|| XIX ||

Mal was gone. The whole dome was silent, as if nothing ever happened here. The screams had also stopped outside, but everything that I had just witnessed had left my body swaying. Staying in the dome a moment longer made me feel like I would lose my consciousness any moment. I was undoubtedly weak, and unsure if I was even ready for this, but it wasn't the time for weakness. Mal's threat rang in my ears loud and clear.

"TWENTY FOUR HOURS, DIONE! I WILL GIVE YOU TWENTY FOUR HOURS TO THINK AND DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO BE MINE. I MIGHT BE A LITTLE GENTLE IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE WITH ME. BUT IF NOT… YOU WILL SEE HOW YOUR FATE TAKES YOU TO YOUR DOOM!!!"

"No." My heart said, "This cannot be how my story ends."

"THIS CANNOT BE HOW MY STORY ENDS, MAL!! THIS CANNOT BE!! THERE HAS TO BE A DIFFERENT ENDING AND I NEED TO KNOW IT!! I NEED TO KNOW HOW DIONE DID IT, MAL!! YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME LIKE THIS !! ANSWER MY QUESTIONS!! ANSWER ME!!" I shouted into the void, but nobody answered. The sky was crimson as stormy winds started bowling outside. Vic held me tight, but I kept shuddering, trying to reach through to Mal, but to no avail. He left me without telling me the most important part. How did Dione manage to power through and kill Mal? And why did she even do it? She knew that killing Mal would only turn him into a dark demonic entity, then WHY?!

"Vic… I think Mal could pose a great threat to the whole world if not tamed. It is for sure that he wants revenge on Moon because he was never able to marry Dione. But as far as Dione had said, killing Mal would only make him come back as a much darker entity. And he IS back, as a much darker entity this time. He died after the events that night, but Dione's soul stone kept his dark soul sealed. But somehow, it was tampered with, which resulted in him coming out… See-?" Astra said, pointing at the sword that was in the center of the dome… but there was no soul stone sealing it. I gulped, as I let go of Vic and walked closer to Astra. It was hard to understand why, but I wanted to know a few more things. And this time, if my thoughts were correct, I would be able to get a lot closer to the end.

"Astra, wh-what was the Law of Segregation?" I asked. Astra looked a little confused.

"Moon, how is that even relevant-?" Vic asked, but I only repeated the question.

"Well, there was a law that was established centuries ago by the clans living here, by which, nobody from one particular clan was allowed to mate with anyone from the other clans. And it was done because one, all the clans wanted to retain their own glory, as well as their rivalry with the other clans, and two, to prevent the birth of hybrids."

"Hybrids? What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, it's a simple concept, really. If someone's parents are from the same clan, then they are pure bloods. That is, either witches, vampires, or werewolves. Or well, humans. But if they went against the law and mated with people from other clans- say, a vampire mates with a werewolf, that would lead to the birth of a hybrid. And these hybrids were said to be really powerful, since they possessed qualities of both sides. However…"

"However? What else do you know, Astra?" I asked, impatiently.

"I think… hybrids need to reach their second hypostasis to unlock their full potential."

"Hypostasis? Astra, I'm getting lost-"

"Let me explain. Let's say a werewolf mates with a vampire, resulting in their child to be a werewolf-vampire hybrid. The child would genetically show only the traits of one of their parents, that is, either their father, or their mother. Meaning, they would either show traits of a werewolf or a vampire, growing up. That's the first hypostasis. They're born with it, and that's how their genetic makeup is. But sometimes, they might be subjected to really tough, almost deadly situations to unleash their true potential and attain the second hypostasis. That is when they are able to fully become a hybrid, and use the powers from both clans. But as far as I know… there haven't been any hybrids in Hestia, ever, other than Dione. Her parents broke the law of Segregation, and well, that was what kind of led to the all-consuming war in Hestia."

Astra's words made perfect sense. But then, if that was true… and if all the information I had gathered was true, then… Not only was Dione a hybrid, but so was Vic and Mal. Misaii had told me how Gloria had broken the law of segregation… and well, if that was true, then so did Osbonte… And… according to Mal, his mother was a Vampire… and that… made Mal and Vic- hybrids.

