Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 753 172.1 - Otherself

<Two weeks ago, Evergreen Mansion> 
Maya sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, the dim light of enchanted lamps casting soft, shifting hues against the walls. The room was silent, save for the faint hum of mana crystals embedded in her desk and shelves. She had prepared carefully for this moment: wards etched into the floor to contain any sudden bursts of psychic energy, a mana-isolating band on her wrist to ground her if needed, and a small vial of specially brewed calming elixir resting nearby, just in case. 
Her fingers brushed against the amulet Astron had given her, feeling the cool, intricate patterns under her touch. It felt alive in a way, pulsing faintly with a steady rhythm like a heartbeat. She took a slow breath, centering herself as she gripped the amulet in both hands. 
"This is just another part of me," she murmured to herself, the words firm yet gentle. "Nothing I can't handle." 
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she channeled a small stream of mana into the amulet, activating it. The moment her energy connected with it, the air around her seemed to ripple. A faint hum filled her ears, rising in pitch until it felt like it came from within her. Then, the world around her shifted. 
****** 
Maya's senses warped, her room dissolving into a strange, surreal expanse. She floated in a vast, endless void, streaked with ribbons of dark and violet light. The space was both infinite and claustrophobic, pulsing with an eerie rhythm that seemed to match the beat of her own heart. 
Her feet found something solid beneath her, though there was no ground she could see—only a strange, shifting plane of light and shadow. She steadied herself, taking a moment to acclimate. It was disorienting, the way everything moved and swayed, but she forced herself to remain calm. 
"This is it," she whispered. "The core of my mind." 
She took a tentative step forward, and the void rippled in response, the lights around her coalescing into shapes. Faint whispers reached her ears, indistinct and scattered. Her rational mind recognized them as echoes of her own thoughts, fragments of buried memories and emotions. 
And then she saw it. 
Ahead, in the center of the shifting plane, stood a figure—her mirror, but not quite. This other Maya had the same sharp features and piercing eyes, but her expression was darker, more feral. Her posture exuded raw power and confidence, unrestrained by the discipline Maya had spent years honing. Her hair moved as if caught in an unseen wind, and her eyes glowed faintly, a crimson hue overlaying their natural green. 
"So, you've finally come," the other Maya said, her voice smooth and cold, carrying a predatory edge. "Took you long enough." 
Maya felt her breath hitch, but she steadied herself, meeting the other's gaze with quiet determination. "You're the part of me I've been trying to suppress." 
The other Maya smirked, a sharp, almost mocking curve of her lips. "Suppress? You've been burying me, pretending I don't exist. But I'm here, always here, waiting for the day you slip." 
Maya took another step forward, her hands clenched into fists. "I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to understand you—to understand us." 
The other's smirk faded, replaced by a piercing glare. "Understand? You don't even know what you are. You think you can balance me, control me when you're too afraid to even face the truth." 
"And what truth is that?" Maya demanded her voice firm despite the knot tightening in her chest. 
"That you need me," the other replied, stepping closer. "You're incomplete without me. All that control, all that discipline—it's just a mask. Beneath it, you're scared and weak. And you know it." 
Maya's jaw tightened, but she didn't back away. "Maybe I am afraid," she admitted, her voice quiet but steady. "But that doesn't mean I'll let you control me. If I'm going to walk this path, I need to be whole. That means we work together. I'm not running from you anymore." 
The other Maya tilted her head, studying her with a sharp, calculating gaze. For a moment, the void around them stilled, the lights dimming as silence stretched between them. 
"You're serious," the other finally said, her tone softening slightly. "You think you can handle what I am? The instincts, the hunger, the chaos? You think you can own it?" 
Maya took a deep breath, her voice firm as she replied. "I don't need to own it. I just need to understand it." 
"Heh….." 
The laughter began as a low chuckle, deep and guttural, but quickly escalated into something far more sinister. It echoed around Maya, growing louder and more unhinged with every passing second. The sound was like glass shattering, a cacophony that vibrated through the crimson-tinged void, warping the space around her. 
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" 
The other Maya's laughter turned into a full-blown cackle, the predatory edge of her voice now laced with madness. The entire plane shifted in response, the once surreal and shadowy void bleeding into deep, throbbing crimson. The ground beneath Maya's feet cracked and splintered, glowing veins of blood-red light spreading out like roots, pulsating in rhythm with the laughter. 
