Kalix walked mechanically, his entire body numb. Around him, soldiers and Magi walked with him, a single living entity that moved and swayed as one. Except for him. He shuffled along the dirty ground, slower than everyone else, his mind heavy with the weight of his sister's memory.

Sister.

The word tasted like ash on Kalix's tongue, thick and dirty and the only remnant of what used to be something beautiful and bright. He looked down at the ground, trying to focus on anything besides the image of his sister's corpse. But he couldn't help remembering the small portion of her dead body that he'd seen before he realized what he was looking at. Liquid rubies tangled in dark hair, veins of vermilion crisscrossing pale cheeks, dark eyes that had burnt out. The sweet scent of poppies had filled the air, and Kalix knew he would never be able to see or smell them again without envisioning his dead sister.

Dead.

The word had previously been unthinkable when applied to Vala, who had always vibrated with life and vitality. Even with all of her daredevil stunts and reckless actions, death had never seemed to be an option. And yet, now it seemed that death had finally noticed the child standing on its doorstep, sometimes unintentionally ringing his bell, and had opened his door to say hello.

She's dead. Vala is dead. My sister is dead. Kalix repeated the words in his head, varying them, trying to wrap his mind around the idea. The mere thought seemed impossible as he remembered the conversation they'd had just hours ago, before the damned raiding party had found them.

"I'm sorry." The words were foreign, and tasted like vinegar on his tongue. Kalix wondered what that said about him. Vala turned to look at him, her steps slowing until he was able to catch up with her. Her expression flickered wildly between emotions before settling on something he couldn't identify.

Then she nodded slowly. "I am too."

It wasn't complete forgiveness, but Kalix took it. A small part of him was glad she didn't immediately forgive him. He didn't want her forgiveness; it was easier without it. Easier to hate her, easier to excuse the jealousy and anger if he had reason for it, however petty. Some part of Vala seemed to sense his feelings, because she looked uncomfortable as she walked beside him. As they walked, Kalix drummed his fingers against his sword, the metal cool and comforting in a way that few things were.

"Would you have killed me?" Vala's voice was quiet, loud enough that only Kalix could hear it.

He flinched at her question, Eriswen's body flashing before his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut hard, biting at his lip hard. Would you have killed me? Unbidden, Kalix's thoughts transported him to when they were escaping the dome, the feeling of unnatural anger that surged through him every time he saw Vala. He remembered the itch to silence her when she spoke, to make her understand him through force. He remembered wanting to see her body fall, to see her blood decorating the ground like drops of paint on a canvas. Yes, I would have killed you, he thought. He didn't say it aloud, but his silence was answer enough.

"Why?" Her voice was hollow, and it struck Kalix that she sounded tired. Tired, and so, so old. Like she'd lived a hundred years, and would live a hundred more, even if she didn't want to. Then her words filtered through, and for a fleeting second, Kalix wanted to cover his ears and pretend he hadn't heard her question. He didn't want to have this conversation. Before he could give an answer Vala added, "What did I do?" Her voice was smaller than he'd ever heard it, reminding him forcefully of when they kids. The question was a dull, rusty knife scraping at his chest and infecting him with guilt. A million answers flooded through his mind, half reassurances, half accusations he'd told himself he'd never say. Accusations he'd stuffed in a box that he never quite forgot about, but refused to open. Until now. Vala's words were like a key, unlocking Pandora's box and unleashing every bitter, hurtful, petty word he'd never said.

"Everything!" The words comes out with unintended force. "I'm the older sibling, the responsible one, the smart one, but it's always you that everyone knows. Ever since I can remember, it's always been Vala, Vala, Vala. You're the one everyone cares about, you're the one Mathas paid attention to, you're the one that mom and dad loved best." Years of hidden resentment and buried jealousy poured out, with each word said leaving a little less weight on his shoulders.

"You hate mom and dad so much for leaving us behind, but you never understood why they did it. They did it because they wanted to keep us, keep you, safe. Do you know the last thing mom said to me?" He didn't give Vala a chance to reply, just plowed ahead. "It wasn't 'I love you' or advice or 'it'll be okay.' It was 'take care of your sister.'" He laughed, the sound loud and harsh and bitter. "Like I wasn't even important enough to be mentioned." More bitterness snaked through him, lacing his words like poison. "I was her child too. I was there before you. And then they decided I wasn't enough, that they wanted a second child. The girl mom wanted the first time." Kalix spat the word girl out, anger blooming in his chest before it goes away, pacified by his next, self-pitying words.

