If you carry all your problems on your back, eventually you'll collapse under their weight. To prevent this, there are things you must abandon—like your conscience.
Forging Fate
I ran faster than I ever had before, traversing the mansion in the blink of an eye. I almost smashed the double doors, I arrived in such a rush. Mazen's features tightened, his fingers digging into the armrests of the velvet-upholstered chair. And as the world stirred before my eyes, the space contracted and expanded, one point with me, the other with people I knew and loved. That was the moment. The moment I had been waiting for—the climax of our deadly game.
This is the endgame. If I fail, we all die. Excitement overflowed in my body and I could hardly stop myself from smiling. I couldn't wait to show Mazen the real me. I wondered how he would like it.
Then, he appeared among my friends—a young man with dark brown hair and deep blue eyes, wielding the cursed sword. I didn't recognize him, his face foreign to my memory, yet an undeniable connection surged within me. Looking at him, I felt a bond, a love mixed with respect that had always been buried but unmistakably present.
"Shay," he exclaimed fiercely, then softer, almost timidly, "Do you remember... me?"
His voice was not as broken as one might have expected, but rather terribly desperate and perplexed. He knew. He knew that Mazen had taken my memories from me. He knew, yet he had a small hope that I hadn't forgotten him. Even though I had no memories of him, I knew what I was about to say would hurt him. I knew my next words would wound him deeply. I didn't want to hurt him, but I had to say it. We had to win, and this was essential to winning.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Do I know you?"
My voice, cold and cutting, struck him hard. He visibly flinched, hurt evident in his eyes. His face hardened. Strangely, it pained me to say those words, but I pushed on. We were locked in a deadly dance, each move calculated for survival—because I was determined to beat Mazen, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
The mansion reverberated with the sounds of battle, the cacophony echoing even into the hall. It seemed the hunters and Willingham's men had breached the defenses.
Mazen's command to eliminate the intruders hung in the air, and I obeyed without hesitation. It was the only path to defeating the dark mage, even as I steeled myself against the emotional toll.
Despite Rolo evading my strike, his skin bore deep cuts from my claws. A swift exchange of glances with Mica confirmed we were thinking the same—my attacks aimed for vital spots, yet something inexplicable had caused me to miss by a hair's breadth. It seemed others noticed this anomaly too.
"How much longer will you toy with them?" Mazen's impatience laced his words.
I felt a twitch in my expression as I locked gazes with him. I stared deep into his eyes, and Rolo knew this would be the final blow. He saw the compassion, yet murderous determination in my eyes. He couldn't even move, let alone dodge: that was my true speed. My hand pierced his chest, the air froze on his lips. Rolo slowly guided his gaze to where his heart was, then back to my emotionless face. His knees went weak, so he reached for me, but never reached me. I did not look back. My footsteps clacked coldly on the marble floor. When Rolo slumped to the ground, he understood everything.
Mica cried out and would have moved, but his voice trailed off a moment later. I stepped in front of him and made a deep cut in his throat with my claws. The vampire fell, a large pool of blood gathering around him.
Alice trembled, his hand shaking uncontrollably on the gun. His emotions—desperation, confusion, anger—fought for control, paralyzed by the scene unfolding before him. His bullet found my shoulder, a fleeting moment of pain amidst the chaos. Alice's internal struggle was evident—unable to see me solely as an enemy even after everything. The Angel's Scream was powerless with his heart in turmoil.
When I stepped in front of him, Alice knew he wouldn't be able to fight me.
"Shay," he breathed.
"You were the ones betraying me first," I said. "So you must have come prepared for death."
Des gripped his sword, the blade glowing with his tightening grasp. He gripped the hilt with such force that blood gushed from his palm. He was about to do something he would never forgive himself for, he hesitated. Though he doubted himself for only a moment as he faced an unimaginable choice—could he truly end his brother's life? His hesitation lasted only a moment, but it was enough.
Mazen seized the opportunity, ensnaring Des in his trap. Struggling against the sticky, suffocating web, Des was caught off guard. Mazen's dagger gleamed dangerously, poised for the final strike.
"Farewell, hunter," Mazen whispered.
But instead of Des, the dagger plunged into my chest. Pain flared, metallic bitterness filling my mouth. Mazen's voice cut through the agony.
"What are you doing?"
His tone was chilling. I wiped blood from my mouth with a defiant half-smile on my lips.
"That's twice you've struck me with your blade," I declared triumphantly, "You know what that means."
He twisted the dagger, sending fresh waves of pain through me.
"How did you find out?" he demanded.
"How do you know I didn't know from the beginning?"
His grip loosened, and in one swift move, I disarmed him, knocking the bloody blade aside.
