Lina didn't step back.
The version of herself—the one who had embraced the Spark entirely—stood there, an imposing figure, her once warm eyes now vacant, consumed by the very force that Lina had struggled to control. The dark Lina's presence was suffocating, a weight that pressed on everything around them. The air turned thick with a silent hum, like the world itself was holding its breath.
"Is this what you would become?" the dark Lina asked, her voice cold, echoing through the fractured world. "If you let it consume you… if you give in?"
Lina's heart clenched, but she didn't flinch. This was her—this was the version of herself that she feared. The one who had embraced the power, and in doing so, had become a puppet of its will.
"No," Lina said firmly, her voice barely a whisper against the storm that brewed between them. "This is not me."
The dark Lina's smile widened, her eyes flickering with an unsettling glow. "Oh, but it is. All the rage, all the pain, the power… It's already inside of you, Lina. You feel it. You crave it. Just like I did."
Lina's fists tightened at her sides. The Spark within her—a flame that was always there, always threatening to grow out of control—was tugging at her, whispering promises of strength and control. She could feel it pulsing beneath her skin, threatening to take over, to consume everything. But she refused to listen. Not this time. Not when everything she had fought for had been for this very moment.
"I won't let you control me," Lina said, louder now, her words defiant.
The dark Lina's expression shifted, her mask of serenity cracking for a moment, revealing a flicker of something—fear? Anger? It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by an almost serene calm. "You already have, Lina. You just don't realize it. You're one choice away from falling into the same darkness I did. One moment of weakness, and you will be me."
Lina's breath hitched. She had seen it before—the possibility of this. The potential for the Spark to overwhelm her, to turn her into a weapon, a force of destruction. But what she hadn't realized, what she hadn't truly understood until now, was that the choice wasn't between embracing the Spark or rejecting it. It was the choice of what she would become, in spite of it.
"What happens to you when you lose yourself?" Lina asked, stepping forward, her voice softer now. "Is there anything left of who you once were?"
The dark Lina's eyes flickered. For the briefest of moments, the cold mask of control slipped, revealing something more raw, more vulnerable.
"Nothing," she whispered, her voice like wind through broken glass. "Nothing at all."
Lina took another step closer. Her hand was shaking, but she kept it steady. "Then let me help you. You don't have to be this."
The dark Lina's expression twisted, her lips curling into a smile that was both sad and cruel. "You think you can save me? You're just like them. Like Kai. You think there's always a way back." She raised her hand, and the ground trembled. "There isn't. Once you've crossed the line, there's no coming back."
With a sharp movement, she lunged forward, her form blurring into shadows. The air crackled as dark energy swirled around her, the Spark now fully unleashed, radiating raw power.
Kai moved to intercept, but Lina held out her hand, stopping him. "No," she said, her voice steady. "This is mine to face."
The dark Lina's energy slammed into her, a force of nature, pushing Lina back, her body aching from the impact. But Lina stood her ground. The Spark within her fought back, pushing at her control, trying to break free. It was tempting—so easy to let it take over, to feel that rush of strength.
But Lina's mind was clear. She would not let this version of herself control her. Not now, not ever.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The Spark inside her roared, but she listened. She let it flood her senses, not to fight it, but to understand it. This wasn't something she needed to run from. This power, this potential, was part of her. But it did not define her.
"Listen to me," Lina whispered to herself, to the dark version standing before her. "You don't have to be afraid of the power. You just have to choose how to wield it."
The dark Lina paused, her form flickering, the energy swirling around her faltering for just a moment. It was a crack in the foundation of the shadow, a moment of doubt.
Lina reached out, her hand trembling but determined. "We're not so different, you and I. We've both felt the weight of it. But we get to choose who we become."
The dark Lina stared at her, her eyes wide as if searching for something in Lina's expression—something real. The glow in her eyes flickered again, and the dark energy around her seemed to recede, just a little.
For a fleeting moment, Lina thought she saw a tear—silent and heavy, falling from the dark Lina's eye.
And then, the world trembled.
The moment passed.
The dark Lina vanished, absorbed into the shadows, leaving Lina standing alone. The ground beneath her feet felt steady again, but the echo of what had just happened lingered in the air, like the final breath of a storm.
Lina collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath, the Spark inside her flickering as if testing her resolve.
Kai was at her side in an instant, his hand on her shoulder. "You did it," he said softly. "You stopped her."
Lina shook her head, her chest rising and falling with each shaky breath. "No, Kai. It's not over."
The world around them trembled once more, as if recognizing the truth in her words.
"This was just the beginning," Lina whispered, eyes wide as the land around them shifted. "And I don't think we're done yet."