Episode 184 - The Final Choice

Episode 184 - The Final Choice

The void trembled as the cold coursed through me; it was no longer pain, but clarity. My breath clouded in the air, each exhalation crystallizing into fragments of frost that dissolved into shadows. The star throbbed, its black waves spreading outward, but for the first time, I didn't feel consumed; I felt the same.

Ness - You wanted me to give up. But I won't give up... None of us will.

My voice came out in a different tone than I expected. It didn't sound like myself. Not anymore. Mixxi's laughter broke, her black eyes narrowed.

Mixxi - What? No.

I raised my hand and the frost spread across the ground, freezing the black liquid that was seeping through the cracks in the earth. The creatures clawing their way through shrieked, but it didn't stop them; it seemed to enrage them even more. The creatures trying to crawl out of the holes in the ground were hideous, formless, like hastily made abominations, bodiless combinations of various things. It was a scene difficult to watch without wanting to vomit.From a distance, I could see Mixxi's face contort with rage, finally revealing her true self, her expression completely transformed, no longer the nymph we had known. I stood my ground. I remained rooted to the spot, my head held high, even though the wind around me whipped with the force of a tornado, whipping my hair back. I didn't move. I looked back, Tobias, Joe, and Luke were unable to move, somehow trapped by the power of Elowen, which was just a shell, an extension of Mixxi's will.

I clenched my fists, the cold engulfing me, more intense, clearer. Elowen's body remained rigid, her empty eyes glowing faintly, holding Tobias, Joe, and Luke like statues.

Ness - She's gone. You're not Elowen anymore. You're nothing but a shadow. A shell.

Frost spread from my feet, creeping across the ground toward her. But the moment it touched her, the ice shattered, splintered, as if her body rejected it. Mixxi laughed, her voice broken.

Mixxi - You can't freeze what's already dead. She's mine.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to remember Elowen; not the shell, but the woman who had fought beside us, who had taught us, who had protected us. The memories burned me, but they also brought me peace. She had been our mother, by her own free will or for some other reason; she had chosen that.

Ness - No. She was real. And if she was, then her memory is stronger than your corruption.

Mixxi - As real as your beloved Mercavian, who now has a hole in his chest. So what?

A stifled sigh came from behind me. Tobias. That's it. Our magic was stronger with our feelings, and Mixxi was digging his own grave.

Ness - It's thanks to him that you're missing an eye now, isn't it? Or is there something else you don't want to admit?

Mixxi grunted.

Mixxi - That idiot is just another pawn. He was always playing for my team, from the moment he opened the portal, from the moment he let his love for Elowen become so strong. Look at him. Look at him on the ground. Dead, with no one who truly loved him, without any purpose. Just a damn pawn, a poor fool who-

A ball of light flashed past me, reaching the hand Mixxi was clutching to her eye. It interrupted her, slightly injuring her. I turned around again. Behind me, with an outstretched hand and an expression of pure hatred, stood Luke. His expression was unlike anything I'd ever seen on his face in my two lifetimes. He was utterly fed up. Behind him, Elowen's body lay motionless on the ground, her face expressionless. When Joe freed himself, he turned to look at her, and he understood. We all understood.

This wasn't Elowen. She was just a pawn to weaken us, to prevent us from fighting back. I watched as Joe hesitated, for a single second, which was all it took. He stood up and approached Elowen, placing his foot on her chest to pull her to the ground.

Joe - If you are still there... I'm sorry...

He raised his hand with a ball of fire, which took the form of a sword in his hand, a real sword. Joe's sword flashed, its light piercing the shadows that clung to Elowen's body. For an instant, her rigid body trembled, as if resisting, as if something inside her still remembered.

Joe - You were our mother. You chose us. And I won't let her use you anymore. Not even now... dead.

For a second, she seemed to hesitate. Tobias staggered forward; whatever had held him still finally released him. His voice was hoarse, but firm.

Tobias - Elowen... if you can hear us, rest now. We'll take care of this.

Joe raised his sword, and looking away, plunged it into Elowen's chest. In the same spot where Mercavian now had a gaping hole. The pendant Luke had been wearing glowed, brighter than ever, and fragments of light erupted. The glow enveloped Joe's flames, merging with them, and together they formed a flaming arc that went straight towards Elowen's body. The flaming bow struck Elowen's chest. He didn't seem to have done anything, but in my mind, I wanted to believe that it had freed his soul from Mixxi's bondage, even if only for a second. His empty eyes flickered—once, twice—as if something inside him remembered. A black tear slid down his cheek, and finally, he didn't move again.

Mixxi screamed, clutching his wound, his voice cracking with fury.

Mixxi - No! She's mine! She was mine from the start!

Luke's pendant shattered into fragments of light, each one embedding itself in Joe's lightsaber, amplifying its brilliance. Tobias raised his hand, a light more intense than anything I had ever seen. Like a torch made of pure gasoline. The torch of light that Tobias summoned shone so brightly that it illuminated the entire void, piercing the shadows that surrounded us. The broken fragments of Luke's pendant pulsed, embedding themselves in the ground with a terrifying ease.

Ness - Elowen… rest. You are free now.

The shell collapsed, motionless, no longer a puppet. It was over. With that, both Mercavian and Elowen were free now. Only we remained. Tobias gasped, his shoulders trembling as he lowered his arm. Joe staggered backward, the lightsaber he held in his hand vanishing into thin air, just as it had appeared. Luke fell to his knees, clutching the fragments of his pendant, his face pale but resolute. Mixxi screamed, her voice cracking with fury.

Mixxi - No! Fools! It was mine! It was my key!

The star pulsed violently, its black waves rippling outward, the rift above widening once more. The clawing creatures that had been tearing their way through shrieked louder, enraged. I stepped forward, frost spreading from my hands, coating the ground.

Ness - Not anymore. It belongs to itself. And now... we belong here. It's over.

Mixxi placed his hand on his temple, as if fed up with us. Suddenly, she seemed to have an idea.

To be continued..