Nastasiya slowly wakes up. For the first time in a long time, she is calm. It all feels so confusing. She doesn't understand where she is and why she's here. What she does know is that she's still where she was when she dozed off. She's woken up 3 times in the same place. Why? Where is she? Nastasiya was sure about one thing.

"This isn't heaven.", she thought. "Could 100% be hell."

She began to question that theory because, if this were hell, what exactly was her punishment. And why was she being punished? For trusting the wrong people. She shook the thought and began looking around her familiar room. It's the same as the day she had to leave it. Next to her bed was a night stand her father had modified for her. He was a great engineer and believed that everyone deserved privacy. So he created hiding places for each member of the house.

Nastasiya had chosen the night stand. Her father, Stewart Tally Jr., was really proud of this invention. Nastasiya had come up with a unique form of magic infused with his technology to create her hide away. She used light and shadow magic to create a illusion which was the night stand. When Nastasiya touches any part of the illusion with index and middle finger, a locker rises up destroying the illusion until it’s needed again.

Inside the locker, Nastasiya kept her most precious things. Everything was still there. She pulled out her old diary and flip it open to the first page.

“Dear Diary,

Mommy told me to start this off that way. To make this feel like I’m writing to a friend. I don’t really understand but I guess I really do need a friend right now. Talking behind people’s backs is wrong but this should be okay.

It’s about my sister Nati. She’s been really mean lately. I went to show her my new bubble trick and she popped it. I get that people like popping bubbles but she threw a laser pen at it and popped it. It almost hit me! We argued. Mommy made us stop and I said I was sorry. Nati went to her room and was mad. I don’t want to argue with Nati. I don’t understand.”

Nastasiya flipped to the next page.

“Dear Diary,

Today was the lightning festival! Everyone had so much fun! Even Nati smiled a bit but she was still mean. Mommy says that’s just how teenagers are. I don’t understand but if mommy says so, then it most be true. Maybe next time we can ride the Holy Blaster together.”

She decided to turn to the most recent page.

“Dear Diary,

Nati broke my favorite tuning orb. She threw it against the wall but said it was an accident. I’m really upset but mommy says I should try to understand her. She says Nati is upset that she didn’t get the chance to place in the Magical Girl competition. I got first place and won the orb. But now it’s gone. I’m really upset but mommy says I shouldn’t be sad because her and daddy are really proud of me. They promised to buy me a better one. Nathan said he was also happy for me. I wish Nati was too.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Nastasiya traced her finger around the edges of that last page. She began to remember what life was like before she had moved out. The only thing she could not remember were times her and Natalia ever bonded as sisters. There were none. Natalia had always disliked her. Everytime Natalia was hateful their parents loved to empathize with her because she wasn't as talented or smart compared to her younger sister. They always had to reassure Nastasiya that she didn't mean to be that way because of her complex.

As a child, Nastasiya agreed wholeheartedly with her parents and loved Natalia regardless. But right now, after all that she experienced with her sister, she knows better. Natalia is a narcissistic sociopath and would do anything to get rid of her.

Closing her diary with a drained sigh, Nastasiya began to pull her thoughts into another important anomaly. Why was she here now? Is this her punishment? Her hell? To show her how much her sister hates her? To show her what appears to be her mom, dad, and little brother only to have them snatched away again?

Tears threatening her once again, Nastasiya adjusted her thoughts about her situation. If this is punishment, she would have to just deal with it anyway. Crying now won't stop what is coming for her.

She decided it's best to try to control her emotions. Doubtful in her own train of thoughts, Nastasiya steps over to the side of her room where curtains hung as if there were a window there. She waved her hand to withdraw the curtains. What hid behind them was not a window but a mirror. The mirror was dark in color.

She chuckled at her younger self. She remembers begging her father to do something about the mirror in her room. She had convinced herself that monsters were waiting to take her place on the other side. Her father designed curtains to hide the monsters in the mirror. But that was not enough for little Nastasiya. She still felt the monsters would come.

It was at that time Nastasiya discovered her shadow power. Her younger self was so terrified of the mirror that she wanted to make her own reflection disappear. Suddenly a thick layer of darkness took over the mirror. Nastasiya was terrified at first and cried out for her mother. Both her parents came rushing through.

They saw the shadow and panicked. Carlisa grabbed hold of little Nastasiya but the shadow stayed attached to the little girl's feet. Nastasiya screamed, "It's going to take me!!" Nastasiya's mother turns toward her husband only to see his face turned and body shaking.

"Yonah!", Carlisa frantically screamed, "What the hell are you doing? Help me!"

Falling apart gracelessly, Yonah Tally revealed he was laughing uncontrollably at his wife and daughter. While failing to hide his amusement, both Nastasiya and Carlisa stared at him in horror. Yonah lost it. He pointed at them both tearfully shouting, “It's Nastasiya!”

Carlisa looked over at her daughter who was now more upset her father was laughing at the danger she was in. She heard a sound that resembled a pig’s snort being forcefully stopped. The sound had come from her own mother. Horrified Nastasiya realized her mother found her plight funny as well. Why? Tears began to fall down her cheeks and Nastasiya rose her hands to cover her eyes.

“Why are you laughing at me?!” She cried out, “The shadows are coming to take me and you both don't care!”

Carlisa being the mature adult that she is, unlike her husband still a giggling crumbled mess; she regained her composure and took her daughter into her arms.

“Oh my poor baby.” She lulled and softly rocked Nastasiya. “Everything will be okay. You are safe.”

“But the shadows!” Nastasiya wailed while burying her head in her mother's chest.

“They are yours, Nastasiya.” The crumbling mess had finally calmed himself. Carlisa thought with a slight smile as she looked over at her husband. Yonah crawled over to where his family sat in a huddle.

“You can control the shadow.” He placed a warm hand on his distressed daughter's hand. Nastasiya didn't look at her father but squeezed his hand softly. She wasn't mad at him. Relieved he instructed her to keep calm and the shadow will do what she wants. Following her father's instructions the shadow went back into the mirror. She didn't want it near her. So in the mirror it lived.

Nastasiya laughed at the memory. It took her up until her 17th birthday to release the shadow. Even then she was still afraid of it. She had only used it once because of her and her father's idea. It took them hours to get it working because of Nastasiya's fear.

Looking into the mirror, she willed the shadow to come to her. It slithered out the mirror, to the ground, and then under her feet. There it would stay until she needed it. Now that the shadow was gone from the mirror, it now reflected Nastasiya and her surroundings.

The memory she once found comforting, now felt foreboding to her. What if Nastasiya was pulled into this world after all? What if she stole the place of this world's Nastasiya? She stared at the reflection into the eyes of the 14 year old Nastasiya. Did I replace you?

Suddenly the world began to twirl around her. The air became stifling. The shadow closed in and everything went dark.