Chapter Five – Marco/Ethan POV

Marco POV

“Orion?” I asked softly, opening his cell door. “I think it’s time we make amends.”

Orion stood up with a genuine smile. “Yes, I think so too.”

I smiled warmly. “We are on the same side. Sometimes I just need that reminder.”

Orion laughed. “I fully understand. It’s been a long time for you. You’ve been a “good guy” for many years, haven’t you?”

I nodded.

“See? It’s not easy, but we can work as a team and do what we must do.” He looked around. “But I need to be out of here to do that.”

I gave him a skeptical look. “But can we trust you?” I was hopeful. I needed a reason. Any reason. 

“Of course.” He held out his hand, which I reached to shake. “This is what we were meant to do, Marco. Just stay focused on the goal.”

I nodded, but I didn’t. It was like my body nodded for me.

“How about a duel, hmm?” He asked quietly, still holding my hand. I couldn’t pull it away. I felt this was an odd request, but I couldn’t say no. “Just a friendly one,” he continued. “To make amends.”

My head nodded again, without my control. I knew what was happening, and I tried to pull away, but I couldn’t.

“There we go,” he grinned. “Glad you see it my way.”

We made our way to the dueling grounds. Midway through our duel, I started to snap out of the spell. 

“Wait!” I called, dodging his attacks. “No, wait! Stop!“

Normally, this would end a duel. It would end in my forfeit and his win. But not this time. His attacks kept coming. I knew I was stronger, so I finally gave in, fighting with my hardest attacks, using unfair tactics, just like I used to. This angered Orion.

“So that’s the game you want to play?” He snarled. “So be it. I said friendly duel.”

“But you didn’t stop when I asked you to.”

“My kingdom, my rules,” he grinned, summoning spikes around me.

I growled. “This is my kingdom, Orion!“

Orion laughed, grabbing me with magic. “Not for long.”

He pulled me toward him, through the spikes, which disappeared as soon as I hit them. They were magical, not leaving a scratch, yet causing debilitating damage.

“Wait,” I said quietly, wincing.

“No, Marco,” he said, holding me high off the ground. “You decided to not fight fair. You changed the game. Now I’m just playing it.”

He dropped me, and I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me. Struggling to get up, I felt an intense pain radiate through my body.

He crouched in front of me as I tried to get away from the magic that held me down, his fire-like magic searing my skin.

“You should have died, Marco. You were always incompetent. You never wanted this, and I could never persuade you. And so, this realm is mine. It will forever be mine. Because now? You’re dead.”

I gasped for breath as the pain took over all of my senses, slowly killing me in the worst possible way. “No…w-wait…Orion. I’m o-on your s-side. D-don’t do this.” I winced and groaned, the pain unbearable, but I still tried to hold on.

Orion gave me a menacing grin. “It’s already done, Marco.”

Still, I did my best, gasping and crying out for help, but the agonizing pain made my voice a mere whisper. “Orion…no….p-please…” 

Orion continued to grin as I tried my best to fight the magic off. I was far too weak, and the pain made it impossible for me to summon any magic. I couldn’t focus. 

“Please!” I begged. “I’ll leave you alone! We all will! The r-realm will – aaagh! It’ll…be…yours…just please….” My vision began to fade, and finally I passed out. The pain slowly began to fade. I was dying. It was too late now. 

I heard Kyler’s voice as I laid motionless. 

“Orion! What did you do?” He screamed, running to me.

At least my son’s voice was the last I ever heard.

Ethan POV

He killed my father. He killed him in cold blood. And I was forced to refrain from doing the same to him? How? I paced in the corridor. Something needed to be done, and if no one else was doing it, I had no problem taking matters into my own hands. I was the realm’s protector, yet I couldn’t even protect my father?

I hit the wall as tears streamed down my face. “I have to avenge you. I can’t just sit back and let this happen.”

Kyler approached me. “How are you holding up?”

“How do you think?” I snapped. I realized my mistake and gazed at him with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry.”

He hugged me. “It’s okay. This is a rough time for all of us.”

“And Mom?”

“She’s angry and devastated, of course. She hasn’t left their room. Sometimes I hear her talking to no one. She’s taking it really hard.” He sighed. “I’m worried about her. Dad kind of became her everything, you know? She’s lost without him.”

I shook my head. “No she’s not. She’s the strongest out of all of us. If anyone can overcome this, it’s her.”

Kyler smiled sadly. “Oh Ethan. Still so naive when it comes to love.”

I glared at him. “Shut up. I’m saying she can overcome anything.”

“The death of your soulmate is a different story,” he explained. “Sure, maybe she can. If she does, great. That’s awesome. However, they were like…inseparable. Now she’s alone, and she has to deal with that. It’s not going to be an easy ride for her.”

“You make it sound like he’s not going to be revived.”

“There’s a possibility he won’t be.”