"Impossible," he snapped, "You couldn't have remembered!"
His eyes flashed with fury. Then, the bodies scattered on the ground transformed into smoke, Lilinette dispelling the illusion. My allies materialized, Lilinette grinning beside Alex, a fae ring glinting on his finger.
Mazen's gaze held understanding. "You're the only one who can deceive me."
Lilinette nodded in acknowledgment, a rare compliment from Mazen, who seldom acknowledged others' superiority.
Rolo's gruff yet appreciative stare met mine. He realized again how crazy I really was. Then he must have concluded that he was even crazier than me for following me willingly. Mica seemed unsurprised by the outcome. Des gripped my shirt, eyes blazing with furious intent—his unspoken threat hung heavy, warning of consequences if I devised such plans again. Was it for infiltrating Mazen's hideout or for throwing myself in front of his dagger? Perhaps a bit of both. In the end, he finally let me go. Yep, not the best time to argue.
"This is the end, Mazen," I declared firmly.
My gaze was gentle, yet unyielding. Uncertainty flickered in Mazen's eyes—not from being outnumbered, but from his inner conflict. Mazen was simply neither good nor bad. Mazen was human. A heartbreakingly lonely man. Part of him liked me and part of him hated me. For a moment, he couldn't decide which one to listen to. I knew it was time. The moment when I should take the life of the dark wizard, but I hesitated.
The sound of a gun being cocked echoed ominously. Instinctively, I pushed Mazen aside just as the shot rang out. He fell to the ground shocked. He looked up at me, anger flickering, yet I saw the faint trace of confusion in his eyes. Ignoring the wounded pride of the dark mage, I turned to face Willingham. His pistol smoked, eyes gleaming with deadly intent. George Willingham had come for blood.
"Have you rounded up all the dark mages?" I asked mockingly.
"I couldn't miss the party," he admitted, "Couldn't let you have all the fun."
I should have known—or perhaps I did, hoping Willingham had more sense. Meanwhile, Mazen rose, his gaze locking on the hunter with an unmistakable urge to execute him. From the hiding place of his robe, Mazen produced a mirror, a movement that sent a shiver down my spine. This was no ordinary mirror. I glanced at Lil, who stared at the dark wizard in disbelieving surprise, then tensed up in all her body. She sensed what I felt.
"Willingham!" I shouted, "Don't!"
Des and I exchanged a glance, both knowing it was too late. Willingham fired another shot.
"Amparo!"
Mazen's whispered incantation barely registered as the bullet stopped for a moment in the air before reaching the mirror, then shot out at Willingham at the same speed. Des, of course, swung his sword immediately, but it hit the mirror in vain, absorbing the force of the attack. At the last moment, Willingham tried to dodge, but it was only enough to stop the bullet from piercing his heart. Groaning in pain, he collapsed.
I looked towards Mazen. He hadn't even bothered to dodge my brother's attacks at all, the mirror was in front of him every time.
"Veredicto!" whispered Mazen.
Des summoned all his strength and struck again with his sword. The mirror was unharmed, my brother not. Des gave an uncharacteristic howl and fell to his knees. It was only a moment later that I noticed the deep cut on his chest — he had been the victim of his own attack.
"Alice!" I shouted.
The seer knew immediately what to do. It was now clear to all of us what I had suspected for some time: the target was not me, but my brother — or rather his sword.
"Let me go!" Des struck his partner's hand as he tried to help him up, "I can fight!"
Alice looked at me again and I nodded. He struck him mercilessly with the hilt of his gun. The next moment, the two figures disappeared from my sight and a match was smoking in Lilinette's hand.
There was no hesitation in Mazen's eyes now. He had made up his mind. He let go of the mirror, which floated in the air without his touch and whispered another magic word.
"Contrapartida!"
The surface of the mirror shone.
"Mazen!" Lilinette cried out, "Stop this! We don't have to fight!"
Mazen glanced at her, his expression chilling. He looked at Lil with a coldness, a betrayal that cut deep.
"You're wrong, sister," he said softly, "Didn't I tell you? If we meet again, we'll be enemies on opposite sides."
His fingers traced the mirror's surface, the silvered glass rippling like water around his touch. Finding what he sought, he pulled. My eyes widened as I saw his fingers interlock with another wrist. The other hand then moved and locked fiercely onto Mazen's hand. The dark mage's lips curled in a morbid smile. A suffocating aura of magic enveloped us, needles piercing my lungs, gravity dragging me towards the earth's core.
But then flames erupted at Mazen's feet. With a graceful leap, he dodged the attack, reaching to grasp the figure within the mirror. The flames floowed him and Mazen no longer tried to avoid them, but instead chose to put all his strength into pulling the figure out of the mirror in one sudden movement. The intense heat obscured the figure momentarily before vanishing.
