a tranquil sea emitted an eerie blue glow that flickered across the cavern walls. In the center of the water stood an enigmatic figure, accompanied by a dragon-like creature seemingly made of stone. The figure’s presence was striking, and from her back extended a single black wing—its feathers jagged and dark.

Their eyes met, and the figure moved gracefully across the water, as if walking on the surface."Lady of Shadows," the woman said, her voice softly caressing and echoing through the quiet cavern. It was as though she had been waiting for L'ac all along. Yet, despite the unsettling setting, L'ac felt no threat—only a deep reverence radiating from that woman, as if she regarded L'ac with worshipful admiration.

The woman reached out and gently caressed L'ac's face, her touch cool and deliberate."In case you forgot," she whispered, "my name is Rosie."

Her touch was soothing, lulling L'ac into a rare moment of calm, almost making her forget all her sorrows.

"Now that you’ve overcome the greatest hurdle—severing the bond that once held you back—you are truly becoming our queen, our leader. I am here to serve you, to help you embrace what you are destined to become."

But as Rosie's words echoed in the air, a memory of Aika surged through L'ac's mind—those final moments, the strike she had delivered. Had it really ended as she believed? L'ac lifted her chin slightly, her voice gaining strength. "I severed that bond because I had to," she said, her tone cold yet resolute.