CHAPTER ONE
Darkness breathed around her.
Yennefer walked without knowing where her feet carried her. The ground beneath her felt neither solid nor soft, as though the world itself hesitated to decide what it was. Above her, below her—nothing. Only blackness that swallowed every thought.
Then she heard it.
Footsteps.
They echoed faintly at first, slow and deliberate, ascending from somewhere behind her. Her heart stuttered. She turned sharply, expecting to collide with someone.
There was no one.
"Who's there?" she asked, her voice trembling as it dissolved into the dark.
No answer came.
She swallowed and forced herself forward, each step heavier than the last. The silence pressed against her ears until it became unbearable. Just when she began to convince herself it had all been imagined, the footsteps returned.
Closer.
More numerous.
They multiplied until they no longer sounded like one presence but many—dozens, perhaps more—circling her, enclosing her in an invisible ring. Yennefer spun slowly, her breath shallow, her pulse pounding violently in her ears.
"I can hear you," she whispered. "Show yourselves."
Nothing appeared.
Only the sound.
A cold wind rose suddenly, cutting through the stillness. It gathered before her, twisting and spiraling, alive with a force that made her skin prickle. Fear bloomed in her chest, sharp and consuming.
She could feel them now.
Eyes she could not see. Bodies she could not touch. Their presence pressed against her mind, heavy with intent.
"I don't want any trouble," she said, her voice breaking.
She tried to run.
Her legs refused to move.
Panic surged through her veins as the wind surged forward, thickening, shaping itself into something unnatural. The air bent and folded until shadows stretched outward, forming limbs.
Hands.
Legs.
A figure without a face.
One hand reached toward her.
Yennefer squeezed her eyes shut and screamed.
"No! Please—don't!"
"Where is the sacrifice?" a deep, wicked voice demanded.
Her scream caught in her throat as invisible fingers wrapped around her neck. The grip tightened, stealing her breath, her strength, her thoughts.
"I am you," the voice whispered. "No… we are you."
Laughter followed—soft, cruel, and hauntingly familiar.
Her eyes flew open.
That voice.
It was hers.
"Wha…" She was about to speak when a voice whispered close to her—not in her head, but right beside her."
"Wake up."
The words were gentle, almost loving.
Light burst through the darkness, blinding her. The pressure vanished instantly. The wind dissolved. The footsteps faded into nothingness.
She gasped and stumbled backward, clutching at her throat.
She could move.
Her legs trembled as she took a cautious step, then another. Relief crashed over her in waves, quickly replaced by urgency.
She needed to leave.
The light shimmered ahead, warm and inviting. Without thinking, she ran toward it, reaching out—
—and the world shifted.
Yennefer found herself standing in a living room.
Sunlight streamed through wide windows, painting the walls in soft gold. The scent of coffee and something sweet lingered in the air. It felt real. Solid.
"Why would you even sleep in the living room?" a woman's voice asked.
Yennefer froze.
A beautiful lady stood before her, arms crossed, dark eyes studying her with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.
Confusion flooded Yennefer's mind. Her heart still raced, her palms damp with fear.
"So you're her?" the woman continued. "The prettiest lady my mom said was coming?"
She stepped forward and offered a smile. "I'm Chloe."
Yennefer backed away instinctively, panic bubbling over.
"N-no… no…" she muttered, moving in a small circle as though trapped.
Chloe's expression softened. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe here."
She gestured behind her. "That's my brother, Clement."
Yennefer followed her gaze.
Clement leaned against the wall, tall and striking, his presence unsettling in a way she couldn't explain. His eyes lingered on her too long, too intensely, as if searching for something hidden beneath her skin.
"What's your name?" Chloe asked gently.
Yennefer hesitated.
"I… I think it's Yennefer," she said slowly. "I don't know how I got here. I was somewhere dark… I was trapped."
Clement scoffed under his breath, but Chloe shot him a warning look.
"Maybe you lost your memory," Chloe said. "It happens after trauma. Don't worry—we'll help you."
Yennefer nodded, though unease curled in her stomach. Something about this place felt wrong. Too calm. Too staged.
Then a voice whispered inside her mind.
Wake up, my love.
Her breath hitched.
Please wake up. You're my only daughter.
Pain stabbed through her head. She clutched her temples, shaking.
Yennefer, don't leave me.
Her knees buckled.
She collapsed to the floor.
When she opened her eyes again, white light greeted her.
Beeping sounds. Murmured voices.
A hospital room.
People surrounded her bed, tears and relief etched across their faces.
"She's awake!" someone cried.
Before she could speak, a familiar whisper slid into her ears.
"You're back… with my help."
Her heart sank.
"Remember," the voice continued softly, almost tenderly, "we are we."
Laughter echoed through her mind.
" What will be the end of us?"
Darkness swallowed her once more.
When Yennefer finally awoke again, warmth enveloped her.
Her mother sat beside her bed, eyes red but smiling from ear to ear.
"Yennefer, my dear," she whispered.
"Mom," Yennefer breathed. "I had a nightmare. I couldn't find you… I thought I was lost forever."
Her mother pulled her into a tight embrace.
"I'm here now. I never left," she said, tears slipping down her cheeks. "We've been waiting for you."
"But… that voice," Yennefer murmured. "Itfelt real."
Her mother stroked her hair gently. "Rest now. Everything is going to be fine."
Yet as Yennefer closed her eyes, she felt it again—
A presence.
Watching.
Waiting.
From somewhere deep within her, a whisper answered back.
We are not finished.
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To be continued…