“He was working on a portal,” we heard. I glanced over and saw Mom. Her eyes were red, her hair messy, and she wasn’t dressed in her normal attire. She wore sports sweats and a sweater over a loose tank top. 

I stepped toward her, hugging her. Kyler joined us. She held us both close, sobbing quietly as we held her.

“We’ll find a way, Mama,” I said quietly. 

“He kept saying he was the one who needed to die to save the realm,” she said shakily. “As soon as he did, I felt my darkness lift. I still have it within me, at least some of it, but it’s not strong enough to take hold. It’s lying there, dormant.”

“Morgyn could revive him.” Kyler seemed hopeful.

She sighed. “No. If this was meant to happen, then there’s nothing we can do. If he’s revived, the realm would be in danger again.”

“It’s really not fair,” I choked out. “Dad didn’t even want this. Yet, Orion is fine. He’s the problem here.”

Kyler straightened. “That’s it. He must be the one who dies.” He glanced at Mom’s shocked expression. “The darkness will fully lift, and Dad can be revived.”

Mom stared blankly at him. He sighed. “It’s the only way.”

She looked down at the floor. “You’re right. But I can’t help you. I won’t be a part of that.”

“What? Why?” I asked, perplexed. 

“I still love him,” she explained. “No matter the horrible things he’s done, he’s still my son, and I can’t be a part of any plan to kill him.”

“Mom, your darkness is lifted,” Kyler said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “That makes you a traitor to him. He doesn’t care about family bonds. If you’re a traitor, his penalty for you is death.”

She shook her head, stepping away. “I’m sorry. I just can’t.” She quickly turned and walked away.

Kyler growled. “Poor Mom. She lost her husband and now knows she may lose her first born too? She can’t take on this burden.”

“We need to figure something out,” I agreed. But what? What could we do to save the realm without breaking Mom’s heart a second time?

“I need to be alone for a moment,” I said, brushing past Kyler. I heard him sigh as I walked out the door. I rushed to the gardens and sat in the grass.

“This is ridiculous,” I frowned. “All Mom and Dad ever wanted was a break from the bullshit, but here we are, and it’s even worse now than it’s ever been.” Tears filled my eyes. “This goddamn brother of mine stole my father. Murdered in cold blood. And I’m supposed to accept the fact that Mom won’t help us fight the man that killed him? Did she even love Dad? She should want revenge!” I buried my face in my hands, a mixture of frustration and sadness rushing through my body. I cried, and I cried hard.

I heard footsteps in the grass. When I looked up, I was greeted by Morgyn.

He smiled sadly and sat beside me.

“If there’s one thing I know about your mom, it’s that she doesn’t take revenge. She fights to protect in the moment, but she won’t actively try to seek out the person who wronged her.” He looked away. “It’s a strength, not a weakness. And if she was like that, Kyler wouldn’t exist, and you’d be in a different family.”

I sighed. “I know you didn’t like my father, but he means a lot to me. And Orion has done nothing but cause problems for my parents since he was a kid. And Kyler. It’s like his sole purpose has been to hurt my brother. But he’s done the unthinkable. He killed our father. I know Kyler is trying to stay strong, but I see it in his eyes. Orion broke us. Hell, if anyone here should want him dead, it should be Mom. I even want him dead!”

Morgyn rested his hand on my shoulder. “One day, you may have kids of your own, and when you do, you’ll see why your mother refuses to be a part of that fight.” He smiled reassuringly. “She loves Marco dearly. Her eyes light up so bright when she sees him. And, I hold nothing against your dad. His darkness wasn’t his fault. He was forced into it, just as your mother was. His death lifted it from her, showing just how much she cared about him. She will do all she can to bring him back.” He gazed out into the nothingness around us. “We all will.”

I nodded, taking it all in. “Does it still hurt?”

He sighed. “Yes and no. I kick myself every day for not even trying to save our relationship. I’m saddened by it, and I’m angry with myself.” He looked at me with a smile. “But seeing how happy she is with Marco tells me I did the right thing. Some unknown force wanted them to be together. It was only a matter of time.” 

I smiled a little. “They’re annoyingly cute.”

He laughed. “Yes, sometimes. But it’s alright. I’m happy to see her happy.”

“What about Caleb and Ruby?”

He sighed again. “That gets complicated,” he admitted. “You know, we are all together, but the relationship’s focus is clearly on them. And I get it. Ruby was to Caleb as your mom to your dad.”

I nodded and looked away. “I just don’t know what to do. I know what I want to do, and I know it would be for the best. But I can’t hurt my mom like that.”

Morgyn looked out at the stars. “Ethan, let me explain something. She knows it’s best too. That’s why she didn’t protest. She just said she couldn’t be involved.”

“But how will we?” I asked. “Especially without her power?” 

Morgyn laughed softly. “She killed your father, before they became lovers. She was almost powerless, and he held her power and his own.”

“But she-“

“Kyler is her child. He will be able to do that too. Especially with you by his side.” He gazed at me. “And all of us.”

