The city was silent, as if it were holding its breath for what was to come.
Selene stood alone, her silver hair catching the faint light of the crescent moon above. The narrow streets of the ghost town were empty, save for the wind that stirred the dust, carrying with it the faint echo of forgotten voices. Buildings loomed like the shadows of a long-dead civilization, their cracked windows and crumbling walls speaking of a world left behind.
In the distance, Selene heard the light sound of footsteps, slow but deliberate, approaching from the far end of the street. She had felt this presence long before she heard it—an unmistakable psychic energy that sent a shiver through her spine.
She knew who it was.
A figure stepped out from behind a building, her short, black hair contrasting against the pale skin of her face. Her eyes, bright and intense, gleamed with a power that felt like it was on the edge of breaking free. She was small, barely five feet, but the weight of her aura filled the space between them.
Vivi.
For a long moment, neither sister said a word. They simply stared at each other across the street, two opposing forces brought together by fate. The last time they had seen each other was a lifetime ago, in another world, before Ronen, before the Arcadians, before all the bloodshed.
Selene swallowed hard, the memories threatening to overwhelm her. She had known this moment would come, but nothing could prepare her for the weight of it.
"You finally found me," Selene said softly, her voice barely audible over the wind.
Vivi's eyes flickered with emotion—anger, pain, something unspoken. "You knew I would."
Selene nodded, her hand resting on the hilt of the blade at her side. "I didn't want it to be like this."
"Neither did I," Vivi said, her voice shaking just slightly. "But we're on different sides now, Selene. We have been for a long time."
Selene's heart ached at those words. She had tried to protect Vivi, to keep her away from the darkness that had consumed their lives. But in the end, it hadn't mattered. Ronen had found her, twisted her, and now here they were, enemies on a battlefield neither of them wanted to be on.
The First Strike
Without warning, Vivi's eyes glowed bright purple, her psychic energy flooding the space around them. The air crackled with invisible force as her power lashed out, throwing broken debris into the air like a storm. Selene barely had time to react, her body twisting as she dodged a piece of rubble that shot past her head.
Vivi's psychic attacks came in waves, relentless and precise. The ground beneath them trembled as her power tore through the earth, sending cracks snaking through the pavement. Selene darted forward, her blade flashing in the moonlight as she closed the distance between them.
But Vivi was faster.
With a single thought, she flung Selene backward, slamming her into the side of a building with a telekinetic push. The impact sent a shockwave through Selene's body, her ribs aching from the force of it.
"I'm not the little girl you remember," Vivi said, her voice cold now, detached. "I've learned a lot since you left."
Selene pushed herself up, her breath ragged, but her gaze remained steady. "I never wanted to leave you. I did it to keep you safe."
"Safe?" Vivi's voice rose, the pain she had been holding back spilling over. "You abandoned me, Selene! You left me alone, and Ronen found me. Do you even know what he did to me?"
Selene's heart clenched. She had tried to save Vivi from this life, but in the end, her actions had only driven her into the hands of the very man she had feared. "I'm sorry," she whispered, but the words felt hollow.
Vivi's power surged again, her psychic energy slamming into Selene like a tidal wave. Selene barely managed to deflect it with a quick slash of her blade, the force of the attack sending sparks flying. But she could feel the weight of Vivi's power pressing down on her, suffocating her.
"You were supposed to be my sister!" Vivi screamed, tears streaming down her face now. "We were supposed to be a family!"
Selene's vision blurred with tears of her own as she fought to keep herself steady. "I wanted that too. More than anything."
Memories of the Past
The fight slowed, both sisters hesitating as the weight of their shared past hung between them. For a moment, the world around them seemed to fade, and Selene was no longer standing in the ruins of a ghost town. She was back in the small, dusty village where they had grown up, just two young girls trying to survive in a world that had been unkind to them.
They had been inseparable once. Vivi had always looked up to Selene, following her everywhere, trusting her to keep them safe. And Selene had done everything she could to protect her little sister. Until the day she couldn't.
"Do you remember the lake?" Vivi asked suddenly, her voice soft, almost childlike. "The one we used to sneak off to at night? You said it was our secret place, just for us."
Selene's heart twisted painfully at the memory. "I remember," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"We used to sit by the water, and you'd tell me stories. You always said we'd run away one day, that we'd find somewhere far away from all the bad things. Somewhere we could be happy." Vivi's voice broke, and for a moment, she looked like the little girl Selene had left behind. "But you left me."
Selene closed her eyes, the guilt crushing her. "I didn't have a choice."
"You always had a choice!" Vivi's power flared again, her anger pushing her to the edge. The psychic energy around her pulsed like a heartbeat, wild and uncontrollable. "You chose to leave me, and now look where we are!"
Selene didn't move, her sword lowered. "I didn't leave you," she said quietly. "I left because I thought it was the only way to protect you. I didn't want this life for you."
"And now I'm a weapon for Ronen," Vivi said bitterly. "Just like you."
Selene shook her head, tears falling freely now. "No. Not like me."
A Moment of Truth
For a long time, neither of them moved. The wind swept through the empty streets, carrying the sounds of distant battles, but here, in this moment, it was just the two of them.
"I don't want to fight you," Selene finally said, her voice trembling. "You're my sister, Vivi. I don't care what Ronen has done to you, I don't care what side you're on. I love you."
Vivi's eyes flickered, her psychic energy faltering for just a moment. The rage and pain in her expression softened, and for the first time since the fight began, Selene saw her sister again.
"I love you too," Vivi whispered, her voice breaking. "But we can't go back. We're too far gone."
Selene's heart shattered at those words, but she knew Vivi was right. Even if they stopped fighting now, even if they walked away from this battle, they would never be the same. The sides they had chosen had torn them apart, and there was no way to undo that.
Vivi stepped back, her psychic energy dimming as she lowered her hands. "I don't want to fight you anymore."
Selene let out a shaky breath, nodding in agreement. "Neither do I."
For a brief moment, it felt like the world had paused. The fighting, the chaos, the war—it all faded into the background, and it was just the two of them, standing together as sisters one last time.
But the moment couldn't last.
Parting Ways
Vivi wiped the tears from her eyes, her expression hardening once more. "We can't be together, Selene. Not like this. We're on opposite sides now."
Selene knew it was true, but it didn't make it any easier to hear. "I wish things could be different."
"So do I," Vivi said softly. "But they're not."
There was a long silence between them, the weight of their separation hanging heavy in the air. Finally, Vivi turned away, her psychic energy flickering around her as she prepared to leave.
"Goodbye, Selene."
Selene's throat tightened, but she forced herself to speak. "Goodbye, Vivi."
And with that, Vivi disappeared into the night, leaving Selene standing alone in the empty street, her heart breaking for the sister she had lost long ago.