The red-eyed reflection raised his hand, and from the swirling shadows behind him, a weapon emerged.
Chains rattled as a massive greatsword tore itself from the darkness. Its blade pulsed like a dying star — deep crimson, like liquid shadows frozen in motion. Strange, jagged runes burned along its edge, glowing with Void energy so thick it made Zane's skin crawl. The hilt was wrapped in blackened metal, and from its pommel trailed chains that writhed like living serpents.
The reflection grinned.
Zane instinctively took a step back. That sword — it radiated something... wrong. Like it didn't belong in this world. Like it hated everything that lived.
"Oh? Scared?" the reflection sneered. He swung the sword once. The ground beneath him cracked like glass, fracturing in all directions.
Zane clenched his fists. "What is that...?"
The reflection lifted the blade with a casual ease. "If you remember — and I know you don't yet — this was one of the weapons we used to tear the skies apart and drag kingdoms to their knees."
He spun it once, and the chains around the hilt wrapped around his wrist like a gauntlet.
"Unfortunately, when they sealed me away, the cowards took it and locked it somewhere in this fragile world of yours." He glanced at the glowing Void runes with distaste. "No doubt trying to study it, trying to control it."
His grin widened. "But don't worry. Once I'm done with you, I'll retrieve it myself."
Zane's heart pounded. His instincts screamed at him to run — to back away, to get out of this place. But there was nowhere to run. Not from this. Not from himself.
"You're not real," Zane growled. "You're just a manifestation — a memory. I'm not you."
The reflection let out a soft, cruel chuckle.
"Oh, Zane. I'm not a memory. I'm the part of you that remembers."
He moved, and the world shook.
In a blink, he was in front of Zane — the massive blade cleaving down in an arc.
Zane barely dodged, rolling aside. The blade struck the stone, and the ground exploded, sending shards of darkness flying in all directions. The sheer force left a crater beneath them, jagged and steaming with Void energy.
Zane skidded back, his breath ragged. He summoned the Endblade — its form still unstable after the last battle. But it was all he had.
The reflection raised the greatsword lazily. "Come on, then. Show me what the 'new you' is capable of."
Zane lunged, shadows flaring as he struck.
But the red-eyed version of himself met the blow with ease, parrying with a twist of his massive weapon. Sparks of black and crimson burst from the clash.
"I can feel your hesitation," the reflection said, twisting and slamming Zane into the ground with a devastating kick. "You're still clinging to weakness. Still afraid of what we are."
Zane coughed, pushing himself up. "I'm not afraid."
The reflection stalked forward, dragging the greatsword behind him, the chains scraping the stone like wailing whispers. "Then why haven't you embraced it?"
Zane roared, shadows bursting from him as he launched into the air, bringing the Endblade down with both hands.
But the reflection smiled.
And raised one finger.
A ring of red runes appeared beneath him — and from it, a pulse of energy erupted, catching Zane mid-air and hurling him backward like a rag doll.
He hit the ground hard, coughing blood.
"You can't win this," the reflection said, walking slowly toward him. "Because you're still pretending to be something you're not."
He pointed the blade down at Zane, the chains writhing like hungry serpents.
"But don't worry. I'll break you. And when I do, we'll become whole again."
Zane looked up, battered, blood dripping from his lips... but his eyes were still burning with defiance.
"I'd rather die... than become you."
The reflection tilted his head.
He brought the sword down—
—but this time, Zane caught it.
His palms sizzled with shadow energy as he blocked the blade, holding it just inches from his face. The reflection's expression twisted in surprise.
And Zane's voice, cold and filled with something ancient, whispered:
"Then maybe... it's time I remember."