His sister was wrapped in chains, burning alive, and he couldn't do anything to save her.
He tried, oh how he tried – if only he could lift just one hand, one hand to grab her and pull her out of the inferno – but it was like his body had turned into stone.
So he could only watch as the flames surged around Ghost, as her flesh crisped and blackened and the stench of roasting meat thickened the air. Her screams drowned out even the roaring fire. The sound pierced his skull, drilling into his brain like a hot poker.
But he couldn't be in half as much pain as his sister. 'Just one finger! Try to twitch one finger!' No good. Frozen as he was, he couldn't even cry.
Ghost shrieked again, twisting like a knife in his heart. "Phantom! Save me!"
The fire swallowed her completely. Up and down and around, it was all Phantom could see. No sign his sister had ever existed.....
He slammed face-first onto a hard marble floor, gasping for breath. Sweat prickled on his skin, bracingly cold. Cold. All traces of heat had vanished, replaced by the bone-numbing chill of the Infernal Legion's earthly lair.
He was safe. He was alive. And so was Ghost. But he had no time to rejoice before a stiletto-heeled boot slammed into the floor next to his head.
"Would you like more of that?" The fury in Captain Mirage's voice made Phantom shiver harder than the cold. "Next time, how about I give you a front-row seat? I'll put you nose to nose with her, right in the middle of the inferno. You won't burn, but she will. You'll get to see every detail as her flesh roasts and her skin peels away from her bones...."
"No, please, Captain!" Phantom cried.
"What right do you have to make demands of me? A failure like you! You're lucky I let both of you live after that pathetic performance!"
That was right. Ghost was alive. Injured, but alive.
"Were my orders not clear? Did I not tell you two to capture the prince? Instead, you come crawling back here empty-handed, wasting both a mirror and a valuable thrall."
"I – I – " Foolishly, Phantom tried explaining himself. "Ghost was hurt – "
"So? Then you complete the mission yourself, idiot!"
"She's my sister!" Phantom protested.
Crack. The boot whipped across his face, knocking him to the side. Phantom rolled over, tasting blood in his mouth. More blood dripped down his cheek; the stiletto heel had sliced into his skin.
"Enough with the excuses!" Captain Mirage's voice cracked like a whip. "You are a soldier of the Infernal Legion! Your only duty is to obey the orders you're given and execute your missions faithfully! Thanks to you, I've squandered a perfect opportunity to capture the prince. Tell me why I shouldn't trap you in that illusion for the rest of your days and be done with you for good!"
Phantom shuddered. No – to see Ghost burn to death over and over again –
"Captain." The soft, murmured voice of Victor Hua. "That would be a waste of your powers."
"Hmph, you have a point. Using any amount of my powers on this cretin is far more than he deserves. There are other ways to drive it into his thick skull...."
"Just, just leave Ghost out of it," Phantom managed to gasp. "Do whatever you want to me, but Ghost – "
"How noble." The boot stomped on his head, slamming his face into the marble. Mirage didn't let up his weight; Phantom could feel the stiletto digging into his scalp, drawing pinpricks of hot blood.
Mirage stomped again, harder. "Have you forgotten? You're a soldier of the Infernal Legion! The only loyalty you owe is to your commander, me! And the Infernal Lord! Instead of wasting time worrying about your oh-so-precious sister, think instead about how you can repent for your utter worthlessness!"
Three more stomps, each harder than the last, but as his vision blurred Phantom felt a strange kind of relief. Ghost was okay. He might have failed his mission, but he hadn't failed as her brother.
Screw what the captain said. Long before he'd joined the Infernal Legion, he'd already decided where his real loyalty lay. And it most certainly wasn't with this puffed-up whore who couldn't do shit without his human toy.
~*~
After Mirage finally tired of kicking Phantom around, he called Imago to drag away the limp, bleeding wreck. Then he collapsed into the chair with a deep groan, pressing his fingertips to his brow.
The captain was far from a composed person, but Victor had never seen him quite so distraught before. Understanding that Mirage needed his space – not to mention might react with violence if disturbed – Victor remained silent and watched him patiently.
At length, Mirage lifted his head and lowered his hands back to his lap. His bangs fell over his eyes, uncharacteristically disheveled.
"Why," he bit out, "are all my subordinates such useless idiots?"
Both of them knew the answer very well, so Victor didn't speak. He jerked a little, caught off guard despite himself, when Mirage slammed his fist into the arm of the chair.
"Damn it all! This was my best chance. Like it or not, those two are my strongest fighters. Which I suppose says more about the general quality of my troops than any particular skill on their part. Ugh...now, with this...how am I supposed to capture the prince anytime soon...."
His delicate features twisted into scowl. Victor continued watching in silence, hands clasped loosely behind his back.
He had a shrewd guess why Mirage felt such urgency. In less than two weeks, he would have to make his regularly scheduled report to the Infernal Legion on Tielos. No doubt, he had been hoping to present them with the captured prince. If he were the first to not only locate Prince Darian on Earth, but capture her before any of the others, his standing in the Legion would skyrocket.
But so far, he'd suffered one long string of setbacks after another. Victor did feel a little bit sorry for him.