Nemesis

"The most dangerous enemy is not the one who lingers behind you in the shadows, but the one who walks beside you as a friend. They shape the world around you with well-constructed lies, entombing you in the gossamer of their deceit. You’ll never know their true face, for they shed their masks in layers - meticulous and devious, like the skin of an ever-changing snake.

I walked hand in hand with my enemy, allowed their kiss of death to linger on my lips while the world disintegrated around me. I couldn't see through the smoke and mirrors; too consumed with fighting a destiny I didn't want; too afraid to let go of a life I wasn't meant to have. Running only brought me closer to them. Back to where I started. Back to my inevitable fall from grace. One misstep was all it took, and it all came crashing down. And they were right there waiting for it - eager and ready to bury me in the wreckage.

The stage had been set.

The actors were in place.

Everything was a lie, and I never saw it coming."

Excerpt from Bianca Scardoni's Inception