The dark room was filled with a suffocating silence, broken only by the sound of Sofia's slow, deliberate breathing. The chains that bound her clinked faintly as she shifted, her eyes cold and calculating as they bore into the figure of Grace—the woman who had orchestrated every moment of misery in her life.

Grace, or Tang Mia's mother, stepped closer, her sharp features illuminated by the eerie glow of magical runes carved into the walls. Her eyes, once filled with maternal pretense, now shone with unmasked malice.

"You've always been an anomaly, Sofia," Grace began, her voice smooth but venomous. "A child born to suffer, yet stubborn enough to survive. I should've destroyed you when I had the chance."

Sofia tilted her head slightly, her tone cold and mocking. "It's never too late to try."

Grace chuckled darkly. "You think you know pain, Sofia? You think you've suffered enough to understand the depths of what I've endured?"

Sofia's silence was answer enough, and Grace's smirk twisted into something darker.

"Let me tell you a story, Sofia," Grace began, her voice heavy with bitterness. "I wasn't always Grace Tang. I was an agent—a traveler between worlds, tasked with maintaining balance and ensuring the rules were never broken. But this world... this world was my downfall."

Grace began to pace, her movements sharp and restless. "When I arrived here, I was assigned to a woman named Grace, the original occupant of this body. She was beautiful, intelligent, and loved by her husband. But she was weak, and weakness has no place in my world. I destroyed her soul, took her body for my own, and stepped into her life like slipping on a new dress."

Sofia's jaw clenched, but she held her composure. "And then what? You fell in love with her husband and thought you could play house?"

Grace's eyes narrowed. "It wasn't love—it was control. I used magic to make him adore me, to bind him to me. And when I bore him a daughter, Tang Mia, I thought I had it all. But the headquarters discovered my actions. They realized I'd violated the rules and misused my power."

She stopped pacing and turned to Sofia, her expression twisting with hatred. "I suffered backlash for my crimes—my magic was weakened, my soul tethered to this cursed world. To protect myself, I did the unthinkable. I exchanged my daughter, Tang Mia, with you."

Sofia's breath hitched, but her face remained unreadable.

"Yes, Sofia," Grace sneered. "You were the true daughter of this family, and Tang Mia was mine. I sent you to an orphanage, a nobody, and let Tang Mia live the life you were meant to have. But that wasn't enough. I poisoned you to keep you from ever rising, to ensure you'd never be a threat to my plans. And yet, here you are, defying me at every turn."

Sofia's lips curled into a bitter smile. "So all of this—your crimes, your lies, your misery—it's because you couldn't handle the consequences of your own greed."

Grace's expression darkened, her voice rising with fury. "You think it's that simple? I lost everything! My power, my position, my freedom! This world shackled me, and I vowed to break those chains. To do that, I need a sacrifice—**your sacrifice**. Your blood, Sofia, will grant me the strength to control this world, to bend it to my will and erase the stain of my suffering."

Sofia remained calm, her voice steady. "You destroyed your own life, Grace. And now you want to destroy mine to fix it? You're pathetic."

The room trembled as Grace's fury erupted. The runes on the walls glowed brighter, and dark energy swirled around her, crackling with malevolence. "You dare mock me? I'll show you power beyond your comprehension!"

Grace unleashed a wave of dark magic, and the room quaked as shadows lunged toward Sofia like living creatures. With a sharp breath, Sofia pulled at the chains binding her. The metal groaned and snapped as her latent energy surged, her calm demeanor unwavering even as the shadows closed in.

Dodging swiftly, Sofia countered with her own energy—a brilliant burst of light that cut through the darkness. The two forces collided, sending shockwaves through the room.

"You think you can defeat me, child?" Grace hissed. "I've lived lifetimes longer than you could imagine!"

"And yet, here you are, wasting it all on vengeance," Sofia retorted, her voice icy.

The battle intensified, the room becoming a chaotic blend of light and dark. Grace conjured illusions, pulling Sofia into nightmarish realms of despair and fear. But Sofia's mind was unshakable. She tore through each illusion with ruthless efficiency, her focus never wavering.

Grace's frustration grew, her magic becoming more erratic. "Why won't you break?" she screamed.

Sofia smirked, her eyes gleaming with defiance. "Because I've been broken before. And I put myself back together."

Just as Sofia seemed to gain the upper hand, Grace revealed her trump card—a shard of the original Grace's soul, bound and twisted into a weapon. With a flick of her wrist, Grace hurled it toward Sofia.

The shard pierced Sofia's side, and she staggered, her vision blurring. The pain was unlike anything she had felt before, an attack on her very essence. Grace laughed, triumphant. "This is the end, Sofia. Your sacrifice will fuel my ascension!"

But before Grace could strike the final blow, the door to the room burst open, and Christ stormed in, his eyes blazing with determination.

"Sofia!" he shouted, rushing to her side.

Grace sneered. "Ah, the knight in shining armor arrives. Too late, as always."

Christ ignored her, his focus on Sofia. "You're not alone," he whispered, his hand gripping hers.

A surge of energy passed between them, their bond igniting a power neither had known before. Sofia stood, the shard dissolving as their combined strength healed her.

The room glowed with a golden light as Sofia and Christ faced Grace together. Their energies intertwined, forming a shield that repelled Grace's attacks. For the first time, fear flickered in Grace's eyes.

"This isn't possible," she muttered, backing away.

Sofia stepped forward, her voice calm and cold. "You've spent your life taking, destroying, and corrupting. But you underestimated one thing: the power of those who fight for each other, not just themselves."

With a final burst of energy, Sofia and Christ unleashed a combined attack. The light engulfed Grace, shattering her dark magic and breaking her hold on the world.

"No!" Grace screamed as her body began to disintegrate. "This isn't the end! I'll come back—I'll—"

Her words were cut off as the light consumed her entirely, leaving nothing behind but silence.

Sofia turned to Christ, her body trembling from exhaustion. He caught her, holding her tightly. "It's over," he murmured.

She leaned into him, her voice soft but steady. "Thanks to you."

Christ cupped her face, his gaze filled with both relief and admiration. "You're incredible, Sofia. Never forget that."

Sofia allowed herself a small smile, the weight of her victory settling on her shoulders. Together, they walked out of the dark room, leaving behind the echoes of Grace's malice and stepping into a future that was finally their own.