"One of them must die."
The words on the photograph wouldn't leave my mind.
I stared at Shawshank.
He was still holding the photograph, but his hands were shaking.
"No," he whispered.
I swallowed.
"What?"
"You're not dying."
"I didn't say I was."
"You don't have to."
He looked at me.
"If there are two souls inside you, then we'll find a way to save both."
Grandmother shook her head.
"The prophecy says one must die."
I turned toward her.
"Prophecies can be wrong."
Everyone became silent.
I looked at the photograph again.
"Maybe this isn't a prophecy."
Elara stepped forward.
"It is."
"Then change it."
She stared at me.
"What?"
"You were the first keeper."
"Yes."
"You followed the prophecy."
"Yes."
"And where did that get you?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Prison."
"Exactly."
I dropped the photograph.
"I won't follow another prophecy that tells me who has to die."
Suddenly, the golden mark on my wrist burned.
A voice whispered inside my head.
Thank you.
I froze.
It was my second soul.
"Are you there?"
Yes.
"What happened to you?"
Silence.
"Tell me."
The queen took me.
My heart sank.
"What?"
When Elara divided my soul, the queen stole the other half.
I looked at Elara.
"You said you separated my soul to protect me."
"I did."
"You didn't tell me the queen stole part of it."
Elara looked away.
"I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid you would try to get it back."
I stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because the moment your souls reunite, your power will become complete."
"And that's dangerous?"
"For everyone."
I looked at Shawshank.
He stepped closer.
"I don't care."
I looked at him.
"What?"
"If becoming complete makes you dangerous, then we'll teach you how to control it."
A smile escaped me.
"You make everything sound easy."
"No."
He smiled.
"I just refuse to give up."
Before I could answer, the kingdom shook.
BOOM!
The sealed gate cracked.
Marina screamed.
"Everyone back!"
A thin black line appeared across the gate.
Then another.
Something was trying to break through.
Grandmother grabbed my arm.
"Your other soul is calling the gate."
I looked at the crack.
"I can hear her."
Bjei!
Her voice was louder now.
Please!
I stepped toward the gate.
Shawshank caught my hand.
"Don't."
"She needs me."
"We don't know what's waiting behind there."
"I do."
I looked at him.
"She's me."
He didn't let go.
"Then I'm coming with you."
We approached the gate.
The golden mark on my wrist began glowing.
A small opening appeared.
Cold air rushed through.
I looked inside.
There was a girl sitting alone in the darkness.
She was chained to the ground.
She looked exactly like me.
I stepped closer.
"Bjei?"
She lifted her head.
"Finally."
Tears filled her eyes.
I reached through the opening.
"What happened?"
She looked behind her.
"The queen."
I felt a chill.
"Where is she?"
A smile appeared on her face.
"She has been here the entire time."
I turned.
The queen was standing behind us.
Shawshank immediately moved in front of me.
"You."
The queen looked at me.
"You came for your soul."
"Yes."
"Then take it."
I frowned.
"Just like that?"
She smiled.
"Of course."
Something felt wrong.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing."
"You're lying."
She laughed.
"You've become wiser."
She pointed at the girl behind the gate.
"She belongs to you."
Then she pointed at me.
"And you belong to her."
I didn't understand.
"What does that mean?"
The queen's eyes turned black.
"You think she is your missing soul."
She paused.
"But she isn't."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
The queen smiled.
"She is the soul that was stolen from me."
Silence.
Shawshank looked at me.
The girl behind the gate started crying.
"No…"
The queen stepped closer.
"For eighteen years, you believed you were carrying two souls."
She pointed at the girl.
"You aren't."
She pointed at me.
"You were carrying one."
Then she whispered:
"The second one has always belonged to me."
The girl screamed.
The golden crown on my wrist shattered into light.
And suddenly, I felt another presence enter my body.
I collapsed.
Shawshank caught me.
"Bjei!"
I looked up.
My eyes were glowing gold.
But when I spoke—
It wasn't my voice.
It was the girl's.
"She lied."
I stared at the queen.
Then the girl behind the gate screamed:
"The queen is not the real queen!"