I felt something in the pit of my stomach, and it instantly made me anxious and nauseous. Mal's threat looming over my head did not make it any better. And now, I got to know that he was a hybrid. I could not think of how much worse this could get. If, by any chance, Mal got to his second hypostasis, he would become nearly invincible. The mere thought of that made me recoil in fear.

"Moon, are you… are you feeling alright?" Vic said, as he gently hugged me. I held on to him, not saying a single word. I was in fact, not alright. But I wanted to live in the moment- I wanted to live in his arms and imagine that this was all a nightmare. However, my imagination was cut short, as I heard a loud bang outside the dome. It was only then, that the three of us realized that we needed to head out.

"Moon… I-I think… I think something bad is happening. We need to go out." Astra said. I could see she was panicking, and even though I kept staring at the place where Mal was standing a moment ago, Vic almost pulled me out of the dome. However, we were forced to stand still right after we walked out of the dome to take in what was in front of our eyes.

Hestia was in ruins. It was as if a catastrophe had hit the town. Buildings were crumbling down and even the Türbeh was falling apart.

"No… NO, NO, NO, THIS CANNOT BE!! THIS CANNOT BE!!" I screamed as I frantically began running through the woods.

"MOON! WAIT!!" Vic shouted as he ran after me.

I didn't realize how fast I was running until I reached the town. Everything seemed desolate. The moon in the sky told us that it was still night, but the sky was blood red. There wasn't a sign of human life in the town, as if people never existed in the town. Vic and Astra panted as they stopped next to me. They looked at everything as fear settled in our hearts.

"He messed with the fourth dimension. No doubt Hestia was struck by a catastrophe." Vic said. I was already having a mental breakdown. I turned to look at him and desperately screamed, "IS THAT SOMETHING REALLY SIMPLE, VIC? AN EFFING CATASTROPHE HIT THE TOWN, VICTOR!! WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PEOPLE!! WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ANYA, OR VLAD, OR-"

"MOON!! MOON, CALM DOWN!! CALM DOWN, PLEASE!! LOOK- LOOK AT ME!! LOOK AT ME!!"

Vic grabbed me by my arms and made me look at his face until I couldn't break eye-contact. I broke into tears immediately and Vic hugged me tight.

"This is all because of me, Vic… all because of me…" I cried. Vic gently stroked my hair.

"No, Moon, please! Don't blame yourself like this!" Astra said, as she gave me a hug from behind.

"It takes two to make or break anything. You taught me that, Moon. And you're gonna forget that now?" Vic said. I looked up at him. His words were true. In my most desperate times, I once used to look for Caleb, but I never got him by my side until it had something to do with his own gain. But now I had Vic by my side. I had Astra, who had once sacrificed her life for me. I had everything I ever needed. What was I really scared of, then?

I pulled away, and took a deep breath, wiping the tears off my face. I had to remain calm. The demons in me were driven by emotions, and I had to control them anyhow. I needed my soul light more than ever at this point so as to not stray away, and think rationally. But I could still feel the presence of Mal's looming gaze on me and the threat of our impending doom.

"I- I need to go home." I said.

"I think so too. If Mal really messed with time, then… I don't know what happened to…" Though Astra didn't finish her words, I could understand her implications. I almost hurriedly took a step forward, but Vic pulled me back.

"Moon… I promise I'll get to the end of this. I won't let anything harm you."

"WE, will get to the end of this, Vic." I said, gently caressing his cheek, "WE will win. We have to."

The foreboding feeling only grew stronger in me until there was a battle in my heart to suppress the negative feelings. Astra and I ran to the ruins of my home. Every step that I took broke my heart. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I walked into the house. Walls were cracked, and the roof was half broken. The rooms didn't even look anything similar to when I first arrived here. My heart pounded faster in my chest as I thought about everyone in the house.

"Mom? Dad? Anya? Where are you? MOM!" I called out for them and after a while of shuffling, I finally saw mom come out of her room. She looked at me, and then turned to shut the door behind her. She then walked up to me and looked at me sincerely. Her face was serious as she spoke to me.

"I warned you, Moon." She said without caring about Astra's presence.

"I warned you about this. But you didn't listen to me. It never brought anything but destruction, Moon."

