SPELLBOUND

It was as if the world came crashing into halt. Evie's eyes were wide as saucers, her breathing had stopped for a few breaths. Why? Was this even real? What… what was she seeing? Why? Why was she there? The woman… it was she herself! How?! How did this happen? What was going on? She could feel her head starting to throb from the excessive shock of seeing that overly familiar face – her very own!

Evie did not even know how to react. She just stayed there, as still as if spell bound, only able to look on mutely. The trauma from that scene was just too much for her to accept right at that moment.

But when the dark dragon shrieked again and it felt as though it had passed right above her, Evie was jolted back from her stupor from the shock. Her mind began working again, and she was able to breathe again. What in the blue blazes is happening here? She needed to find answers. And quickly!

Confusion gripped her entire being now. She was still unable to understand why she was seeing herself here when this was supposed to be the past! And not just a recent past – a past that was really a long time ago! Could it be that the Light Queen was just someone who look like her?! But… could it be that it was so coincidental? Was there even such a thing?!

The thought made Evie swallow. She really needed to know what was going on!

She then fixed her eyes at the woman who looked exactly like her, and she felt her body moving closer to where the Light Queen was involuntarily. Evie's heartbeat was racing so hard as she got closer to her. 'Right, this woman might be my doppelganger.' She kept telling herself.

The closer she approached the Light Queen, the harder she tried to spot any crucial differences on her person… there should be at least one tiny aspect that could prove that this woman was her doppelganger who lived once upon a time, long, long ago.

But even when Evie had reached right beside the Light Queen and was standing right before her and looked straight into her eyes, her entire world was again rocked upside down. It was as though her very foundation was being overturned and she started to feel light-headed.

Those eyes… everything about her… down to the minutest of details… her heart and mind confirmed within herself that this woman was none other than her! H-how could that be?! What… is the meaning of this?

It was not only the questions and confusions that was rocking Evie's entire being now. She could feel it… she could even see right into those clouded and glistening amber eyes… that she had been in so much pain… in such extreme agony… that Evie's heart broke apart just by looking at her expressions. Even with the many trials and sadness she had been through before, Evie could see that all that she had experienced up till now was nothing in comparison to what this woman before her had gone through. What had actually happened? What had transpired for her to end up looking so tormented like this?

The first thing that appeared in Evie's mind was Gav. She jerked her head away and quickly looked around. If this woman was her then… Gav… where was he? There should be another person who should resemble Gav beside her, should it not?

Her heartbeat raced even faster as she finally spied a somewhat familiar silhouette. There was a tall man standing not too far away from the Light Queen, but it did not seem to be Gav! Though this man did have the characteristic blue eyes… it was a dark fae she has never seen before. Could it be that this woman might not be her after all?

Just as that thought crossed through Evie's mind, the woman spoke.

"Onyx!" she called out, causing Evie to jerk in response and widen her eyes before stilling again due to utter shock.

The large black dragon she had seen a little while ago was now landing majestically on the ground and the woman moved forward and approached it quickly.

"Good job…" she whispered and then kissed the dragon's snout. That… that was exactly the same gesture she always does to Onyx! And the similarity of it sent tingles across her scalp.

Evie's lips trembled. The way the Light Queen looked at the dragon… her every gesture… it was all so her… she could not even tell the difference in the way she treated Onyx and the way this Light Queen treated her dragon. It was just too similar!

"Where is Gav?" Evie did not realize that she had moved to ask the Light Queen. But the Light Queen acted as though she did not even hear nor saw Evie at all. Of course, she would not see nor hear you!

Feeling slightly panicky now, Evie looked around again and the woman in a red cloak who had been mounted on a horse removed her hood too. V-vera?! What?!!

Once again, Evie quickly ran towards her, trying to see if the woman was truly Vera. It was her… no doubt about it. She looked a bit more mature and powerful now… but there was also a coldness and frozen pain in her eyes that is absent in the Vera she knew in her own time. Evie saw the tattoo on her neck and hand. Those were the very same tattoos she had gotten from her mating ritual with Gideon!

Evie felt the dread growing and pulsating within her chest. Could it be that… she is actually seeing the future and not the past? This cannot be… no… please… this cannot be…

She frantically looked around again and it was then that she spotted Kariza and Reed. Evie was about to sigh in relief when she noticed that Kariza was… she was wielding Zanya's sword and Reed… he was the one bearing Samuel's crest now, he had also grown a lot and had become quite ripped. There was no longer the shadow of the young warrior he once was.

Her heart began to tremble as she tried to look for the others as well. Gav… Zanya… Queen Beatrice… King Belial… the rest of her vampire men… Gideon… she could not seem to find them anywhere. Where were they?!

"Gav… where are you?" Evie muttered desperately as she continued searching.. "Please show yourself. I need to know if you're here too!"