"Even this," he summoned a small bolt of lightning and held it out in front of her, "even this wasn't special enough compared to you. Who cares about a couple of sparks when there's a fire?" He let the lightning dissipate slowly, watching it flicker out of existence. He started to say something else, but the words died in his throat. There was nothing else to say. Silence followed his speech, and Kalix kept his eyes firmly fixed on his hands.

At last, Vala spoke.

"I thought you were better than that." There was something unidentifiable in her tone. It might have been sadness, or anger, or disappointment. Maybe all three rolled together. Her words made him feel guilty, even as part of him clung to his anger, to the bitter feelings. "I thought you, of all people, would be above petty excuses and stupid jealousy."

"You were wrong." His own voice was surprisingly calm, like his emotions had been used up. He still didn't look at her. Abruptly, he was pulled to a stop, and Kalix looked up to see Vala standing in front of him, her arms crossed. Her face was set with a grim determination, fierce and angry, but her eyes told the real story. Hurt swirled within them, predominant among the anger and confusion also there. Tears caught at the tip of her eyelashes. One rolled down her cheek, leaving a trail across her face. She made no move to wipe it from her face, just continued to speak.

"We're family, and that means something. It's not just blood and words to me Kalix. Family is who you can count on for anything, someone who you trust implicitly. You taught me that." Her eyes were bright, and for a second she looked like their mother. "How am I supposed to do that now?"

"Maybe you should learn to trust yourself."

"Oh my God."

The sound of someone's disbelieving voice snapped Kalix out of his memory, and he looked up. He shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head and trying to get rid of the emotions the memory had brought. They'd arrived.

Kalix swallowed, suddenly nervous as he stared at the castle before him. It was huge, each wall black and gleaming in the sun. Andesite-stone, just like Kyren had said. The bridge was there too, dark and menacing. More stone surrounded the castle, one of many lines of defense, and it tapered off to a black metal gate right in front of the drawbridge. The sight of the castle was dark and imposing by itself, but then Kalix spotted the object posted on one of its spikes. It was a head. Jahad's head.

Bile rose to his mouth, burning his throat on its way up. Around him, gasps and cries filtered through the crowd around him, a wave of despair rippling through them. Kalix was close enough that he could see the dried blood sticking to the gate, and he imagined drops of blood scattered beneath it. Just like Vala.

He wrenched his gaze away, to the army in front of the gate. An army so large it spanned almost the entirety of the front of the castle, and Kalix was sure they weren't the only soldiers. Suddenly, Jahad's soldiers seemed like a meager force. He looked around him, feeling a small measure of comfort at the sight of Aelia, Lilija, and Ashni standing nearby. The other Magi were scattered in small groups among the army so they could fight together, and hopefully, reach their family together. For a single moment, the two armies faced each other. The air was tense, so silent that it unnerved him. A small eternity seemed to pass before someone shot the first arrow.

Who it was, Kalix didn't know. All he knew was that as soon as the arrow flew, the two armies charged towards each other, merging into one. Kalix stayed, frozen in place before he snapped out of his daze. He pulled his sword from its sheath, the metal gleaming in the sunlight as he held it, ready to fight. In the corner of his eye he could Ashni, Aelia, and Lilija standing nearby, close enough to help if needed.

The world around him shifted, turning loud and violent and bright. The castle. I need to get inside the castle.Kalix glanced around, grimacing. He was too far from the drawbridge; he'd have to fight at least part of the way to it. Taking a deep breath, he let his body go into autopilot. He moved without conscious thought, raising his sword and striking the first soldier he saw. Blood spurted from the man's chest, a spray of crimson against silver that reminded Kalix of art. Jerking his sword from the soldier's chest, Kalix smiled grimly. Silver flashed in the corner of his eye, and he whirled around just in time to block another blow, this time from a chubby man who moved far more quickly than expected.

