I awoke in a familiar landscape. A blackened field drowned in an ocean of fire. I stood up on what felt like ashen soil as a gale blew through the barren field, spreading the flames. A storm had swept through and covered the land in a cleansing fire. I looked around and saw nothing but immolation. That is until my eyes detected something different.

A man stood in the distance looking outward. A man I remember seeing before. A man I felt compelled to get to.

The wind howled at me like a fearsome and ferocious wolf. I struggled to push on through the stormy plains as fire kicked up like dust. I felt my feet battle for grip within the blackened sand beneath me. I felt like I stood on a shoreline, within the sand dunes. Small tufts of tall grass grew out from the mountains of black sand.

I trudged forward as the man in the distance stared outward to a black sea. Trails of flame glided ahead of me through the sand and carved borders through the grass. The closer I got to the figure the stronger the winds became as I forced myself forward. I had to get to him. I had to get to that man. Something within me pulled me towards him as if his existence was pivotal to my own. The wind grew more and more ferocious as I carried on. It was as if the wind’s sole purpose was to repel me no matter the cost.

At last, I had gotten close enough to make out the details of this masculine figure before me. He stood only a few inches taller than me. Draped over him was a heavy leather trench coat with a collar made of wolf’s fur. The tails of his long coat fluttered in the infernal wind. As I moved closer towards the man I saw him turn to face me. He looked a lot like me, but his hair was a fraction longer and he had a bit more scruff growing on his face. My eyes widened with realization as I saw the man’s mask.

"Father?" I spoke in a stutter as I struggled to find breath.

"Hey there kiddo," my father said with a smile.

My mind reeled. This couldn’t have been real. Could it?

"B-But I watched you die! How can you-!?" I exclaimed as my mind went into a spiral of confusion.

"Relax, this is all in your head. Just ask him."

I turned to see a split image of myself standing next to the image of my father. There was only one difference between myself and the mirror. His eyes were the color of blood and glowed like the embers rising from the sodden ground. He looked as if he was angry with me.

"You and I need to talk. I bet you have a lot of questions and there is no better time to ask them than now," my doppelganger said.

"But Terra-!"

My father interrupted before I could even finish voicing my concern.

"She'll be fine. This place is a part of your mind, time moves as slow as you want it to here. You can stay as long as you like and still be able to protect Terra."

I took a minute to think. This place. This burning field, the shoreline, the black ocean. It was all a part of my own mind. This was a dream, for lack of a better term. I turned to face my doppelganger. It was clear who he was supposed to be. The mirror was what my mind imagined the "other voice" looked like. My mind assumed he was a part of me since he lived within my body. The only difference were those eyes. His red eyes were the only things that were his own. Everything else he had borrowed from me. He gave me a stern glare before I finally asked my first question.

"I only want to know one thing."

I felt the eyes of the "other me" fall upon me as if he knew what I wanted to ask.

"Why am I alive?"

"You were saved. You were taken in by Professor Lockhart. He is a scientist who experiments with humans, turning them into walking weapons. You are his newest creation."

"That’s not what I asked! Why am I alive!?"

"He must think you are important. After all, the whole purpose of this experiment is to push humans beyond their limits."

"But why me!?"

"Wish I could tell you, kid. There are things even I don't know."

"Quit bullshitting me! What the fuck is happening to me!? Who are you!? What are you!? Haven’t I gone long enough without an answer!?" I screamed in anger as the tide of the ocean rose and the wind began to unleash its fierce howl.

"Lockhart refers to us as Second Personalities. We are almost like an artificial intelligence. We serve as a voice from within that can warn our host of danger and help them manage their abilities. We can also take control over the host's body and enhance their combat abilities."

"If all of that is true, then what sort of abilities do I have?"

"If I am remembering correctly, manipulation of light and dark matter."

I saw the image of my father step forward upon the "other me" concluding his explanation.

"Listen to me son. You may never understand why you were saved, why I died while you survived. But please understand this. I was happy to lay my life on the line for you. I am an old man, you have a full life ahead of you. The life you have now may not be the ideal one, but anything is better than dying at the hands of another. Live out your days until you can die on your own terms."

My father's words hit me with the force of an atom bomb. Were these words my father’s or were they just what I’d imagine my father would say? Did the knowledge of my own father create a version of him that could speak as he would? So many questions seemed to pile up in place of the answered few. Through my confusion, my father’s voice spoke again.

"I love you son. You are my pride and joy. My slice of Heaven. Live on. Fight. Live to be older than your dad."

My eyes began to water. As my tears began to glide down my pale cheeks I finally began to feel a warmth in my heart. I was all the sudden overcome with a sense of belonging to the world. I finally had a reason to escape the confines of my head and the burning seaside within.

