The truth slammed into her like a fist wrapped in fire.
Pain tore through Althea's side as she forced herself upright, her breath ragged and shallow. Every nerve screamed in protest, but her eyes locked on the red-haired figure moving steadily toward her.
"Nioh…" Her voice trembled, a whisper cracked by pain and dread.
"…how long have you known?"
Nioh's wild crimson hair floated in the charged air, a halo of chaos framing his face as he stepped over the rubble-strewn ground. His expression was unreadable—cold, relentless.
"From the beginning, Althea," he said. "Your face is identical to hers."
She froze. The words hit harder than any blow.
"Impossible," she spat, staggering to her feet. Her eyes burned with confusion and fury. "I erased everything. I killed them all. How can you—how can you be related to her?"
But she didn't wait for the answer. Rage detonated inside her like a collapsing star.