The air thickened, oppressive and suffocating, and Maya's breath caught in her throat. She felt it immediately—an overwhelming, terrifying presence that gripped her heart and sent shivers cascading down her spine. Her body instinctively recoiled, every part of her screaming to run, to escape, but she stood frozen, paralyzed by the sheer force of the aura emanating from her other self. 
"You claim to understand," the other Maya said, her voice dripping with disdain as her laughter died away, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Her crimson eyes glowed brighter, boring into Maya's with a terrifying intensity. "But do you even know what those words themselves mean?" 
Maya opened her mouth to respond, but no words came. Instead, a choking sensation clawed at her throat, her breath hitching as if the air had been stolen from her lungs. Her chest heaved, struggling for air, but the harder she tried, the more it felt as though invisible hands were gripping her neck, squeezing tighter with every passing second. 
"I—" she managed to gasp, her voice barely a whisper. But the suffocating weight pressed harder, cutting her off entirely. 
"You don't," the other Maya hissed, stepping closer, her presence dominating the crimson plane. The glow of her eyes was like fire, burning through the very fabric of Maya's resolve. "You don't even understand yourself. You've spent your whole life running, hiding behind discipline and logic, pretending that control makes you strong." 
Maya stumbled back, her legs trembling beneath her as the oppressive aura grew heavier. Her throat felt raw, her breathing shallow, and her vision blurred around the edges. She clutched at her chest, trying to steady herself, but it was no use. 
The other Maya's lips curled into a cruel smile as she loomed closer. "You're worthless," she spat, her voice sharp and venomous. "A hollow shell pretending to be whole. You think you can balance me? Work with me? What a pathetic lie." 
Maya felt herself shrinking beneath the weight of those words, her strength faltering as fear clawed at her mind. Her other self stopped inches away, her crimson eyes locked onto Maya's. They seemed to pierce through her very soul, peeling back every layer of defense she had built over the years. 
"You've built your life on a foundation of weakness," the other Maya continued, her voice now a low, menacing growl. "And you think you can claim power without paying the price? Without facing what lies beneath?" 
Maya's knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, gasping for air as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. The suffocating pressure was unbearable, and for a moment, she thought she would break—thought she would lose herself entirely to the overwhelming presence of her other self. 
But then, somewhere deep within the swirling chaos of her mind, a flicker of clarity sparked. 
'I'm not running,' she thought, her fingers digging into the ground beneath her. The cold, jagged edges of the crimson light cut into her palms, but she welcomed the pain. It was real, grounding her in the madness. 
She forced her eyes up, meeting the burning gaze of her other self despite the suffocating fear. "You're wrong," she managed, her voice hoarse but steady. "I may be afraid… I may not understand everything yet. But I'm not worthless." 
The other Maya's smirk faltered, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her features. 
"I'm here," Maya continued, her breath coming in shallow gasps but her resolve strengthening. "I came here to face you, to face myself. And no matter how much you try to tear me down, I'm not going to let you win." 
The oppressive aura didn't fade, but it shifted, its weight no longer pressing her down as harshly. The other Maya tilted her head, her crimson eyes narrowing as if assessing the words, searching for weakness. 
"Bold," the other finally said, her voice colder than ever. "But words mean nothing without action. It is the same with 'him'. The way you are, you don't deserve someone like him. Someone who helps you all the time, yet the only way you help is thanks to your family's strengths." 
Maya's breath hitched at the words, sharp and biting, like a blade twisting in her chest. The mention of Astron, the way her other self spat his name without saying it, struck something deep within her. The crimson void around them pulsed violently, the oppressive energy growing thicker, more suffocating. 
Her other self stepped closer, her crimson eyes glowing brighter, wild with an intensity that made Maya's heart pound painfully against her ribs. The madness in her gaze was no longer just directed outward—it was personal, raw, and burning with unrestrained fury. 
"He's the only one I can see," the other hissed, her voice trembling with rage. "The only one I can feel. Every time he looks at you, it's like I'm screaming in silence, clawing at the edges of your control, just for a sliver of recognition." Her lips twisted into a snarl. 
"And yet… he only sees you. Never me." 
Those words…..They were oddly specific….and something that slowly made her realize. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

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