I was stunned. Was she against Vic and me again? But I couldn't retaliate. My mom had valid reasons to be mad, but I couldn't find the right words to console her.

"Mom, I-"

"No time for this, Moon. Too much is at stake for us to take a step back. We've already lost a lot and I'm not ready to lose you."

"What… What are you saying?"

Mom looked down for a moment and then spoke.

"I presume something went horribly wrong the night of the festival that you didn't inform me about, that led to this catastrophe." She said, as her gaze shifted from me to Astra. "When I got to know about your… trip to the dome with Misaii, I immediately sent Astra to call Vic and go find you. And… That was almost a fortnight ago."

"A fortnight? So Mal's darkness really did affect the fourth dimension…"

"Even we couldn't understand what happened, Moon. A terrible storm took down everything in Hestia. Climate went crazy. There were unexpected rains, snow, and even sandstorms. People were terrified. A lot of them began perishing due to some unknown plague… And… we lost your great-grandparents to it as well."

"MOM, WHAT?!" I screamed. I stumbled a few steps back and crashed into a table.

"Pull yourself together, Moon. The catastrophe is REAL. People scrambled out of Hestia to save their lives… And the ones who dared to stay, were soon found dead in their homes. It's a mess, Moon. I somehow managed to send your grandparents over to the U.S., but… your dad didn't want to leave without Anya and you, so…"

"So…?" My heart sank in anticipation of the worst and I broke into tears.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO DAD, MOM? AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN WAITING FOR ME AND ANYA? WHERE IS SHE?" I screamed. Mom came closer to me and patted my shoulder to calm me down, but it really wasn't working.

"QUIT BEING SILENT, MOM! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"

"Your dad…" Mom sighed, "He's affected by the plague as well. And as for Anya and Vlad… they've been missing since the past few days." Mom said calmly, as if it was nothing and she had seen worse.

My legs gave up. It was as if I was living the last moments of my life and my heart was about to collapse as well because of the amount of stress that I was dealing with. I could hear nothing else. My vision got blurry by the second as Mom crouched down next to me and shook me hard.

"GET A GRIP, MOON. THIS CANNOT BE THE END. THIS WON'T BE THE END."

I felt a surge of emotions inside me. Pain, agony, anger, disgust… and all of these emotions fuelled me so that I could live a little longer.

"This… is not the end…" I mumbled, as I got up slowly. It almost felt like I was a sack of wet cotton, my body felt heavy and burdened. What was I going to do? How was I going to put an end to this story? Maybe if I were Dione, I wouldn't have thought about it twice and gone to kill Malvic, but… I am not Dione… I am Moon. Dione was my past… A long forgotten past that was now trying to get a hold of me… but why? How could I even relate to Dione when she was so different from me? She was much stronger, confident, and decisive than me. And I was standing here like a pathetic mess, not having a clue of how to help everything when I clearly wasn't able to help myself.

My feet swayed, but for the first time in a while, I was able to conjure up my confidence to do something. Very decisively, I took a step forward, and then two, and three… until I reached my father's room. I gulped as I stood at the door. I was shaking. Was I ready for this?

The door opened with a creak and I froze at the door, looking at my dad. He looked frail and gaunt. This wasn't the dad that I came here with. He looked like a skeleton. His face was pale and his veins were popping out on his hands.

"Dad…" My lips quavered, as I whispered.

"Moon…? Cough… I-Is it… Moon?" Dad said in a shaking voice. It physically and emotionally pained me to see him like that. The man who was beaming with joy just a few weeks ago, happily jumping around showing his town to his kids… was now on his deathbed?

I walked into the room slowly, trying to control my tears and forcing a smile.

"I- I'm here, dad. I am right here." I said, as I held his hand in mine. Dad's face lit up as he turned to look at me.

"Moon…" He whispered, as he raised a hand and touched my cheek affectionately.

"Where were you… I- cough, cough- argh… I- was so… concerned. Everything is… changing here, Moon. It… It's a curse… We need to get back home, Moon. A-Anya? Is she here? Anya? A- cough, cough!" Dad couldn't finish his sentence as he coughed up blood.

