Seventy Eight

The shadow laughed, its voice like a cold wind. "You think the moon's power can defeat me?" it said. "I am the darkness within, and I will always be stronger."

I knew that I had to think of something else, something that would give me the edge I needed to defeat the shadow.

And then, I remembered the words of the moon goddess. "The power of the moon is within you," she had said. "Trust in yourself, and you will find the strength you need."

I took a deep breath, and focused on my own inner strength. I knew that I had the power to defeat the shadow, to banish it back to the depths of my own mind.

With newfound determination, I raised my hands, and a blast of energy shot out, striking the shadow with incredible force.

The shadow let out a scream of rage, its form beginning to dissipate. I knew that I had won, that I had defeated the darkness within.

But as the shadow disappeared, I felt a strange sensation, like a part of me was missing. I knew that I had changed, that I had confronted t