The shadows of Limbo seemed even darker after Lyra's haunting departure, leaving behind an unsettling stillness that pressed on Sera's mind. Damian hadn't spoken much since then, his gaze distant, as if wrestling with thoughts he wasn't ready to share. Sera couldn't blame him—Lyra's words had unsettled her too. The Fates were watching, and the weight of that truth hung heavily in the air.
As they continued to walk through the bleak landscape, a strange shift in the environment caught Sera's attention. The dark, barren ground beneath their feet began to give way to something softer, more alive. The jagged rocks and dead trees that had littered the land slowly faded into the distance, replaced by something that didn't belong in Limbo at all—greenery.
"What is this place?" Sera asked, her voice breaking the silence as she looked around in awe.
Damian finally spoke, his voice low and thoughtful. "The Twilight Grove."
Sera took in the sight around her—thick, twisted trees with dark, silvery bark rose up from the ground, their leaves shimmering with an otherworldly glow, casting a soft twilight over the grove. The grass beneath their feet felt cool and damp, and a faint mist curled around the trunks of the trees, giving the place an almost ethereal atmosphere.
"It doesn't feel like Limbo," Sera said, her voice filled with wonder. "It's… beautiful."
Damian stopped walking, his eyes scanning the grove carefully. "It's one of the few places in Limbo that still holds some connection to life. A sanctuary, of sorts. But don't let its beauty fool you—it's still dangerous."
Sera frowned, her curiosity piqued. "Dangerous how?"
Damian's gaze remained fixed on the path ahead. "The Twilight Grove exists in the space between life and death, much like Limbo itself. The creatures here—if we encounter any—are caught in that balance. They can be… unpredictable."
Sera shivered, not sure if it was from the chill in the air or the thought of what might be lurking in the shadows of the grove. But despite Damian's warning, there was something about the place that soothed her. The soft twilight glow, the rustling of the leaves—it reminded her of the world she had left behind, of the beauty that still existed beyond Limbo's shadows.
As they walked deeper into the grove, the silence between them grew, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Sera found herself glancing at Damian more than once, her mind wandering. There was something about him—something she hadn't quite been able to place before. He was distant, guarded, yet there was a tenderness in the way he had protected her, the way he had fought for her.
"Damian," Sera said softly, breaking the silence again. "Why did you save me? Back then, when I first arrived in Limbo… you didn't have to help me. So why did you?"
Damian's steps slowed, but he didn't look at her. His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that made Sera's heart quicken.
"I told you before," Damian said, his voice quiet. "I had my reasons."
Sera bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before pressing on. "But what are those reasons? You don't seem like the kind of person who does things without a purpose."
Damian's gaze finally met hers, and for a brief moment, Sera thought she saw a vulnerability in his eyes—something raw, unguarded. But it disappeared just as quickly as it came, replaced by the same cold mask he always wore.
"You wouldn't understand," he said, his voice softer now, almost resigned.
Sera's heart sank, but before she could respond, something caught her attention. A faint light flickered in the distance, through the trees ahead. It was different from the soft glow of the grove—brighter, more focused.
"Do you see that?" Sera asked, nodding toward the light.
Damian's eyes narrowed as he followed her gaze. "Stay close," he warned, his tone serious again.
They moved toward the light cautiously, the mist swirling around their feet as they stepped through the grove. As they drew closer, Sera's breath caught in her throat.
In the center of a small clearing stood a glowing pool of water, its surface shimmering with pale, silver light. The air around it was thick with energy, and Sera could feel the power radiating from the pool, making her skin tingle.
"What is this?" Sera whispered, her eyes wide with awe.
Damian stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the pool. "It's a mirror of souls," he said quietly. "A rare place in Limbo where the reflections of the living can sometimes be seen. It's said that the pool can show glimpses of the past, or even… the future."
Sera moved closer to the edge of the pool, her reflection shimmering on its surface. As she stared into the water, something strange happened. Her reflection flickered, shifting between her present self and something else—something she couldn't quite understand. It was as if the water was trying to show her something, but it was too faint, too fleeting.
Suddenly, Damian's hand was on her arm, pulling her back from the edge. "Don't get too close," he warned. "The pool's power is unpredictable. It can show you things that aren't meant to be seen."
Sera looked up at him, her heart racing at the sudden contact. His hand was warm against her skin, a stark contrast to the coldness of Limbo. For a moment, the world around them seemed to still, and Sera found herself unable to look away from Damian's eyes.
"Damian…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Damian's grip on her arm loosened, but he didn't let go. His eyes softened, just for a moment, and Sera could feel the tension between them shift, like something unspoken had passed between them. He was close—closer than he had ever been before—and in that silence, she could sense the conflict within him, the emotions he kept buried beneath his stoic exterior.
But just as quickly as the moment came, it passed.
Damian pulled away, his expression hardening once more. "We should keep moving," he said, his voice gruff, as if trying to shake off whatever had just happened between them.
Sera nodded, her heart still racing, but she didn't say anything. There was no need. She had seen it—the brief flicker of something in Damian's eyes, something he wasn't ready to admit. And maybe she wasn't ready either.
As they left the clearing, the soft twilight of the grove surrounded them once more, but this time, Sera couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. The grove, with its strange beauty and its shimmering pool, had shown her something—something about Damian, and perhaps about herself as well.
But whatever it was, it remained unspoken, lingering in the silence between them as they continued their journey through the shadows of Limbo.