A cold wind rushed through the room, not from the window, but from nowhere and everywhere.
Lila's breath caught as a soft glow formed at the center of the room. At first, she thought it was her eyes playing tricks. But the light pulsed, alive, shifting in colors she didn't recognize. A strange pull tightened in her chest, like invisible threads winding around her soul.
"What… what's happening?" she breathed.
Before she could move, the light surged forward, wrapping around her like water crashing through a dam. Her feet left the floor. The air turned thick, weightless, unreal. Panic surged in her chest as she flailed, reaching out—but there was nothing to hold.
And then—nothing. Just black.
When her eyes opened again, everything had changed.
She sat up with a gasp, her hands digging into silk sheets that weren't hers. The air smelled of jasmine and something older, like old books and magic. Tapestries lined the walls, shimmering with thread that caught the twilight leaking through arched windows. This wasn't her room. This wasn't her world.
"What… where am I?" she whispered.
Then she saw her.
A tall, regal woman stood near the bed. Her silver hair flowed like water down her back, and her eyes gleamed with something beyond human. Her robes shimmered with embroidered constellations, as if she carried the stars themselves.
Lila froze.
"I… I don't understand," she stammered.
The woman stepped forward, serene. "You've arrived," she said. "The crossing is complete."
"The what? I—I'm not supposed to be here. I don't belong here," Lila said quickly, her voice cracking with disbelief.
"You've taken Elira's place," the woman said gently. "This world—the realm of Elarion—called for you. Elira could no longer bear the weight she carried. You are her answer."
Lila's heart pounded. "There's been a mistake. I'm not a princess. I'm not magical. I'm not… anything."
The woman's expression softened, but her voice remained steady. "You are Lila. And you are not nothing. You carry the blood of the elemental kings in your veins—the legacy of fire, wind, earth, and water. The spirits have chosen you."
"This is insane," Lila muttered. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I am Isolde," the woman said. "Guardian of the royal line, protector of the old ways. I have watched this kingdom decay under the weight of a broken lineage. And I have watched you suffer in silence in your world, waiting for someone to see you. That time has come."
Lila backed away slightly. Her heart was racing, her hands shaking. "Why me?"
"Because Elira's wish was answered," Isolde replied. "She wished for someone to take her place. And you, Lila, wished for another life. The mirror heard both. It joined your fates."
Lila felt the ground shift beneath her—not literally, but inside. Everything she knew, everything she believed about herself and the world, had just shattered.
And yet, a quiet voice inside her whispered, This is real.
"What happens now?" she asked.
Isolde looked at her with something close to hope. "Now, you become who you were always meant to be. And you save the kingdom."
Lila's throat tightened. The words felt too big. Too heavy.
"I don't know if I can," she whispered.
Isolde stepped forward, her eyes kind and sad. "You must. Because Elira… is already gone."
End of Chapter 2