The reflection in front of me kept smiling. My face. My voice. My silver eyes.
But not me.
"I proved I could judge." She pressed both hands against the glass now. "I sacrificed Ori. Saved Astro. Made the hard choice Luna demanded. And I was rewarded."
With what? More trials? More suffering?
"With strength." Her smile widened. "With the knowledge that I can do what's necessary. That I won't break under pressure. That mercy doesn't control me."
I wanted to look away. To check on Astro and Ori. But her eyes held mine.
"You think refusing to choose made you strong?" Her voice turned mocking. "It just made you stubborn. Delusional. Thinking you can save everyone when the truth is you'll just watch them die slower."
I'd rather try and fail than not try at all.
"How noble." She laughed with my voice. "How naive. Let me show you what I became. What you could have been if you'd made the right choice."