"Dad!" I shouted, helping him calm down. He was panting like a madman, thinking maybe his family was, finally, together, and he could take everyone away to safety… but, I couldn't get myself to tell dad that it wasn't that simple. Something terrible was waiting for me in twenty four hours, and I had to face it.

I looked out of the window. The sky was brighter, but still red, telling me that it was morning. There wasn't a single bird in the sky. Everything outside looked like it had been bathed in blood, reminding me that Mal was waiting for us… for our blood. The thought made me want to curl up into a ball and cry like a little child, expecting it to be over like a nightmare, but this nightmare was a reality…. that I had manifested into existence, therefore, there was no way I could run away from it.

I turned to look at dad, and smiled through my tears as I held his hand.

"We… We are all here, dad. Anya, I… mom… we are all here. Trust me, we'll all be out of here in no time, okay? Just… just listen to mom and rest for now. I will get us out of here, I promise."

"But, Moon… We… We need to…"

"Dad, dad… listen to me. I promise, nothing will happen to us. I will not let anything happen to us, okay?"

Mom walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder and almost instantly, I covered my mouth to stop myself from crying, but I really couldn't. I sprinted out of the room and ran onto the roads, crying restlessly. I fell to the ground crying helplessly. What had I gotten myself into? My dad's smiling face floated in front of my eyes. I saw Anya's face as well- she was smiling and blushing. I saw mom laughing freely while talking to me. I saw Vlad and Astra smiling wide as they pulled Vic, Anya and me into a big group hug. I saw Vic and his loving eyes. I saw him smiling at me. But just as all these appeared in front of my eyes, these vanished equally quickly. It hurt my soul to even think about their smiling faces, knowing that I could lose them any moment just like these visions crumbled to dust right in front of my eyes. It hurt me knowing that I still had little to no understanding of this reality and that this reality expected me to be as competent as Dione once was, and I was visibly failing all expectations.

"I AM NOT DIONE!! I AM NOT HER! THEN WHY DO I HAVE TO SUFFER LIKE THIS? WHY?!" I screamed and punched the ground, wincing in pain. I didn't know what else to do. I did realize that at one point, I was the one who wanted to merge both realities and live the life that Dione once wanted to live, with Vic, but I didn't realize that it came with a cost this high. And I wasn't ready to pay the price. I was conflicted. While I wanted to power through, I had absolutely no power left in me. My mind wanted to remain in the present to allow me to assess the situation and respond better, but my heart constantly went back to the past, trying to remind me of Dione and how she used to power through. But I couldn't find the power to do anything at all. I still felt like an empty vessel on the inside, not knowing what could fill me to the brim on the inside, making me power through.

"Moon…"

I turned around to look up at Astra. She had come to find me. She slowly crouched down next to me and put a hand on my back. Knowing I could rely on her, I hugged her, crying it all out. Astra patiently kept stroking my back.

"You have to calm down, Moon. This concerns all of us and not just you, Moon. I knew I didn't sacrifice my life for nothing. I was born for this moment, Moon. And I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

I shook my head. Astra's words felt soothing, but I still couldn't come to believe them.

"No, no, no, wh-what are you even saying, Astra? Do you even realize the depth of this? Astra, M-Misaii- she… she DID this to me… She knew it all along and still let me talk to him. Why?! Why did she do this to me, Astra? I-I trusted her, didn't I?"

"Moon, I-"

"Astra…" I looked up at her desperately as a realization hit me. "Misaii… is Misha, isn't she?" i said.

Astra looked disoriented.

"Astra answer me, PLEASE!!" I said, shaking her violently, but Astra only lowered her head and sobbed. Her actions made it clear enough for me, as my hands dropped to my side.

"Misaii was the real traitor all along? Mom… was right, then? God, no…"

"Moon, I- I promise I didn't know anything. I- I'm equally as shocked as you are. I didn't even expect her to… to be THIS vicious. And… And I had not even seen her as Misha."

My mind was reeling. It was getting evidently difficult for me to breathe, and I was aimlessly shuffling on the ground, not knowing how to process every information provided to me.

