Aurora’s words pushed her into memory. Cerceras, the dark god Julius had told her about. The one her parents had fought against. The one who killed people in dreams.

Then she remembered how she could throw dark ice and enter people’s minds. How she could command them to do anything.

“What do you mean Cerceras was never supposed to reach me?”

Who was Cerceras, and why was he inside Amy?

Amy’s voice had blurted out sharper than she meant, like daggers toward her mother. The air’s heat pressed against her skin, though her dark ice chilled her beneath it. It was terrifying.

A shadow of Milo stood beside Aurora, waving — its teeth too long and sharp for its face. Her stomach turned. For a second she almost forgot that it wasn’t him.

Cerceras… what are you?

How much of what she was seeing was actually Milo? And why…was Cerceras wearing her father’s face?

“Amy,” her mother’s voice sounded distant. “Cerceras is…”

But Amy’s eyes started to unfocus, and behind her, Bennet continued to scream. She heard the crack of his arm as it had crushed all over again. Shivers ran down her spine as she watched Aurora crouching beside the boy, ripping off her sleeve for a makeshift tourniquet. The tearing of cloth followed, resembling snapped bone. Breaths came quick, sharp, and ragged.

She couldn’t take it anymore, so she spun around and walked away. Her mother called after her.

Her heart was beating. She remembered the exhilaration of throwing dark ice. How easily it had obeyed her. The chill of possessing Bennet as he listened to her.

What was happening?

She still couldn’t hear Aurora’s words clearly. Instead, she heard ringing. She closed her eyes imagining Bennet’s arm bent the wrong way, pale fingers twitching. Though Aurora’s voice registered as a mumble in her head, Amy caught just enough to make out, I can explain. The phrase hit her like a slap in the face. It snapped something inside her chest.

“Amy!” Aurora’s voice rang too loud in her mind. Her chest tightened again. Her name kept cutting through the ringing in her head, prying into her like a hook. What do they want from me?

She heard her name again.

Whipping around, she had enough. “Don’t. Say. My. Name. Like. You. Own it!”

Aurora froze mid-step.

Amy pointed to Bennet. “Don’t come closer. He’s bleeding out! Stay with him. Save him!”

Her voice came as a command again, voice booming. But Aurora narrowed her eyes, unaffected by her dark magic.

Amy made a mental note of that as she glanced at the spreading blood on the floor. Aurora’s nostrils flared as she turned back around, not because Amy had commanded her, but because she had chosen to.

Though the situation was horrifying to Amy, Aurora looked like a bored surgeon who moved about confidently. As if seeing Bennet sprawled out in a pool of blood was another Saturday morning.

That calm dug under Amy’s skin. It was too familiar. When she had once explored her past life in dreams, Milo had always worn that same, apathetic expression in high stakes situations.

Though now, over her shoulder, his shadow looked giddier than the real Milo ever had. It grinned wider, teeth gleaming.

"Why stop her, Amy?” Cerceras coaxed. “Shouldn’t you let him bleed out as she explains everything to you? Make up with you? Close the arduously long gap between you?"

The shadow tilted its head, the grin stretching wider. The air around him cooled, brushing goosebumps along her arms. It was the same chill that radiated from her dark ice. Unnatural and buzzing. His voice was low, conversational, and amused like Milo’s.

"Don’t tell me you’re afraid of your gifts…You can take over anything! Kill anyone! Your mother once had the same gift, and she became an empress. Imagine everything you can do! Your father, on the other hand…”

Amy’s nails dug deeper into her palms as her head spun. “Stop —” She broke off, catching herself. She realized too painfully that she sounded crazy, talking to herself. Aurora’s expression confirmed that Amy looked crazy. Then her mother looked back at Bennet.

Bennet’s broken form caught her frantic attention. “Bennet…” Amy started, watching as Aurora pulled the tourniquet tight.

The chill got colder as Cerceras touched her shoulder. "Still guarding him even after everything he’s done to you? That’s touching. Tragic, but touching." Milo’s form tilted his head again, as if studying a specimen. "Why are you weaker than your parents?"

Her chest heaved. “Shut up.”

The shadow didn’t flinch. She heard it say something evil again.

“Shut up!” she screamed, fully aware Aurora was looking at her horrified, still unable to hear him.

“Amy…”

“You too!” she screamed at her mother. Tears stung her eyes. “Please… just stop. All of you.”

