The darkness consumes all. It wraps around me and takes the place of all my fears. From this eternal black comes a young, dangerously appealing female. Her face is masked by shadows and her voice echoes out within the silence. "Stella. Stella. He is too young for you--you simply cannot keep up with him at this rate. For heaven’s sake his bloodline has already near killed you," a sneer is heard in the voice of the unidentified female and it causes agitation to bubble within me as I linger. ”Oh? No stinging wit to lash at me with?” the other sighs. ”Shame… you used to be so vigorous,” that tone, those snappy words, it sends me into a fit of anger.

I lunge toward her and yet as I continue to move, she does not. It is as if I am simply running in place, getting nowhere near to where the shade-faced female is. I snarl and snap in her direction to no avail. ”NO!” it is screamed out as Elijah touches against me, though it is not he that I am yelling at for the touch is not even registered within my brain. Frustration marks my features as my brows pull down and my eyes narrow. ”Who are you!” it is a demand to the unknown wench as I begin pacing back and forth within the abyss of my mind.

A chuckle leaks out from her lips as I await her response impatiently, my tail lashing at my haunches as I continue to move. No light is shed, only the mask of shadows that she once wore was dropped, and with the reveal comes a shocking revelation. I near stumble back in shock, my pacing movements ceased as I look into none other than eyes of my own. She is me; younger, fitter, and more virulent than I have become. She is who I once was – a time long lost to the ever changing world. She laughs as the awe wears off and speaks once again before she begins to slowly fade into the darkness. ”I am disappointed in you, Stella. We had such great plans and now look at you. Nothing more than a soulless breeder to any passing fancy…” her words cut deep into the arteries of my very mind and soul, something that I had never imagined that I could feel.

The void fades out into a pale monochromes before glacial eyes flecked gold were given to roll back into their place within my sockets. I blink multiple times as I come to see Elijah nearest to me, the newborn ravenously feeding, and Kairos standing at the mouth of the den. They are hazy at first, nothing but barely marked shadows within the light that filters through the opening, until I am able to focus harder on each of them. ”I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry,” it is all that can be managed within these moments as my consciousness regains itself. It cannot be told as far as whom the apology is spoken to—be it Elijah, my children, or myself. But I know deep down what it was meant for, even if I couldn’t comprehend it right now.