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The scene unfolding before me was both horrific and mesmerizing. My own mark burned beneath my tunic, alive, restless, like it was desperate to leap free and meet his. A sense inside me stirred, primal and wild, yearning to be unbound.

And as Kleitos’ Mist fully manifested beside him, I felt it. That creature inside my chest thrashed against my ribs, like it recognized the being standing before us. Like it wanted to be near it.

But I held it down. The pain Kleitos had just endured was enough to keep my own urges locked beneath skin and bones.

The fog-like shadow around him dissipated, slowly withdrawing like smoke caught on the wind. In its place stood a perfect twin, flesh and blood, with no visible difference from Kleitos himself.

And then… that mirrored version turned its gaze on me.

It stepped forward.

TAINTED| CHAPTER 30

Naemira

Alexander’s POV

We were both locked in, my eyes fixed on the figures. Its gaze pierced straight through me like it was searching my soul. Time itself seemed to freeze, the cold air forgotten as it stepped closer. Goosebumps prickled along my skin, the fine hair beneath my tunic rising as a shiver ran down my spine. The mark on my chest thrashed like a heartbeat, pounding wildly against my ribcage, itching, burning, yearning.

When the doppelganger stopped just inches from me, it studied my face with eerie calm. Then, without a word, it reached forward and slid its fingers beneath the hem of my tunic. The fabric lifted, and the cold air kissed my skin, dragging a tremor through my core. They hovered over the red brand seared into the center of my chest. And then, slowly, deliberately, it pressed its hand to the mark.

The delicate skin reacted instantly to its touch. The seams of the burn flared with white-hot light, glowing brighter with every breath. My flesh began to sizzle, the acrid scent of burning skin rising in the air as the mark ignited.

Then came the trembling, violent and uncontrollable, as its fingers began to press deeper, through the glow, like it was tunneling beneath the surface. The pain was excruciating. A scream tore from my throat, raw and guttural, as the light burst upward, dissolving the skin in a radiant bloom that swallowed the room in white. Anyone who dared to look would’ve been blinded.

“Is he okay?” Valentina’s voice rang out, frantic, her scream crashing through the chaos as I collapsed to my knees.

The figure followed me down, kneeling in perfect unison. Its motions were eerily calm, controlled. And then, with no hesitation, it reached inside me. Not just my body, deeper. Its hand phased through my chest like smoke through smoke, but the sensation was all too real. The room spun wildly as my soul twisted, bent sideways like it was being wrenched from its anchor.

“He’ll be fine. Stay back, Valentina,” the figure before me commanded. Its voice carried the same depth and authority as the real Kleitos, who stood silently behind it, watching without interference. The doppelganger’s jaw tensed, frustration etched in every line of its face as it struggled to draw out the force I had been suppressing.

A low, exasperated sigh escaped its lips.

Its form began to flicker, flesh unraveled into shadow, then back again. Finally it dissolved into a cloud of fog. Shreds of darkness folded inward, rushing toward me in a surge of movement. It pierced my chest like a spear of air and light, slipping straight into the glowing mark that had cracked me open.

Instantly, my body seized. A wave of raw, invasive power spread through my limbs, and the pressure in my chest tightened until I couldn’t breathe. My throat clutched at the air, lungs refusing to obey. I fell to my side. And just like that, the world went black.

When I came to, I felt light and whole all at once. Sharp grains of grass pierced the sensitive flesh of my ear as let the warm air fill my lungs. Rays of sunshine beat down against my skin, warm, relentless, and almost too bright. Like it once had in the human realm. It was unforgiving in its heat, but gods, I missed the sensation. After being surrounded by cold for so long, the warmth felt… sacred. Humbling, even.

Lifting a hand to shield my eyes, I pushed myself up onto my knees before slowly rising to my feet. My mind was still fogged by the chaos of whatever had just happened, but once the haze cleared, I took a good look around. At first glance, the field looked normal. But the longer I stared, the more I noticed how… off everything was. The colors were muted, washed out, like a memory losing its sharpness. The trees that surrounded me swayed gently, but their bark had an unnatural shade of oak, and their leaves were tinged with yellowish-green tones I didn’t recognize.

In the center of the field sat a quaint house. Two stories tall, made of whitewashed wood and supported by thick marble columns. Timeless. Sturdy. A winding path of wildflowers wrapped around its base, spilling out in vibrant bursts of color against the pale earth. The air didn’t hum like it did in Eari. There was no whisper in the wind, no subtle magic pulling at my senses. It felt… lighter. Cleaner. Familiar in a way that made my chest ache. Like home. Like the human realm.

But if this was truly the human realm, how had I gotten here?

Turning slowly, I scanned the edges of the forest, already suspecting I wasn’t alone. And I was right. Three figures stood beneath the shade of the trees. They didn’t hide. They waited. Silent and still, as if they had always known I would find them eventually.

Two Kleitos.

And one… one was me.

All three began walking toward me like soldiers in formation. The way I would've freaked out about this a month ago still rattles my damn mind, but now, I stood there composed, waiting as they approached. Once they reached me, the twinned version of myself finally spoke. Its voice was clear and deep, making my ears tingle. “It took our father to fully wake you up. I’ve been calling out to you for days, and you’ve been ignoring me. That’s not right.”

I couldn’t respond at first, my mouth had dropped open to the floor. It took a moment to pull it back up, and even then, it was dry as sand. I had to swallow just to get some moisture back before I could speak. “You can talk?” I asked, almost breathless.

“Why wouldn’t I be able to?” he replied casually.

My eyes scanned every part of him. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, or hearing. I wanted to faint. “Hey, we can’t have you passing out on us,” he added, like it was no big deal. “Come on, or you’re going to miss it.” Then he turned and started walking past me like this was just another Tuesday.