"M-Moon… Moon, relax, I-" Astra wiped the tears off her face and held me firmly. "Everything would be alright, Moon. Vic… Vic will definitely find a way out, Moon, trust me-"

"No, no, no, Astra, you… you don't understand!!" I pulled away and wiped my face, covering my face in dirt. "This is not about me! A lot is at stake, Astra… Everything depends on the choice that I make. He… he has said it already…" As I said it, almost on cue, I heard him again. His laughter surrounded me and almost made me crawl away in fear.

"Mmm… there we go… my little angel finally knows what's best for her…"

The winds carried his voice and howled into my ears. I covered my ears with my palms to block out his presence, but Astra shook me violently.

"Moon! STOP IT! YOU ARE MANIFESTING YOUR DARKEST THOUGHTS, MOON. FOCUS. Focus on your soul light, Moon. Focus inwards. You know you are much more than you think you are. Your soul knows it, you just have to reach out to your power and summon it, and you'll find it within yourself. Do not listen to Mal. He is a coward. He knows he can't do a thing if there isn't enough fear in your mind to block your consciousness. Don't give in to what he wants, Moon. DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"I- I"

"EYY! DON'T YOU DARE!!'

Mal's voice thundered in the horizon, shaking the ground underneath us. I screamed, but Astra stayed still. She was fearless, as if she was ready to fight and kill Mal if needed.

"You little RATS are going too far. Don't do it. I'm giving you a chance. Run away. LEAVE DIONE ALONE WHILE YOU STILL HAVE THE CHANCE. SHE IS MINE. MINE!!"

"NOT A CHANCE, YOU MORON!" Astra shouted, "DIONE WAS ALWAYS THE ONE FOR VIC, NOT YOU. HAVE SOME SHAME. DIONE DIED BECAUSE SHE KNEW IT WAS BETTER TO DIE THAN TO LIVE WITH A SPINELESS INHUMAN LEECH LIKE YOU!"

"RAAAAHHHH!!" Mal's voice made everything shake again, this time more violently as several roots from nearby trees began advancing on us rapidly. My heart pounded faster as I cowered, not knowing what to do. Astra rushed to me and pulled me up forcefully and pushed me away.

"RUN, MOON! RUN!!" Astra said, as multiple roots wrapped tightly around her ankles, making her fall to the ground. It was only a couple of seconds, until half of her body was covered with the roots. Astra was wriggling like a poor worm in the grip of the roots, trying hard to breathe, but she was evidently struggling.

"NOO! MAL, PLEASE! I- I BEG OF YOU, MAL! STOP THIS! LET HER GO, MAL! SHE ISN'T YOUR TARGET- I AM! LEAVE HER, PLEASE, PLEASE!" I sobbed. Mal laughed even harder this time.

"Oh, how lovely it is to hear those sweet words from you… 'I beg of you, Mal, please! Please leave her!' HAHAHAH!" Mal said, mocking my helplessness. Though I was crying, I knew I didn't have anything else to do. I was helpless and sadly, in his mercy.

"Ahhh… only if you had said these words centuries ago, Dione. I would've been kinder to you and these pathetic creatures as well." He said. I turned to look at Astra. She was still struggling, but her movements were slowly reducing. I kneeled on the ground, folding my hands in prayer. I cried out loud.

"PLEASE, MAL! DON'T KILL HER! SHE HAS DONE NOTHING, AND SHE- SHE ISN'T EVEN YOUR TARGET! PLEASE, MAL, I-"

"EH, SHH, SHH, SHH!! ENOUGH NAGGING! Anybody… AND I MEAN IT- ANYBODY THAT TRIES TO SABOTAGE MY MOTIVES THIS TIME WOULD NO LONGER EXIST. I WILL WIPE THEM OFF THIS PLANET!!!" His voice echoed everywhere, and then…

'CRUNCH!'

The sound of bones cracking and Astra's shrill shriek shook me to the core as the girl fell limp on the ground. I screamed in horror at the sight. Was she… Was she dead?

"ASTRA!!" I shouted, as I tried to run towards her, but a strong gust of wind pushed me away from her.

"Oh, no, no, my little angel. Don't you dare, honey. I only removed one little bug that kept buzzing around my pretty little flower. But trust me, she wasn't even the bigger piece here. Want to know what the bigger pieces are?"

