Chapter 41 - [Bonus chapter]Reginald’s room

Kara found herself in Reginald's room late at night, she didn't know how she got there. A candle was still burning beside a rocking chair, the room smelled like the forest. Her heart felt heavy, it was almost suffocating. The stool by the chair had an open book upside down.

She fell to the floor in the middle of the room. She didn't understand why the hurt wouldn't go away. Why every part of her ached, her limbs were heavy in a way she couldn't explain. Her mind was noisy in a way that it was also still. She was almost oblivious to the vibration on her chest. Her hand went to her locket, the ring was throbbing. She pulled it out and stared at it in her palm. When she'd first received it, it was a simple silver band but now… now it had a blue stone in the middle with snowflakes bouncing around inside.

Her head rose up and she found herself staring at her own reflection. White and blue in each eye with brown rings.

"The gatekeeper." Kara whispered.

Hera nodded. "Fate awaits us, no more hiding."

"No more hiding." Kara wore the ring and closed her eyes.

Her mind's house looked gloomy, she couldn't bring herself to go in so Hera came out.

"Where is she?" Her other self, the ruthless one.

Hera shrugged. "I haven't seen her for a while now."

Hera sat on the floor and motioned for Kara to do the same. She shook her head, she couldn't sit still. She felt as though she should be doing something. Her bones sang a tune she didn't know.

"Why do I feel comfortable with you?" She said to her lookalike sitted.

Hera's hair was black and her eyes brown.

"We've been together all your life."

Kara bit her lips and blinked back the tears threatening to spill.

"Why do I feel like more will die?"

"Because they will." Hera answered.

"I don't think I could take it. Cope with it. This- This hurts beyond words can describe. I saw my mother for the first time and I don't know how to feel about it. All my life I've wanted family and one is dead. If it is all going to be my fault, if more will die, I'd rather be dead."

She rubbed her arms, feeling cold which she rarely did. The gatekeeper, she knew what it meant. Reginald was just the beginning. More will die.

"You know, when Liv told me about the school. About the boys, about my brother, about Mara, this was not what I envisioned. This was not it!" She continued rambling.

Hera watched her, felt pity for her.

"They will need to separate us in a month or else we both die." She said.

Kara glared at her. "That isn't exactly encouraging. Besides, why do you want to come back to all this mayhem? If you ask me, one is better off dead."

"Only those who have died know what it means to be alive."

"Oh and you know?"

"Yes! I was wrongfully killed! So yea, yes I know. I have watched you live your life and craved being in control. And even when people think I'm in control, it's still you. It's still you pretending to be me so I assure you, I can't wait to get out of your body and into mine." Hera shot back, standing up to pace.

Kara scoffed. "You don't care that someone died because of us."

"Didn't you just say one is better off dead."

Kara stared at her, Hera, the one who was killed by the man she loved.

"Then let me ask you this, do you really think going for revenge will make your being alive better?"

Hera stared at her. "They all deserve to die."

"Then what? You fought to come back to life, yea? So are you going to throw it all away by avenging your past self. Why not disappear? Live another life doing the things you want." Kara said to her, was she saying it out of concern? No.

Hera raised her chin. "And you'll all just let me be?"

"We'll think of it as you owing me a huge favour. You'll come back with the black hair and brown eyes right? If you disappear, go to the human world, no one will link you to me." Kara replied.

"Why?"

"I don't want to worry about you. As much as I don't like it, my heart tells me you are one of mine. You being out of the picture means one less person to worry about. Considering I'm already going out for revenge, I'll take yours too."

Hera didn't know what to say.

"I'll take that as an agreement."

Kara turned her back to leave but didn't miss hearing Hera say-

"Now you sound like her. Then again, she is you."

Kara opened her eyes and found her hand on a chest. It had been carved with care and love, snowflakes decorating it. The lock was shaped like the head of her ring. She pushed the ring in and turned it, the chest opened up. There was a single picture and a piece of paper in it. She picked up the picture.

Reginald had his hand on Anastasia's head with a mischievous smile on his face while she had grabbed his hand, obviously trying to shake it off with an angry look. They were young, Reginald couldn't be more than seven. A man and a woman stood behind them, laughter in their eyes and smile. The children looked like them.

Kara picked up the paper, it was blank. She sighed and closed the chest, was it a puzzle for her to solve? She felt a bit disappointed, she didn't know what she had expected to find with the ring. She looked at the picture again, it took her a minute. The woman was wearing the ring. A family heirloom?

Kara's head turned sharply at a loud sound. She folded the picture and note neatly into a really tiny shape and put it in her locket, she retrieved the ring and slide it into her chain. She took one last glance at the room before running out. The teacher's quarters was seperate from the main building, she took the dungeon route and ran to Griffin's door. She threw it open and beckoned the animal to come out.

"I don't know what is going on but I need you to hide somewhere safe till I call for you. I know you'll come to me, I don't know how but I just do. Okay Griff." She said urgently and rubbed its beak.

Griffin seemed to understand and turned from her. It took of. She didn't wait to watch it go, instead she turned and ran up the stairs. She heard another loud sound and this time it shook the whole building.

*Where are you Kara?*

Kara stopped in her tracks. The voice was different, it wasn't Adrian's knowing arrogant voice. No.

"How are you speaking in my head Ryker?" She continued running.

*That doesn't matter right now, Oakley is under attack. The faction is here and they are very skilled. Tell me where you are.* He said to her.

"Then I'm going to my room. I need my blade."

*Forget it, come to-*

"I am not leaving it behind." Her tone told him she wasn't arguing with him.