Dovey, Sophie, Anemone, and your ever half all stood back to back, creating a forcefield that extended outward to protect as many students as you could. At the same time, your never half, Pollux, Espada, Tedros, and Hester were stationed at the perimeter, eliminating as many shadow monsters as possible.
"Bet you feel like an idiot now," Hester grunted as she stabbed a shadow monster, watching it dissolve into smoke before her eyes.
Tedros, who was standing near her, sliced a shadow monster in half and shot her a look of annoyance. "Now is definitely not the time Hester."
She laughed, engaging with another monster. "What's wrong everboy? Can't fight and converse at the same time?"
"Both of you shut up and focus!" Pollux yelled from behind Hester. "You can argue with one another when we survive this."
"If we survive this!" Beatrix spat as she moved to join them. She looked around at those who were fighting at the edges of the shield and those holding it up. "Where's Lady Lesso?"
"She said she had an idea and ran off," Tedros called to her, as he swiped his sword upward, cutting off the arm of a shadow beast.
"Yeah, but that was a while ago!" Hester called back.
Yeah, it was... You thought to yourself as you overheard their conversation.
Hey, are you alright? You asked her, as you connected to her mind. But you were met with silence.
Lesso? You asked again. Again no answer.
You ducked as a shadow monster swung at you before throwing an underhanded blast at it, sending it backwards into a group of other beasts, eliminating the lot of them.
Go. Your ever half said in your mind.
Your never half looked back to her through the luminescent shield. She nodded.
I've got this. Go.
You instantly began sprinting toward the entrance to the castle, sending shadow beasts left and right as you passed. Your ever half summoned the majority of her magic, pushing the limits of the shield, allowing Sophie to replace your never half on the perimeter.
You burst through the castle doors and were instantly met with chaos. Dark clouds had coalesced above the castle and heavy rains, thunder, and lightning were berating the outer structures. Shadows were swirling around the castle's exterior as well, pushing their way through any crack they could. You quickly closed the entrance doors, not wanting to give them any added opportunities to enter.
As you made your way out of the castle and towards the tower, you had expected to be met with at least some resistance; but to your surprise, you made it to the tower completely unscathed.
The rain was lighter here, and from this distance, no one would know students were fighting for their lives inside the Castle for Good. The screeches and screams had gone silent, and the only thing that could be heard was the thunder and lightning of the storm. You felt guilty about leaving them to find Lesso. But deep in your gut you had a feeling something was wrong, and you weren't about to lose her now.
"Lesso?" You called, as you pushed open the doors to the tower, rain dripping from your cloak. The tower was quiet except for the soft scribbling of Storian.
"Where are you?" You called again, as you stepped further inside, looking around.
After a few moments, Lesso stepped around the corner of a bookshelf, her nose enveloped in a book.
"Lesso! Thank the gods you're alright! I was worried!" You ran to her, placing your hands on her arms as you spoke.
However, she didn't respond to you. She didn't even lower the book she was reading.
You tilted your head. "A-are you okay?" You asked, as you took a step back.
When she didn't answer, you moved your hand to lower the book she was reading. A feeling of terror washed over you when her eyes rose to meet yours. They were no longer the beautiful earthy green you loved so much, but instead, they were pure red.
You grabbed the book from her grasp, throwing it on the table behind you and moved to grab her face, summoning your magic to try and break whatever the hell this was.
"Who did this to you?" You asked her, as you frantically tried to break her free.
You summoned all your magic, but it wasn't working. No matter what you did, you couldn't free her.
Instantly, you were pulled away from her, flying backwards as your arms were bound in front of you. You struggled with the bindings as you hovered in the middle of the tower, a foot or so above the floor; only realizing the magical dampening cuffs had reappeared around your wrists when you finally looked down.
"Y/N, Y/N, Y/N..." a low voice hummed. "You never were able to predict my next move, were you?"
Chills ran down your spine as the voice echoed in the air.
No...it couldn't be.
You looked over your right shoulder to see a translucent shadow walking around you. With every step it took, it materialized further and further until it resembled the man with whom the voice belonged.
"Rafal..." you shuddered, as his evil grin came into view.
"Miss me?" He quipped, as he flourished his hand and the bonds around you tightened.
You struggled, attempting to free yourself; you opened your hands summoning your magic, but just as before, the cuffs were too strong.
"Poor Y/N, released from those cuffs only moments ago, to be immediately rebound in them." He chuckled.
"What do you want, Rafal?" You growled as you glared at him.
He paced back and forth for a moment before speaking. "What I want..." he started, "is to win."
His figure was not yet completely solid. As he opened his hands, you could see the wisps of shadow flicker and flow around them. He closed his hands once again, pulling them into fists as he spoke.
"I almost had it all," he muttered, "True love and all the power at my fingertips...but it was taken from me...by readers."
"How are you here?" You asked breathlessly. "I thought-"
"Agatha killed me?" He mused. "Come now Y/N. Do you really think Excalibur is powerful enough to kill me?"
His eyes shot in your direction as he grinned. "When she sliced me with the sword, it destroyed my physical form; but a piece of me remained here, bound to this godforsaken tower."
Suddenly, the magic surrounding you lowered your feet to the ground, keeping you bound tightly, but now reaching Rafal's eye-line.