Milo’s shadow floated as he whispered in her ear: “You are unstoppable. Look at him, pathetic like trash on the floor. The first step in your journey is this: kill him, Amy.”

“No!”

The word tore from her throat as dark magic spilled from her, causing spikes of black ice to scatter. It stopped short of Bennet. And… it felt good. And that was horrifying.

She yelled as she flung ice into empty space, away from Aurora and Bennet, feeling the power shoot out of her. The spikes hissed as they decorated the dry, cracked floor.

I have the power to do…anything.

Dark clouds circled overhead and thunder cracked.

Her breath still shot out rapidly as her vision shook. She remembered her hand closing, inadvertently crushing Bennet’s arm. She had also possessed him. Her body wouldn’t stop shaking until —

Like an angel rushing to her side, she felt a familiar, warm presence that melted the cold tingling from her dark ice.

Then she heard it. Kristo’s voice: "Breathe, Amy."

The voice didn’t cut like Milo’s. It was gentle. Kind.

"He’s just a voice. He can’t touch you here," Kristo continued.

He’s here! Everything is okay, he’s really here! He’ll take care of me…

Her shoulders eased by a fraction. The ringing in her ears softened, replaced by the steady hush of waves. One that lived in her memories. The shores of Sunji.

"You’re still you. You’re beautiful, amazing, and strong. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. And I’m still here. Like I promised when you were small, I’ll always be with you."

The edges of her vision softened; the cold bite in her fingers eased. Her fingers twitched at her side. She wanted to believe it so bad.

“Dad…”

She remembered his off-tune sea shanty. The salty smell of the sea. His smile. His lame jokes.

“Dad…” she called again. Her throat tightened, the word catching halfway out.

She almost jumped out of her skin as Milo’s dark figure popped next to her, a monster with Cerceras’ teeth. The sea froze mid-wave. The memory of Sunji dashed away. The sky dimmed, shadows spilling across the deck. His presence turned the salt air metallic, bitter on her tongue.

"Careful, Amy. Keep calling for 'Dad' and I might start to think you mean me."

"He’s just a voice, Amy. Turn around. Walk away!"

“Amy!” Aurora’s scream.

They were all so needy!

Aurora stood now, frozen again between her daughter and the stupid, useless boy. But she knew that he was a human being all the same.

Dumb, fucking morality…

Meanwhile, Amy oscillated between the dead and reality. Aurora’s eyes flicked from Amy to Bennet’s wound, calculating the moment. Everything in her wanted to run to her daughter, but if she did the weak boy was dead. Luckily, blood had stopped pooling from the mangled arm. But he still needed the fallen empress to prevent him from going into shock.

Amy, in the meanwhile, continued to shut her eyes. She imagined what Kristo would say. But she assumed it wouldn’t matter anyways.

Because, she knew all too well what was happening: Unlike Milo, he’s in my imagination, isn’t he?

She swallowed.

I’m imagining him up. Because I know. He’s actually dead and gone and I’ll never see him again. Milo’s all that’s left.

She opened her eyes, feeling clarity. She looked at her mother who remained standing.

“Mom, if you come to me, Bennet might die.” Amy’s voice cracked under the strain. Her hands shook, but she kept her gaze locked on Aurora’s face, daring her to move.

Beside her, Milo’s shadow leaned in. Instead of closing her eyes, she turned to meet his. But the eyes were no longer Milo’s. And they were red.

Cerceras dropped the pretense.

"You think you’re saving him," Cerceras murmured. The words carried her father’s cadence but dipped in something older and deeper. "But you’re only fattening them for me."

And then, she heard footsteps. Cerceras continued: “There they come, Amy.”

“Who?”

When she turned, she saw Libbet, her mouth dropping as she looked at the scene.

Princessa stopped far behind, eyes wide.

Libbet’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent, the corner of her mouth twitching as she turned her wide eyes toward Amy.

Amy’s stomach lurched as her father’s form morphed into a larger monster who cackled loudly.

"Before I leave you to your friends, I’ll tell you a secret. Your father once resisted me. And he was much more stubborn then you. Arrogant, really. But I wore your father until he fit…” Cerceras looked so…happy.

Libbet’s glare sharpened.

Cerceras smiled at her kindly and whispered: "It shouldn’t be a surprise that you stand no chance against me. You’re mine. Thank you, Amy… you’re preparing a fantastic feast for me."