Though his sleeve smoldered, Mazen remained unscathed. Lilinette sighed, the burnt matches falling from her hand—too late, she had missed the moment Mazen was most vulnerable, the one chance when his mirror couldn't defend him.
Beside Mazen, the doppelganger straightened, and I gasped in shock. Two identical men stood side by side, mirror images of each other—indeed, they were.
The doppelganger produced another mirror from his cloak. "Glacial retrato!"
Lilinette jumped aside as she shouted. "Move!"
Despite the witch's warning, Alex and Mica were frozen motionless, their images captured in the mirror's reflection. The doppelganger let go of this mirror and it continued to float obediently in the air, careful not to release the reflection of its enemies.
Rolo stood a little farther away, breathing heavily, but gazing fiercely at the enemy.
For Lil, perhaps this was the moment she decided to take the fight seriously. Her hair fluttered behind her like a fiery red robe as she ran towards the doppelgänger, tongues of flame dancing in her eyes. I felt as if the air temperature had risen a few degrees. Without waiting a moment, he lit the next match. Three at once.
"Flamma anima!"
The flames took on a human-like shape. There was a high-pitched, screeching laugh, followed by a sound similar to the whisper of fire. Lilinette cast an ugly glance at the creature summoned from the fire, which laughed again, and then finally gave in to the will of the mage and attacked.
Of all the elements, fire was perhaps the hardest to control, and even for her, it was taxing. At the same time, she had to be careful to keep the creature constantly supplied with magic, so when the matches nearly burned out, she was forced to light another.
Lilinette was not at all sure which of them would win the fight. It took Mazen a huge amount of energy to bring his reflection to life, and for Lil, keeping the fire golem alive took a lot of magic.
The doppelgänger chanted almost continuously the spell he had devised for protection. The mirror repelled every attack, but the flame golem could not be harmed by fire, so it attacked without ceasing.
Rolo, not far off, pulled his cloak hood over his head, its color shifting instantly to blend with the surroundings. Stealthily, he approached the mirror, careful not to make a sound.
Reaching it, he retrieved a vial, but the liquid ran like water across the mirror's surface, burning holes in the varnished floor. Rolo sighed. He put the bottle away, knowing now that physical attacks were ineffective against the magical object. Then an idea crossed his mind that bordered on madness. He stared at the mirror, then hid it with his hands under his cloak. At the same time, Alex and Mica moved. They shook their heads in bewilderment but then looked at Rolo's anguished face. His cloak' colour was changing between camouflage and red rapidly as if the magic was confused.
"Quick!" he shouted, "Hurry!"
By this time, they had caught on and started running. Rolo counted down from ten, clearly hoping to keep his wits about him.
"Nine… eight… seven…"
The wolf and the vampire were getting further away, but it still wasn't enough.
"Six… five… four…"
Rolo's knees buckled. His face twisted in pain, and he seemed to be squeezing the hissing words from his lips without even breathing.
"Three… two…"
Rolo released the cursed object. His knees threatened to give away, but he managed to stay upright. At first, he hesitated to look at his hand, closing his eyes for a moment as if to compose himself. Then he peered down and nearly cried out when he saw his skin charred and hot blood trickling from his pores. His nerves had suffered from the spell, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably. To mask his distress, he held his arm with his other hand.
"Are you all right?" Alex asked, worry etched in his voice.
Rolo would have retorted sharply, but he feared that speaking would only lead to screams or whimpers. Instead, he simply shook his head. Mica's eyes widened in horror as he saw his burned arm.
"Don't mind me," Rolo hissed, "Help Shay! He's alone."
Mazen, having conjured his double from the mirror, was now advancing towards me. I wasn't terrified, but I'd have preferred to be somewhere far from the wrathful black mage. I glanced at Willingham, clutching his stomach, but losing blood rapidly. If I didn't end this quickly, he'd surely die. I wondered what I'd get from the old man for allowing both his daughter and his trusted colleague to perish. No, I couldn't let that happen, even if I would take some grim satisfaction in watching Willingham's demise.
"How did you do it?" Mazen demanded, striding toward me with a mix of anger and curiosity.
I sighed deeply. "It wasn't hard to see that I wasn't your real target. To figure out your plan, I had to let you catch me."
Mazen nodded. "You hid your memories?"
"Something like that," I replied.
"You should have forgotten them anyway," he said, "Even if you fooled me while I was in your head, the spell is impossible to cheat."
"It's a secret," I grinned, "Is it annoying to discover that your perfect technique has a weakness?"