I nodded hesitantly. “Orion is also her son.”

He also nodded. “You’re right, but he’s so reckless, his power barely means anything.”

I sighed. “Yeah. I hope you’re right.”

He patted my shoulder and stood up. “Whatever you decide, let me know and I’ll inform the other sages. I’ll stand with you through all of it, alright? You and Kyler are running this show now, but we will be your greatest assets.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Morgyn.”

He nodded with a smile. “Anytime, kiddo.”

And with that, he teleported away. I sat, contemplating his words before also getting up and going back to the main island.

Once there, I was shocked by what I saw. Mom had her arms out, facing the portal and putting it together with magic. I smiled and stood next to her, Kyler also coming and standing at her other side. With the three of us, the portal was fixed in no time.

“Anyone can come and go now,” she said flatly. Her face was blank, her eyes glassy. She knew what she had done was right, and what Dad really wanted, given his lightness constantly overthrew the darkness, but it still didn’t bring him back. It didn’t give her joy. She was like a robot, emotionless but still keeping up with tasks, just with minimal conversation.

As she walked away, Kyler turned to me. “Man, I’m worried about her,” he said, watching as she walked back into HQ.

I nodded. “I am too. We need to revive Dad.”

“We’ll find a way,” he assured me.

I smiled at the portal, glowing and shimmering magic rising within it, swirling and changing colors like the space around us. “We’re on the right track.”

Kyler nodded triumphantly. “Damn right.”

As soon as the spellcasters caught wind about not being trapped, they made their way out. It was a great sight to see. Kyler and I high fived each other and graded back into HQ.

We were immediately met with angry screams. Orion was in Mom’s face, screaming at her about the portal.

“You betrayed me!” He shouted at her. “Did that bastard really mean more to you than your own son?”

Her blank expression turned to anger and she slapped him hard across the face. “You killed him! Are you happy? My darkness lifted because of your actions. What will you do now? Kill me? Please. I welcome it. Because my sons will come for you and you won’t even see them coming.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a goddamn promise! They already want you dead.”

“You wouldn’t allow that, Mama. After all, I’m your baby. Your first born.”

“You can’t use that shit on me now, Orion! The only reason you’re not dead yet is because you are my son! You killed Marco in cold blood, simply because he stood in your way. He let his guard down, and you killed him.” Mom’s eyes beamed red as her untamed power charged, fueled by her anger. 

“She’s unhinged,” I said.

“Let’s go,” Kyler agreed.

We rushed to them, and Orion immediately blasted us with magic. Kyler was hit pretty badly and laid on the floor, writhing in pain. This sent me into a rage, my protection instincts kicking in at full force. I charged at Orion, knocking him down and pinning him with magic.

“Mom, I suggest you leave,” I said calmly. 

“Don’t kill him, Ethan. Please.” She began begging tearfully.

I clenched my fists, looking away. “God dammit.” I stood up. “Mom just saved your ass. But if you try anything with any of us, I won’t hold back.”

Orion laughed, still pinned by my magic. “Man, the way he struggled as he was getting burnt. I can only imagine he was like a lobster. You know, being tossed into boiling water while still alive. Yikes. Had to be painful.”

“You son of a bitch!” I screamed, getting on top of him. I began striking him in the face, over and over until Kyler pulled me off.

“Ethan! Ethan!! Stop dude. It’s not worth it.”

Orion laughed, despite the bloody lip I gave him. “That’s fun, isn’t it? Inflicting pain on others. Glad you see it my way, brother.”

“You’re absolutely nothing to me, Orion.”

“Well, technically, you’re nothing to all of us. After all, you were just adopted.”

“Stop it!” Mom cried, sobbing hard. I realized she had been there the whole time, hearing everything Orion said about Dad’s death. “Just stop! Please. I can’t…I….” She broke down and Kyler ran to her, holding her close.

“Fucking sadistic bastard,” I mumbled, walking over to them. I joined their hug, leaving Orion pinned.

Morgyn came over to us. “Oh my god, Jade, what happened?”

I shook my head. “I’ll explain everything. Kyler, why don’t you bring Mom to her room? I’ll meet you there. Morgyn, can you see to it that Orion gets put back in his cell? I’ll wait here.”

Morgyn nodded. “Of course.”

Kyler whisked Mom away, and Morgyn grabbed Orion, restraining him with magic. They were gone for a few moments and Morgyn came back.

“Orion was tormenting her, describing Dad’s death and comparing it to a lobster being boiled alive.” I sighed as tears filled my eyes. “Please give me one good reason why I can’t just kill this bastard….”

Morgyn also sighed. “I’m wondering the same, to be honest. He has a blatant disregard for his own mother now, and he’s very dangerous. Something needs to happen. But it can’t be done without her order.”

I nodded solemnly. “She will never give it.”

Morgyn nodded in agreement. “No, I don’t think so.”

Chapter Six (click here)