Chapter 129

VALENTINA My breath hitched like a cat caught in a spotlight, staring at that towering portrait glowing like it just stepped out of a magical place. It was me, my portrait. No—no, how is it even possible? it couldn’t be me. The woman illustrated in the portrait was elegantly draped in silks of midnight blue, featuring faint silver symbols of Gemini, though they seemed to have faded somewhat with time. Her posture was regal, every line of her painted body carrying a quiet strength that demanded reverence. But it was the face that captivated my gaze. ‘The face is yours…’ Kira muttered, as shocked as me. I almost fell over, staggered back a bit, and grabbed the wall like it could save me from my shock. “That’s… that’s impossible,” I whispered, my voice cracking with disbelief. ‘Val…’ Kira’s voice trembled in my mind, low and unsure for once. ‘She looks exactly like you. I… I don’t understand.’ ‘I don’t either,’ I breathed, my chest rising and falling too quickly. I rubbed my eyes hard, al