My throat was drying up. I stood there motionless, looking at Astra's limp and cold body. Her emotionless face was turned towards me, as if showing me a trailer of what could happen if I didn't oblige. I stood there without a word as tears kept rolling down my cheeks constantly.

"It seems you got the hint, huh? You're right. Just like her, I will finish everyone you love, DIone. You betrayed MY love. So you HAVE to face its consequences, honey."

A flash of light blinded my vision and I closed my eyes shut. As I closed my eyes, I saw my people… I saw Mom, dad, Anya, Vlad, and Vic. But not how I would've liked to see them.

Dad was lying unconscious on his bed. Mom was lying on the floor, somewhere, in a pool of her own blood. Anya was lying with her head slammed against a rock as if she had been thrown away by someone, and Vlad was nearby as well, lying on the ground limp. Vic was struggling to live, but one hand movement from Mal made his neck snap as he fell down, making me recoil in terror.

"NOOOOO!" I cried, "No, please, Mal… Please don't hurt them… I beg of you, Mal. I already am at your feet, just like you said. I'm begging for your mercy. What else do you want from me, Mal? You have your revenge! Now please, Please let them go, Mal… Please… I promise I will not go against you. I will not."

"Ooh, now that's what I like to call a great deal. You sure know your way around a man, Dione. But I know how to keep my word as well. So if, by any chance, you try to go against me, then-"

"NO! No, please! I-I promise I won't. Tell me… What do I need to do?"

"Now that's like my good girl. You don't have a lot of options anyway, my dear, and… not a lot of time as well." Mal said, as he chuckled, "Tonight is the night, Dione. The night of my life. And if you decide to be with me, then this night won't turn out to be a nightmare for you as well. Just be ready in the dress you wore that night… the night of our wedding, and come to the dome. I promise I'll be gentle…" Mal laughed out loud, making me feel like a big loser. It was as if he was laughing at my incompetency, and I was able to do nothing.

"Shoo shoo, now! Run along! Go get ready! There isn't much time for the big celebration!" His voice faded away almost merrily, but my heart ached. I wanted to go see Astra… touch her and see if she was alive, but I couldn't bear seeing her like that. Crying, I ran off. I didn't know where I was going. The sun was overhead at the moment. I only had a few more hours left and everything happening around me made me feel like I was choking. I was nauseous, but I kept running frantically in hopes of finding something that could help me out, but I was clueless. My incompetency made me feel nothing but wrath build up inside me. The frustration that I felt made me cry out loud as I kept running. I didn't stop until I found myself standing near the Türbeh. My eyes didn't want to believe what I was seeing. The Türbeh was falling apart. Walls had come crumbling down, and the door was broken from the hinge, and only the tomb of Eternia lay in the center. Even the flowers and decorations were on the floor. I silently sobbed as I took everything in. I walked inside and almost instinctively fell to the floor. I had previously seen many people cry to Eternia to get her blessings. But was Eternia able to hear me? I have cried a lot these past few days… Was she able to hear me? If she was, then why couldn't she fix everything? WHY?

I sobbed, hugging her tomb, just like Dione used to do. I was desperate to find anything that could give me some hope, some power… but why was I still not able to get anything?

"Sometimes, the answer is right in front of our eyes, but we overlook minor details, child."

I knew this voice. My soul knew this voice way too well to be mistaken, so I turned around immediately and saw her… Eternia standing in front of me. Her presence lit up the whole Türbeh. She was practically glowing in her white gown. I didn't know if she was just a fragment of my imagination, or if she was actually in front of me.

"Eternia…" I whispered, as a teardrop fell from my eyes. Eternia smiled ever so kindly at me.

"Not every answer that you seek is out in the world. Some answers are within you. Look deeper. You know who you really are, and what your purpose is… what your purpose once was. The red string of fate that connects you and Vic is glowing much more stronger, this time. All you need to do is believe in yourself."

Eternia slowly walked closer to me and crouched down. She ran her hand over my face, making me close my eyes.

"Remember my words? Self-doubt kills everything, Dione. Look inwards. You will find everything that you ever need to power through. It IS time, my child. You are ready."

Her soothing voice washed my soul ten times over. She made me calm down effortlessly and reminded me of myself… She reminded me why I was here and what related me to Dione. I could even picture Dione and her strengths… Her healing skills, her authority, her sword fighting skills, everything. She reminded me of my potential that I almost refused to acknowledge up until now. But it really was time.

