Chapter 30 The Mirror’s Message
The room was barely lit, and Sienna's fingertips shook when they touched the smooth surface of the mirror. At least not all of the person in the mirror was her. It was twisted and deformed by the power that seemed to thrum under her skin, making her feel like she was stuck between two worlds. One foot in reality, the other sinking into the pandemonium that she didn't yet fully understand. A chilly, mocking voice slipped into her mind, making her heart race. "You believe you're the first person to have this kind of power? To be picked by the Queen? You are only a puppet. Sienna's eyes snapped to the mirror, where her own visage flickered like a candle flame in the wind.
The edges of the glass moved, as if the surface were alive and breathing. Who is that? She was so nervous that her heart raced while she waited for the answer. As she move closer to the reflection, her smile turned viciously and her lips curled at the edges. "Ah, Sienna. "How eager to comprehend," the woman said, her voice a mix of derision and pity. "I guess it's going to happen, isn't it?" You and your dear Ryder are so set on fighting a struggle you can never win. Sienna pulled back and pressed her fingers harder on the glass. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice wavering but firm.
"What do you need from me?" The woman in the mirror laughed softly, which made Sienna's spine tingle. "What do I want?" I just want to watch you fall apart. To see you give in to the darkness that runs through your veins. Sienna's breath got stuck in her throat. "Darkness?" What are you talking about? "Ah, so naive, so unaware," the woman thought as her smile grew.
"You have teamed up with powers you don't understand." But the truth is that you never had a choice. The Devourer is now in your blood, just like it was in the First Queen's. And you will fall exactly like her. "We all fall at some point." Sienna's forehead came out in a cold sweat, and her vision become blurry. The mirror in front of her no longer showed simply her; it reflected something much darker and more deadly. The woman in the mirror was no longer by herself. Shadows flickered behind her, making forms that looked like they were saying her name, Renna. Renna. She heard the name again and again, and a chilly chill spread over her chest. "You're Renna, aren't you?" The woman smiled more, and her amber eyes sparkled with evil.
"Very good, Sienna." Yes, I am Renna. And I'm here to give you a message that will transform everything you believe you know. Sienna's stomach felt like it was getting tighter. The air got thick, oppressive, and almost hard to breathe. "What message?" Renna moved closer to the glass, and Sienna could almost feel her breath on her skin. Not only is "The Devourer" a myth, but it is also the dark twin of the First Queen. It's real. And I've joined others who adore it. Sienna, you've been picked whether you like it or not.
The Crown was never meant for you. It was for me. The power you want and want to manage is already awake inside you. And you don't have the strength to stop it. Sienna stumbled back, and her brain spun as she tried to make sense of the horrible truth. There was a goddess who was the First Queen. The Devourer, this evil twin, this twisted copy, was rising, exactly like Renna had predicted it would. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't resist what was pulling her in. Renna's voice was icy and sharp. "Sienna, the veil will soon lift, and you will see the truth." Inside of you is the darkness. And I'll be there when it eats you whole. Sienna's breath caught, and panic rushed through her body. "No!" she yelled, her voice raspy with fear. "I won't let that happen."
"You can't control me." The person in the mirror chuckled, and the sound rang in her ears like a funeral bell. "You are already under my control." You don't know it yet. Renna's body started to vanish with a flick of her wrist, and her laugh hung in the air like poison. Sienna hit the mirror with her fist, breaking the reflection into a thousand pieces. The shards fell all about her, but the cold stayed and the ghostly presence of Renna stayed in the room. Sienna's heart raced in her ears, and her chest rose and fell with each rough breath. She didn't know if she could ever win the struggle against the darkness inside her, but one thing was certain: she wouldn't give up. Not right now.
Sienna stood in the middle of the broken mirror's wreckage, her chest rising and falling and her heart thumping against her ribs. She was breathing quickly as the fragments of glass lay all about her feet, each one showing a distorted picture of her face. The air felt heavy on her, like it was alive, and the room was colder than ever. She should have been scared, but instead, she felt a deep, gnawing pain in her stomach. No, that wasn't dread; it was something much darker and deeper. Something that had seized hold of her the instant Renna's words reached her mind.
The Devourer was genuine. It was in her. The power was moving. And there was no way to stop it. You never had the right to give the Crown. It was mine, and now it's waking up inside you. The goddess's voice slithered through her consciousness again, and each phrase was worse than the last. She put her palms on her temples and tried to push the ideas away and get back in charge. But it didn't work. The hunger inside her was building and spreading like wildfire, and she could feel it taking over her. Ryder's voice came from below, far away but clear.
"Sienna!" His voice broke through the fog of her thoughts like a lifeline. She shut her eyes and thought about him and the relationship they had. But it was getting weaker. She could sense it. The darkness was pulling them apart, and she didn't know how much longer she could stay strong. "Sienna!" Ryder's voice was stronger now, and it sounded like he was scared and knew something was wrong. She had to go see him. Had to give him a heads up. But when she tried to move, the room seemed to tilt, and the floor moved under her feet. Her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, gasping for air. The voice said,
"It's occurring." You can't get away from it. You can't go back now that the Devourer is within you. She tried to get up, but her body felt like lead, and her arms and legs were heavy and didn't move. She looked up, her eyesight blurry, and found Ryder standing in the doorway with a scared look on his face. For a moment, she could see the love and desperation in his eyes as they fixed onto hers. He stretched out to her, but before she could move toward him, the world around her started to whirl. She felt a piercing agony in her chest, like something was tearing her apart from the inside out.
She screamed, and her back arched as the power poured through her, tearing at her very essence. As the darkness swirled about her, her breath came in short bursts and her vision faded. Ryder ran up to her and touched her arm, but it was too late. The world fell into darkness, and the goddess's voice came back, louder than ever. "The crown was never theirs to offer." It was mine, and now it's waking up inside you. Then everything went dark.