"What's annoying is that you are the one who found it," he snapped. "You filthy mongrel!"
He stopped just a few meters away from me.
"Why don't you take your real form?" he growled. "Are you ashamed in front of your friends?"
"No, they've already seen it."
"Then in front of the pathetic hunter?" he spat, his disgust palpable.
Willingham winced at the venom in Mazen's voice.
"No, he hates me anyway," I shrugged.
"Then why do you hesitate?" Mazen questioned, "Like this, you have no chance against me."
"I didn't want to until you made me," I said.
I'm a quarter fae, and naturally, I enjoy fighting. I was eager to test my strength against Mazen, even if I thought I might not win—that's what excited me. But seeing that cold look in his eyes made me realize the fight would end in the death of one of us. I knew from the moment he summoned his reflection why he did it. His double keeps Lilinette busy, while he wanted to deal with me quickly. He wanted to finish me off and then go after Des. This fight is inevitable. Did Mazen notice that the snake was already coiled around his neck?
Mazen stepped to the side, avoiding Mica's claws. Alex, meanwhile, stood beside me and gently lowered Rolo to the ground next to Willingham.
"You're one to talk. Telling me to not do anything rash," I said to Rolo.
He scoffed and I turned my attention back to Mazen, who was still preoccupied with Mica. The vampire couldn't get near him; the mirror was always in the way. Mica, being more deliberate, avoided attacking the mirror, remembering all too well what had happened to my brother.
"Alex," I said to the wolf, "I need you to buy me a moment. Just one moment will be enough."
By the time I looked towards him, a huge, light-brown wolf was standing next to me. I heard an approving growl, and then the wolf moved towards the mage.
I took a deep breath and blew a silvery hair out of my eye. I felt my blood begin to boil. Time seemed to slow down. I released my presence, and as I expected, Mazen's eyes turned to me instead of the battlefield. Although someone who didn't know his reactions wouldn't have noticed the change, it was so subtle, but I saw his eyes widen ever so slightly.
Their movements seemed quite slow. I saw the wolf snarl and show its fangs, then jump and grab the mage's shoulder. It was all happening so slowly that I could observe every movement perfectly.
Meanwhile, Mica tried to throw a punch but was stopped by the mirror that suddenly appeared in front of her. Mazen took advantage of this by grabbing her wrist and slamming her hard against the wolf.
I moved towards Mazen. I was not in a hurry, but I was still incomprehensibly fast compared to my surroundings. I didn't underestimate Mazen, I would have been a fool — I had overstepped my everyday limits.
As another coordinated attack by Mica and Alex failed, I closed in on Mazen. He narrowed his eyes at me, unimpressed by my approach, but I persisted. Not a very elegant way to attack, but I didn't care — I headbutted him. I took his consciousness with me, and we found ourselves in the meadow again.
Mazen glared at me with a mix of confusion and anger, then straightened up and sneered. "You want to fight me here? You think you can defeat me here? You didn't succeed last time."
"I brought you here to end the fight," I said. "It would be pointless. Neither of us can overcome the other."
"You think we're equals?!" he spat.
"No," I shook my head, "You're more experienced, and since I don't know much about magic, I'm at a disadvantage. But I do have a trump card, Julio."
Mazen's expression froze, his face paling. Mages rarely duel each other or monsters, and legends say there are no draws in these fights. One either kills the mage or proves dominance by speaking their name. Revealing one's true name is considered worse than death for a mage.
"How?" he shouted, his fury uncontrolled. "How did you find out?! I told no one!"
"I'm an informant," I shrugged carelessly.
If Mazen hadn't known that I could render him powerless with a single word, he would have killed me on the spot. I saw the desire to kill in his eyes, even a hint of suicidal thoughts. If I'd wanted, I could have forced him into servitude, and he would have preferred death over submission. His fists clenched so tightly that his hands trembled with suppressed rage. I waited for him to calm down enough to speak without trying to curse me to death.
"What do you want to do to me?" he ground out through gritted teeth.
"Maybe we'll start with you accepting me as king and stop fighting," I said. "Then we'll figure out the rest."
His eyes flashed with suspicion.
"Oh, come on," I smiled, "I don't want to enslave you."
He looked a bit surprised but didn't fully believe me. If he could have killed me with a look, I'd be dead before I finished speaking. But he couldn't, and I hoped he would never learn that; he was dangerous even without it.
"Now that we've talked this over, let's end the fight. It takes a lot out of a person to force their way into someone's mind."
Mazen was still seething about his name being exposed, but he must have realized that it could have been worse. It wasn't the end of the world that I knew it. So I hoped there was a real chance that everyone would survive this confrontation.