A bright green aura emanated from my palms as I opened my eyes. I looked at my palms in awe.

"My soul light…"

"Eternia was right! My soul light helped me power through. Everyone has their own soul lights. Vic's one was dark red, Astra had a bright white aura, and Mal had a sooty dark aura. But… where was my aura now?"

A memory from Dione's childhood flashed in front of my eyes…

"I woke up at dawn just as usual. I sat up on the bed, slowly and gracefully, and looked outside the window. Birds were flying around on tree tops and squirrels were running in the garden. I got off the bed and looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. Brownish-golden locks fell right till my back, and I wore a gown- purple and black in color. I clutched the emerald necklace that I wore and closed my eyes as if feeling its energy. I opened my eyes to look into the mirror. Dark brown eyes reflected my image as it was in the mirror- a small girl, roughly 8 years of age, smiling contentedly. I knew from her eyes that it was me."

"The emerald necklace… THE EMERALD NECKLACE HAD MY AURA! I-I REMEMBER CLEARLY, BUT… BUT WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS THE NECKLACE?!"

My screams only echoed in the room, but I had no answer to that. I got up, and scrambled around the room, tumbling a few things over here and there while trying to gather my thoughts. Everything seemed blurry, until…

"Hnghhh… You little- You really are a troublemaker, aren't you?" Mal's voice hissed through the cracks on the wall. "The more I think I'll be gentle on you, the more you cause trouble. You haven't changed a bit, Dione."

"What have you done to my soul stone, Mal? WHERE IS IT?"

Mal only responded by laughing, making me shout even louder.

"TELL ME, MAL, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY-"

'HUSH!" Mal silenced me as he spoke, "The more I think you're getting beyond my interpretations, the more you prove me wrong, Dione. No, no, for real, how the hell do you think I got out of that curse, huh? YOU TRAPPED ME WITH YOUR SOUL LIGHT, DIONE. I WAS TRAPPED IN A DARK CREVICE FOR CENTURIES AND NO ONE… NO ONE WAS ABLE TO HEAR ME!! I WAS ROTTING IN HELL. But poor you… I warned you right when you arrived here. But you didn't listen to me. You stayed, and acted like you loved living here. You even got close to Vic… tch, unfortunately, that was a grave mistake. While you got closer to Vic, I plotted how to get closer to my victory. Wanna take a look? Huh? Huh?" Mal broke into laughter as a portal opened in front of my face. I staggered back, and tried to look at what he was trying to show me.

It was the same rusty sword I saw in the dome, previously, but… something was shining brightly on it. It was my soul stone. It was wrapped tightly around the base of the sword, but then… someone's hand appeared in the portal. It almost pulled the necklace away. The portal closed in front of my eyes, leaving me riddled with more questions.

"NO, NO, NO, MAL, NO! WHO TOOK IT, MAL? WHO FREED YOU? TELL ME-"

Mal laughed.

"Ahh, you poor thing. You sacrificed yourself and used your soul stone to keep me trapped in the Earth for ages. But one little mistake on your end… one little mistake on recognizing people and their auras, made you stand here on the verge of losing everything, huh?"

"MAL, TELL ME WHO IT WAS! I NEED TO KNOW! I- I NEED TO FIND OUT!"

But Mal's voice had died, leaving a thick trail of his presence behind. It was suffocating me, but I was desperate. This was the one and only ray of hope for me. I ran towards the exit, but before I could exit, almost due to my own carelessness, I stumbled on a brick lying on the floor, as I went crashing against a wall.

"Augh…" I winced at the throbbing pain in my head. A warm stream of blood ran down my face, covering my vision. The smell of the blood made me nauseous, and I tried to wipe it off my face, only ending up smearing it even more. But there was barely any time for me to even care about this. I was only about to get up, when a rumbling sound caught my attention. However, it almost felt like the end, when the wall in front of me came crumbling down, burying me under the bricks. I could feel several bricks hitting my body, making me shriek, but there wasn't anyone to help me out. I could feel the pulsating pain in my head and my body, as everything slowly went dark in front of my eyes…