𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧, 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘅

"It was him, wasn't it? The oni's in Landon." Dr. Saltzman's swiftly met mine. "How did you know that? Did you get another prophecy?" I gulped not ready to admit the truth of the man in my head quite yet. "Sorta."

"We already cast a barrier spell we just have to find him."

Darkness had fallen upon Mystic Falls begins we made it to the portal. Landon was on the ground, Lizzie chained to a tree. "Landon!" Hope, and Josie dashed for the fallen Phoenix. "Lizzie, are you okay?"

"No. I am super crazy. But at least there's a reason this time." Lizzie's normal cerulean shaded orbs flashed a crimson red. Landon passed the oni to her. "The demon's in me," Lizzie declared proving my theory.

Lizzie gasped her head falling down as her eyes fluttered shut. The blond smirked turning back up to us, "Never mind. It's gone. You can untie me." Lizzie's face contorted, and she laughed. "I didn't say that. It did, okay? Still in me , so don't—" she paused the demon fighting for control. "Listen to me, I'm fine. We should probably get out of her before we..."

Lizzie groaned, letting out another hysterical laugh. "Okay, you have got to stop me. Please. Otherwise this thing is gonna win." It was probably ridiculous how long it took me to realize, but when I did I told the others in case they were as dumb as I was. "She's fighting the demon somehow, like Kurutta."

"I already know I'm crazy, okay? You don't have to rub it in."

Everything I once believed about Lizzie faded. She wasn't the spoiled jerk I believed her to be, she was broken just like me. "Kurutta was not crazy, and neither are you."

"Where's Dad?" Lizzie cried, "I just want dad."

"Kurutta fought the oni for years, okay? If you can just give us a little bit of a time——" "No. I can't live like this anymore." Lizzie let out a sob. "Sebastian isn't real. This whole time, I thought I was better, but I have just been seeing things, and hearing things, and feeling things that no one else does. And it's scary. Scarier than any demon in my head."

I stepped forward towards the shackled blond. "Listen, Lizzie, I understand what it feels like to be crazy. I have literal voices in my head," I let out a sarcastic laugh, "—and, I know it's scary, but it's gonna be okay. We're gonna fix you."

"No. There's no fixing me." Lizzie looked past me to Josie, "Tell dad that I love him. But you have to end this."

"What?"

"With that sword," Lizzie glanced to the demon banished sword on the ground. "Whoa, I know that we just met, but there's no way we are gonna let that happen." Lizzie inhaled sharply, her voice coming out in a much deeper, darker tone. "You have no choice. This will not stop until you give me the boy."

Lizzie fell back, "Lizzie? Lizzie, you gotta fight this thing." The demonic voice flew from Lizzie's lips yet again, "Fighting is useless. Malivore still lives, and his control over us is stronger than ever. Soon, the likes of me will be least of your concerns."

Once again, Lizzie fell back against the tree trunk speaking in her normal cheerful voice, "Distracted during a monologue." She laughed, "Classic villain mistake." Josie exhaled glimpsing towards the glowing sword on the ground. "Jo, you gotta do this. For me. Okay? It's only a matter of time before you kick my ass in the merge, anyway. And this is better than the merge, because this way you won't have to live with some messed up part of me in your brain forever driving you as crazy as I am."

"We weren't gonna talk about that until we had real solutions," Josie tried to protest. "Well, maybe this is it. Josie, it's coming back. Please." The blond whimpered, "You got to do it. If  Laya, and Josie won't do this, then you have to." Lizzie told Hope.

Josie shook her head grabbing onto the sword. The siphoning witch groaned doubling over, "There's so much black magic in it, it hurts to hold."     "Probably won't feel much better getting stabbed by it." Lizzie let out a callous laugh.

  "If I can pull the magic out of
this—" I whipped around at Josie's words hoping this wouldn't end in nothing more than a futile attempt at saving Lizzie. Her life was on the line. "— I may be able to get the oni out of you." Josie inhaled deeply, her palms glowing a dim red, and the veins in her neck growing dark as she siphoned the black magic.

Josie screamed, thrusting her hand out. The magic flew at Lizzie with full force. I watched anxiously whilst the demon fought to stay intact. Before I knew it, the beast was flying into the small part of the Malivore pit by the tree. "You did it." Lizzie let slip a giggle, "I love you."

"You better."

  Within seconds, the twins had fallen unconscious. We did it, well... Josie did. Jo saved Lizzie.