Nelly, the Moon Maidens, and the Sultan of Brunei rushed to the lake. When they approached, they discovered the lake water was hot, and the closer they got to Alex, the higher the temperature became.
Nelly reached out to test the water beside Alex. It was far too hot!
"No!" she exclaimed, panicking. "Alex can't absorb the internal power of both women. It's building up in his body, and it's turning into heat!"
The Sultan looked anxiously at Zora, and then he stretched out his hand, intending to pull her away.
"No, your Majesty!" Nelly called out in Malay. "The queen is stuck. You can't free her, and you'll only hurt yourself!"
"What can I do?" the Sultan replied, his expression bitter. "My queen..."
The Moon Maidens stood by, watching Georgina, the woman who had practically raised them.
Nelly stood in the water, wringing her hands. Then she raised her head and looked at Alex. "Alex, I can teach you how to deal with the power," she called. "Do exactly as I say!"
Alex was trapped by the two streams of power, and he was completely paralyzed. He couldn't even twitch a single finger, but his mind had cleared.
He felt like he might explode at any moment, so he was relieved by Nelly's offer to help. Even if they failed, it would be better than dying like this.
"Listen to me," Nelly said. "Clear your mind, and then focus on your breath. Breathe in, and then breathe out. Concentrate on your own internal power and tap into it."
Nelly had been with Zora for a long time and had been taught some martial arts. Although Nelly hadn't had much skill, she still remembered the lessons clearly.
Alex followed Nelly's instructions. He centered himself and tapped into his own strength, trying to dissolve the two streams of power. His first two attempts failed, but on the third attempt, he felt some of the power weaken its grip on him.
Encouraged, Alex continued to listen to Nelly, and he pulled the power out of Georgina and Zora, letting it flow through him to disperse harmlessly.
"My lady!" Celeste called out. "Please! You need to coordinate with Zora and both withdraw your palms at the same time. Otherwise, the shock will kill you both!"
Alex glanced at Georgina and was surprised to see the changes in her face. She seemed to have aged four or five years in only ten seconds.
The Sultan shouted, and two bodyguards had to leap forward to hold him back.
Alex squinted at Zora. Her face was white, and her lips appeared bloodless. Her eyes fluttered, and she looked extremely weak.
Alex felt the two streams of power lessen, and he knew it was almost over.
Everyone screamed at the two women, but neither of them would listen.
All they cared about was watching their hated enemy die, so despite their exhaustion, they continued pushing their power through Alex's body.
Alex grew anxious. He didn't want either of them to get hurt, but it was taking all his concentration to deal with their power, and there was nothing else he could do.
Georgina's skin was ashen, and she sagged a little, clearly drained.
Georgina's and Zora's power sputtered out at the same time, and their hands slipped from Alex as they sank into the water.
Alex's body shuddered as the two power streams crossed each other, sending what felt like a thousand volts straight through him. Dazed, he fell backward into the water as the power vanished.
Nelly rushed into the water and tried to drag Alex to the shore, but she wasn't strong enough, so she held him afloat to prevent him from drowning.
"Alex!" she called.
Alex slowly opened his eyes, grateful for Nelly's help. He got out of the water and sank to the ground. "I'm okay," he said to Nelly. "Thank you."
"Are you sure?" Nelly asked, still standing in the water.
Alex knew it was over. He used Nelly's method to calm his mind, feeling more settled. Then he stood up and nodded to Nelly. "Yeah, I'm okay," he assured her.
"Good," Nelly said, sighing with relief. She looked at the shore.
While Nelly had rescued Alex, the Moon Maidens had gone into the water after Georgina, while the sultan had dragged Zora out.
Nelly ran to Zora, crying, "My queen..."
Alax followed.
"Georgina, Zora, are you okay?" Alex asked. He looked around. "Someone get an ambulance! We need to get them to the hospital!"
Georgina was so weak that her Moon Maidens had to hold her up.
"It's far too late," she said, her voice frail and trembling. "We're not long for this world." She coughed. "Don't forget, I want you to be the Lord of my Moon cult. If you don't take my place, then I will come back as a ghost to haunt you. Do you hear me?"
She began to cough violently.
"Yes," Alex said, not wanting to anger her. "Don't worry. I'll do it."
Zora slumped into the sultan's arms, struggling to keep her eyes open. "Alex, will you call me master now?" she asked with a faint smile.
Alex looked at her, feeling sad. "I've regarded you as my master for a long time," he said.
Zora gave him a sad smile. "You were a good apprentice!"
She took Nelly's hand. "Nelly has been with me for over ten years," she told Alex. "She has no relatives, so I need you to take good care of her once I'm gone."
Tears rolled down Nelly's cheeks. "No, my queen," she said. "I will follow you."
"I promise to take good care of Nelly," Alex said.
Zara nodded with satisfaction.
"You've still lost," Georgina said, sneering at her. "No wonder Xavier hates you so much. After you die, I'll go back home and live with him."
"Look at the state of you," Zora pointed out. "Xavier isn't going to want you! I'm the one he loves, and when you die, Xavier and I can be together."
"I'm the one he loves!" Georgina insisted.
"No, I am," Zora said.
As they argued, their voices grew fainter and fainter. They faded away at the same time, as both women died.
The Moon Maidens lowered Georgina's body to the ground, and then they kneeled, paying their respects to her.
The Sultan sobbed as he held Zora's body, and Nelly cried, rocking herself back and forward.
Alex muttered a prayer for both Zora and Georgina, as grief welled up inside him.
The sound of sirens interrupted, and then Commissioner Anthony Billings arrived with over twenty policemen. He had rushed there after receiving a call from the hotel.
Anthony had been worried when he had seen the two unconscious members of staff at the gate. Now he saw Zora lying lifeless in the Sultan's arms, and he grew frightened. "What's going on here?" he demanded.
He drew his gun, aiming it at the four Moon Maidens, who jumped up to block Georgina's body.
The Sultan turned his head and yelled at Anthony in Malay.
"The Sultan has asked that you leave," the hotel translator said to Anthony. "You don't have to deal with what happened here, and he promises he won't escalate this matter."
Anthony had no idea what was going on.
The Sultan yelled something else.
The translator said, "The sultan says that if you don't leave now, then there will be serious consequences."
Anthony didn't understand, but he knew he had to withdraw. He waved a hand at his men, and they all left the hotel.
Zora had spoken to the sultan earlier. She had insisted that if she died here, he was not to blame anyone else, or she would never forgive him.
The Sultan had adored Zora, and he could never disobey her wishes.
The Moon Maidens walked over to Alex and bowed. "Lord," they said. "What should we do with the body of our lady?"
Alex was stunned, and then he remembered he had promised Georgina that he would become the Lord of the Moon. He had only said it to make Georgina happy, and he hadn't had any intention of actually doing it. But now that she had died, he couldn't back out.
"Well, are there any ceremonies for this sort of thing?" he asked. "If not, Georgina had no relatives, so I can contact the church to give her the funeral."
The four women looked at each other. Georgina had been the first lady of their cult, so there was no specific ceremony. Now that Alex was their new Lord, they would follow whatever he said.
They looked at Alex and bowed their heads, saying, "We will obey the Lord's command!"