The voice sent a chill down Evie's spine. It was familiar—too familiar—yet tainted with something dark, something sinister.

A gust of icy wind swirled around them, and the campfire flickered dangerously before snuffing out completely. Darkness consumed the area.

The princes instantly sprang into action, forming a protective circle around Evie.

"Show yourself," Rowan growled, his hand sparking with fire.

A slow, mocking laugh echoed through the trees. And then, she stepped forward.

A girl with Evie's face, her features identical except for the cruel smirk twisting her lips. Golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, but unlike Evie's warm, sun-kissed hues, hers burned with malice.

Her long hair, identical in shade to Evie's, cascaded in dark waves over her shoulders, but the ends faded into a deep, unnatural black. A sign of the corruption inside her.

Evie's breath caught.

It was her. Her twin.

"You look surprised," the girl drawled, tilting her head. "Did you really think you were the only one who mattered?"

Evie took a step forward, but Duke grabbed her wrist, holding her back. "Careful," he warned.

"I don't want to fight you," Evie said, ignoring the warning. "You're my sister."

Her twin laughed again, the sound sharp and bitter. "Sister? Is that what we are?" She sneered. "Funny. Because all my life, I was nothing but a shadow. A forgotten mistake while you were given the light, the love, the power."

Evie's stomach twisted. "I didn't know about you."

"No, you didn't," she said coldly. "And yet, you still took everything from me."

A pulse of dark energy erupted from her, making the trees around them tremble. The ground cracked beneath her feet.

The princes instantly tensed. Seth stepped in front of Evie, his usual playfulness gone. "Whatever Alaric told you, it's a lie."

"Alaric is the only one who never lied to me," her twin snapped. Her eyes flickered to Evie again, filled with resentment. "Unlike you."

Evie flinched. "I never—"

"You exist," her sister cut in sharply. "That's enough."

The tension was thick.

The wind howled around them, but it wasn't natural—it was charged with power, swirling with the force of her sister's rage.

And then, she attacked.

Dark tendrils shot from her fingertips, aiming straight for Evie.

Rowan reacted instantly, summoning a wall of fire that swallowed the attack before it could reach her. "Evie, stay back!"

But she couldn't.

She couldn't fight her own blood.

"Please, just stop!" Evie pleaded. "I don't want to hurt you!"

Her twin snarled, lunging forward with unnatural speed.

Duke intercepted her, blocking her strike with a forceful gust of wind, but the impact sent him skidding backward. "She's fast," he gritted out.

Sol clenched his fists, the ground rumbling beneath them. "We need to restrain her."

Evie shook her head frantically. "No! Don't hurt her!"

"She's not giving us a choice, Little Star," Seth muttered, drawing his daggers.

Her sister flicked her wrist, and the shadows obeyed, coiling around the princes like living chains.

Rowan burned through his restraints with ease, but the others struggled, their elements reacting sluggishly to the unnatural magic.

Evie's heart pounded.

She had to do something.

She closed her eyes and reached for her power—not just one element, but all of them.

A golden light ignited from her fingertips, slicing through the shadows like a blade. The moment the darkness recoiled, the princes broke free, each of them snapping into action.

Seth blurred forward, his speed unmatched as he struck at her twin, but she dodged effortlessly, countering with a blast of dark wind that sent him crashing into a tree.

Sol raised the earth beneath them, creating an unsteady battlefield, but her twin barely flinched.

Duke summoned a cyclone, but she dissipated it with a flick of her wrist.

Rowan hurled a stream of fire, but the flames bent around her like they feared touching her skin.

Evie's stomach clenched.

She was powerful. Too powerful.

"Enough," her sister snapped, eyes glowing. "You're wasting my time."

She raised a hand, summoning a spear of shadows. It crackled with dark energy, aimed directly at Evie.

The princes all moved at once, but they were too far.

The spear shot forward.

And Evie braced for impact.

But just before it could strike, something shifted.

A familiar presence surged within Evie.

Not just her own magic—something deeper, something older.

And suddenly, the spear shattered.

Her sister's eyes widened in shock. "What—?"

A blinding light erupted from Evie, sending a shockwave through the forest. The sheer force of it knocked everyone back—including her sister.

When the light faded, her twin was on the ground, clutching her head, disoriented.

Evie gasped for breath, feeling like something inside her had unlocked.

"What was that?" Rowan demanded, running to her side.

Evie shook her head. "I don't know."

Her sister groaned, slowly rising to her feet. But instead of attacking again, she smirked.

"This isn't over," she promised, golden eyes gleaming. "You're playing right into Alaric's hands."

Before they could stop her, she vanished into the shadows.

Leaving Evie with more questions than answers. ______________________________ They stood in silence, the tension still crackling in the air.

Duke exhaled sharply. "Well... that was a disaster."

"She's strong," Sol murmured, fists clenched. "Too strong."

Rowan turned to Evie, scanning her for injuries. "Are you okay?"

Evie didn't answer immediately. She was still reeling, her heart pounding.

"She's..." Her voice faltered. "She's completely given herself to the darkness."

Seth, rubbing his sore shoulder, muttered, "Yeah, we kinda picked up on that."

"She didn't even hesitate," Evie whispered. "It was like she wanted to kill me."

The words felt wrong in her mouth. Wrong in her heart.

She turned to the princes, desperation in her eyes. "We have to save her."

Rowan's jaw tightened. "Evie..."

"I know what you're going to say," she cut in. "That she's too far gone. That we might have to—" She swallowed hard. "But I refuse to believe she's beyond saving."

The princes exchanged looks.

Finally, Sol placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Then we'll find a way."

Evie let out a shaky breath.

And in the quiet of the night, she made a promise.

She would save her sister.

No matter what it took.