"I bided my time, creating the perfect plan to regain a body and reclaim the magic that was rightfully mine. But then...a new challenge presented itself, when I discovered you had returned to the school."
Your eyebrows furrowed. "Me? Why?"
Rafal moved to stand directly in front of you, meeting your gaze with his own wicked stare. "Your power is the only one that rivals my own. An immortal soul split equally between good and evil. And a demigod if my memory serves me right?"
You shook your head. "How did you know about that? I thought you didn't find anything about my heritage."
He grinned mischievously, licking his lips as his gaze darkened. "I didn't. But you did. And you told Storian all about it when you returned. Even asked her if she knew the whereabouts of your mother, Hecate."
Your eyes widened. "You heard that?"
Rafal returned to pacing. "I heard and saw everything that went on in this tower. At first, I thought being bound to it would put me at a grave disadvantage...but as it turns out, you make quite a lot of important decisions here. And that allowed me to calculate my course of action to perfection."
You stood stunned by this information.
"You see, my original plan was to use the little bit of magic I had left in this form to create a mass mind control spell. With that spell, I could command all the students and teachers to relinquish their magic to me in sacrifice; allowing me to grow stronger and eventually regain my physical form. But then...you showed up and plans changed."
He moved over to stand next to the pedestal where Storian, completely unfazed by the dealings in the tower, was still scribbling along.
"When I realized you had returned, I had to find a way to get you out of the school. So I devised the attack in the Blue Forest, hoping you would take the blame. It worked nicely as a way for me to test the progress of my spell too; though the result was less than I'd hoped for."
As he turned his back to you, you began struggling with the bonds, trying your hardest to wiggle free, though deep down you knew that wouldn't happen.
"So, I waited." He continued. "Revising my spell until I was sure that it was ready. I figured I'd test it out on a single student first, and see if it held up better than the last version."
He turned back toward you, a disgruntled look on his face.
"And after Sophie somehow invaded the dream I'd created to torture you, she practically volunteered herself." He huffed.
"You gave me that dream?" You asked, as you attempted to step forward.
Rafal smiled. "Indeed. As a warning for what was to come. But I hadn't expected anyone else to see it. When Sophie appeared within it, I knew she was just another obstacle I would have to get rid of. So...when the spell was ready to be tested once more, I waited. And one night, when Sophie came charging into the tower, babbling about seeing your memories while you were asleep, I seized my opportunity."
"She saw my memories?" You mumbled to yourself as you quickly glanced toward Lesso, expecting her to also react. But she was stoic, in the same position she'd been in when you'd been bound.
Ignoring your query, Rafal continued. "The rest of the plan worked in three ways. Sophie was missing, and given that blame was already somewhat placed on you, I knew I could place enough doubt to potentially get you out that way. Unfortunately, Clarissa wasn't stupid enough to fall for that after befriending you. So I had to resort to plan B."
You tilted your head, waiting for him to speak again.
"A day or two after Sophie went missing, I'd return her; freshly mind controlled and ready to spread it along. See I returned her with a little gift for whoever was near her when she woke up. Residue of the spell with a blast radius of about 50 feet from its source; meaning anyone near Sophie when she opened her eyes, would inhale my spell and join her under my control."
You grit your teeth together in your mouth. He was enjoying recounting this tale to you. You could tell by his gestures and malevolent grin.
"I was delighted when I sensed who all had been affected by the blast. Clarissa, Tedros, Hester, that brat Agatha and enough others that any accusations made against you would finally stick. And it was perfect timing too! With dearest Lady Lesso returning to Gavaldon, there would be no one to save you."
You looked at Lesso's emotionless figure. Even though you were still scared for what could happen next, you couldn't help the warm feeling that grew in your stomach when you thought about her saving you.
"But she did save me," you hummed, as a small smile resting on your face.
Rafal rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm aware."
He strode closer to you, moving around until he was behind you, leaning in close, and whispering in your ear. "But that's why I created a contingency plan."
He flourished his hand causing your body to slowly rotate to face him. His form was getting stronger; you were now beginning to see more detail in his figure.
"You see, I figured, if I couldn't manage to get you out of the school so I could carry out my plan...I'd just have to kill you instead."
You chuckled softly. "But I'm immortal Rafal, surely you of all people know that means you cannot kill me."
In the blink of an eye, Rafal had moved to stand directly in front of you. He attempted to grab ahold of your chin, but he was not solid enough yet to manage it.
"Foolish girl," he spat angrily. "You seriously believe yourself to be unkillable? Do you forget I saw and heard everything that transpired in this tower? I know your immortality is weakening. And unlike you...I know why."
Your eyes widened in terror.
Rafal laughed. "You see, what you missed, all those years ago, was the warning that appeared on the back of the page, after you completed the spell. It was clear to me, after your argument with Storian, that you hadn't in fact read it; but luckily I had."
He flourished his hand as he recalled the warning.
"Beware to those who choose to cast,
this spell of which your life will last.
Though immortality you will gain,
it will not stop a life of pain.
Outliving those of whom you knew,
no physical harm will come to you.
But be warned, for this spell could one day change,
if priorities in your life rearrange.
There is one weapon among them all,
that could lead to an immortal's downfall.
From the depths below, or the heights above,
death can be sent by one's own true love."
As Rafal spoke the last words of the warning, before your brain had fully processed their meaning, Lesso appeared in front of you, plunging a dagger deep into your abdomen.