Some would call it fate or destiny. I don’t believe in those things. To me, destiny is a word used by people who can’t decide for themselves. They rely on something beyond them to choose their path for them almost at random. Sometimes they even let other people decide for them. To me, the single notion of being unable to control my own life disturbs me. Maybe it is that disgust that made me so afraid to keep on living.

"You can wake up whenever you are ready, but once you do you are going to have to choose. You can fight Nina and protect Terra, or you can run and let her hold her own. You can't avoid it any longer. Now is the time to stand," said my "other me" as I stood there absorbed in my own thoughts.

My father placed his hand upon my shoulder as I prepared to ascend from my inner world.

"Go forward, son. Fight!"

*****

With a brief flash of light and rush of pain, I awoke. I saw beauty burning to ashes. The greens, reds, and blues had all melted into a black mound of floral corpses. My body laid almost lifeless on the steaming wooden floor riddled with embers. As I came to my senses I saw something moving behind the flames. Then came another. Two figures fighting with savage ferocity.

I would always read stories when I was a kid. Stories about some princess locked away, helplessly awaiting the end of her world. Then a handsome knight or a righteous prince would come and save the princess. This was such a strange reversal of roles to find myself in. I was the princess, locked away in a cage of flames. Terra was the knight in stone armor. She fought Nina tooth and nail just to protect me. She was so strong, stronger than I imagined. I knew at that moment that Terra was the kind of person I had always looked up to.

Terra slammed her armored fist into the wooden floor and exposed the stone foundations beneath. I watched as rocks and rubble gathered at her arm and formed a heavy buckler shield. Terra quickly used her shield to block several incoming fire bolts. Chips and shards of rock blasted off the shield as bolts impacted the stone. Terra lifted her foot upward to her stomach before slamming it down into the floor. I felt the ground shake and watched the floor collapse underneath Nina’s feet. Nina had wrapped her body in her flames and had vanished into the embers in the nick of time. Nina appeared behind Terra and lashed her in the back with a long whip of flame. Terra flinched and dodged the second strike with inhuman instinct. Terra turned and threw a punch into Nina with her rock entombed fist. Nina flew back into an ashen tree stump and spat out a wad of blood as she hit the torched bark. Terra dashed towards Nina and felt her fist collide with the tree stump. Nina leapt out of the way as Terra punched the burned tree, uprooting it in an instant. Nina struck out her hand and guided a gust of flame to Terra. Terra stomped her foot causing a ton of rock to shoot up from the dirt. The upshot rubble dispersed the flames as Terra took cover. Terra dashed towards Nina. She screamed as she ran, her fists raised and ready to pound into Nina’s perfect pale face. Nina grinned and caught Terra in her trap. Flames spat out from the ground as Terra stepped forward with fury. I watched as Terra was engulfed by fire and was launched backward from the blast. I could hear a bone-shattering sound as she hit the ground, her face buried in the charred wooden floor. I couldn’t take my eyes off that image no matter how hard I tried.

My eyes widened as I watched Terra lay flat on the ground. After a few seconds, she began to struggle back to her feet. I watched as Nina approached her with her hands burning white. I remember thinking so many things at that time. So many thoughts racing passed my eyes like cars on a superhighway. One stood out above them all. Just one stood out. It stood out like the rustiest most agonizing jalopy on that metaphorical motorway. I remember exactly what words I thought.

"Not again… I don't want anyone else to die again!"

It was happening all over again. Nina was going take everything away once more. First my father, now Terra. I stood there helplessly watching Nina approach Terra with white hot palms. I couldn't just watch. I had to do something. But did I have the strength to fight back?

Madness crept into my mind. The echoing voice of Genesis slipped into my thought stream. I was reminded of that bloodthirsty desire I had locked away. A monster was forcing its way out of its prison. This was the moment. I couldn't let her take anything else away from me. This time I would take everything from her. I had power, I had a chance. This was why I was reborn, to lay my father to rest.

All of the memories of my father flashed by like a film reel. I couldn’t let it happen again. I wanted to go back to the swing set. I wanted to talk with her some more. I wanted to get to know her more. Instinct took over after that. I knew what I had to do.

"Hey… If you can hear me, and I know you can. I need a weapon," I muttered hoping the "other me" would listen.

Within seconds I felt a tingling sensation in my hand. A strange light began to grow around my palm. It grew brighter and brighter until finally exploding and shooting out a beam from my palm. The beam of light fired straight ahead and then manifested into the shape of a longsword. Despite the shape of a heavier weapon, it felt completely weightless.

"This sword is made of light matter. It requires very little movement on your part to wield. It is completely weightless and can be swung at incredible speed. Keep that in mind," explained the "other me."

"Right."

This was it. There was no turning back now. I had finally chosen to stand.