POV: “Echoes in the Rift”

(Dark Zoe’s Parting Thoughts)

I am the shadow that lingers,

‎ the piece you cast aside,

‎ the part you thought too jagged,

‎ too broken to keep alive.

But I am you, Lightbearer.

‎ The mirror you refuse to see.

‎ For every bright thing you hold,

‎ there is darkness—

‎ and that darkness is me.

Now, the Balance pulls.

‎ It’s funny, really.

‎ You fight so hard to hold it,

‎ to make it steady,

‎ to save them all.

And yet, here I am.

‎ Still doing your dirty work.

‎ Still stepping into the chaos,

‎ because you never could.

This isn’t about redemption.

‎ It isn’t about proving myself.

‎ No one will sing songs of the shadow,

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‎ no one will whisper my name in the dark.

But I’ll do it anyway.

‎ Because if I don’t,

‎ you’ll break.

And you, Zoe,

‎ can’t afford to break.

The rift tears at me,

‎ pulls me apart,

‎ swallows me whole.

‎ It hurts, but I’ve always known pain.

‎ It’s an old friend, familiar and steady.

And as I sink into the light and the chaos,

‎ as my edges blur and my voice fades,

‎ I find something unexpected.

Peace.

I was never meant to stay.

‎ You were always meant to grow.

‎ And in my last, fleeting moments,

‎ I am proud.

Not of myself,

‎ but of you.

Because the light isn’t beautiful

‎ without the dark.

‎ And now,

‎ you can finally shine.