Standing in the menacing shade of the room, his silhouette was as striking as I remembered. When he stepped forward, the unmistakable gleam of his silver hair caught the dim light. But his beautiful eyes were concealed beneath a stark white bandage. How could he see his surroundings? Maybe the darkness that swallowed him had claimed his eyesight. But none of that mattered. He was alive.

"You are alive… thank goodness. I thought that you were gone for good" I breathed, my voice trembling with relief and despair.

The young man remained silent. The tension shifted, no longer suffocating but heavy, like the calm before a storm. The intruder was no stranger after all – it was the man I met on the bridge. A man whose purpose, it seemed, was revenge, to pay for the sight he lost.

"Can you explain what you meant earlier, on the bridge?" I demanded firmly. "What did you mean by my wish being fulfilled? Never once in my life have I ever wished for someone to die! Never!" I said bitterly.

No answer. No reaction. He stood as still as stone.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked, worried, reaching for his arm.

"Don't you dare touch me, you filthy human!" He spat venomously. He recoiled from my touch as if it burned. "Do it again, and you'll be dead before you know it!".

My hand dropped, trembling. What was I thinking? I was the reason he lost his eyesight. He must loathe me.

"Go ahead! Kill me if you wish!" I screamed, "If that will make you feel better!"

Suddenly, he ripped off his bandage. His long silver eyelashes were intensely mesmerizing, framing deep golden eyes. Golden eyes! had they not been purple before? As his gaze locked on me, I froze, unable to move, as if my strength was being drained from my body.

"You are not him... Who are you?" I whispered, fear creeping into my voice.

Still no answer. He just stood there, motionless, waiting for me to vanish.

But then, without a warning, he jolted back as if I'd ferociously attacked him, forcing him kneel in front of me. I could feel the weight of his power fading until I finally broke free from his hold.

He was furious, his expression a mixture of rage and disbelief. He wasn't kneeling by his own will. Maybe I have some superpowers too after all! Luck is on my side for once I suppose.

He lifted his head, staring at my neck.

"What are you looking at, you pervert?" I snapped, "Serves you right! You are the one who attacked me first!"

Suddenly, I felt it, a strange tingling at my neck,  like a thousand tiny pinpricks pressing against my skin, as if something was being etched into me. Stumbling to a mirror, I discovered a purple violet tattoo, beautifully intricate, faintly glowing against my skin.

"Damn you, Asher!" he roared. "Wasn't she the one who killed you! I came here to avenge you, damn it!" he screamed furiously.

I approached him with a newfound confidence and tilted his head up with the tip of my finger.

"Asher? Who is Asher?"I asked.

He jerked away, shaking off my touch.

"Why are you acting like a child?" I sighed with frustration, "I can't believe I mistook you for him! He was so much more... manly"

"Don't you dare talk about Asher as if you knew him!" he snarled painfully. "You, murderer, you killed my brother with cold blood and even now he can't stop protecting you!"

His voice cracked, tears slightly pearling at the corner of his golden eyes.

"Damn it!"

Looking at him in this state, completely helpless, a strange feeling stirred inside me. His vulnerability, the way rage has crumbled into something more human, was...oddly endearing. I couldn't deny the resemblance, not just in their faces but in the pain hidden deep within their  eyes. They certainly were twins.

"Now then, what shall I do with you?" I teased; my voice laced with mock amusement.

"Don't act all cocky!" he smirked. "The effect of your insignia is only temporary on me. Once I am free, I'll make sure you regret this!"

"So this is an insignia…" I thought, looking at the mirror. It is quite captivating; the purple violet details are meticulously drawn as if it were a work of art. Now that I think of it, that man's eyes— Asher— were the same shade of purple.

"Did he curse me or something? «I murmured, my brow furrowing. "Well, even if he did why would he protect me against his brother? It is almost as if... he is living within me!"

"That's it!" I exclaimed, proud of myself. "Maybe there is a way to bring him back, even if I can't, you probably can since you are not hu— "

My thoughts froze mid-sentence. Before I could finish, I felt a shift in the air behind me. The young man had freed himself.

His hands were now closing around my neck, his grip tightening gradually, like a predator toying with his prey.

"How amusing!" he drawled. Weren't you acting all arrogant two minutes ago?

Leaning in closer, his breath brushed against my ear.

"Let me tell you a secret," he whispered in a sinister voice, "Killing you physically will not trigger the spell on your neck"

A cold, cruel laugh escaped his lips, reverberating through the room.

"Hahaha… I might grant you a death wish, Mia"

"…"

"Well, I tried to be merciful for once, but it didn't work. Did you see that, brother? he said hysterically. "Goodbye, Mia!"

I closed my eyes, bracing for the end. I felt a sharp, searing pain on my neck. A strange powerful energy coursed through me, and the insignia on my skin began to pulse, glowing brighter with each beat of my heart.

"What is happening?" I gasped, struggling for air, the power inside of me growing uncontrollably.

Before I could grasp what was happening, I felt something snap within me, a wild force I could not control. My vision blurred, and the world around me dissolved into chaos. The last thing I saw was a warm shadow, his shadow, looming over me.

Then, everything went black.