Swinging his sword, Kalix attempted to hit the man's shoulder, but was blocked. He snarled and ducked to the side to avoid the other man's retaliating blow. With each blow and parry, Kalix thought less and less, relying on pure instinct. Duck. Twist. Stab. Slash. At last, he feinted a move for the man's heart before slicing his blade cleanly across the soldier's head. Blood, hot and slick, spattered across his face, his clothes, his sword, and for a moment the world slowed. He watched as the soldier's head tumbled from its body in slow motion, eyes wide and mouth open in a gut-wrenching scream he couldn't hear. Blood and nerves and flesh tumbled onto the ground, a steaming mass that made his eyes water and his nose burn. He stared at it, and for a single second, the unknown man's head morphed into Jahad's. Then it turned into his sister's face, scared and so, so pale.

Kalix stumbled away like he was drunk, his sword hanging loosely in his hand. Battle raged around him, ash and salty blood filling the air with a pungent perfume, screams and screeches creating a cacophony of sound, but he heard and saw none of it.

There was difference between guilt and shame. Guilt was about something you did; shame was about who you were. And who he was, was not someone to be proud of. Vala's words had stripped him of his defenses, torn down the wall of self-pity, the gate of anger, leaving him to face who he really was underneath the layers of himself he'd built up over time.

A sudden scream rent the air, and Kalix's head snapped up, his hand going to the sword at his waist. His eyes darted around, and his heart sped up when he saw the small band of people headed their way. For a moment, he and the rest of the Magi stood frozen with surprise, and then they were upon them. The first casualty was Chiara, cut down easily without time to react. Her body fell with a soft thump that jolted the rest of them into action. Kalix unsheathed his sword, eyes darting around for Vala. He spotted her with flames already coating her hands and arms, and he settled into a familiar position, covering her blind side.

Lightning. The sparks appeared in his hands, and he transferred them to his sword until it glowed with green energy. He swung his sword without hesitation, cutting down each opponent that came his way until a choked off scream sounded behind him. Vala. Fear snaked through his chest like ice and he turned towards his sister. One of the raiders was standing over Vala, his sword stuck cleanly through her heart. Anger rushed over Kalix like a tidal wave at the sight. Wordlessly, he directed his lightning towards the man, letting it rush through him until his entire body jerked involuntarily. The smell of seared flesh filled the air and the man's body fell. Kalix turned his attention to Vala, falling to the ground beside his sister, his sword dropping beside him.

"Vala?" The name was a question and plea rolled into one.

His breath came in shuddery gasps and his hands fluttered uselessly as he looked over Vala. Her face was pale, paler than he'd ever seen it. Spatters of liquid rubies dotted her dark hair like jewels. A familiar, wild smile stretched over chapped lips, like she'd been frozen just as she was about to laugh. Dark brown eyes were still open, dull in her face, glassy and emotionless. She was dead.

"No." Kalix shook his head, hot tears gathering in his eyes. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be dead. "No!"

This couldn't happen. Not like this. He was supposed to have reconciled with her first. They were supposed to apologize before a tragedy. She was supposed to have time before her death, time where he could apologize and she could forgive and he wouldn't have to live with the weight of his last words to her being ones of anger.

Sounds of fighting tapered off in the background, and gentle hands touched his back. Kalix flinched away from them, but they crept back each time he tried to push them away. Eventually, he stopped fighting them. Through blurred eyes he could see Eiridan crouch down over his sister, see him shake his head before he reached to close Vala's eyes. Like she's sleeping. A hysterical laugh burst from his mouth at the thought. Hot tears fell from his eyes and he registered soft words before he was being pulled away.

"Look!"

Kalix snapped out of his daze at the sudden shout, and his head swiveled around for the source. It was Lilija, and she was pointing at the sky. He glanced upwards, and his eyes widened with surprise. Dark shapes circled above them, wings dark against the blue sky. Griffins. And below them, running in a disorganized jumble, were hordes of Zenarie. What are they doing here? For a moment he thought it might be Vaxon, forcing them to help him, but Vaxon's soldiers seemed just as surprised. Many of them were still staring at the sky with confusion, and Kalix took his chance. He raised his sword once more and stabbed the soldier nearest to him. As he did so, the spell that seemed to have fallen over everyone seemed to break, and the sound of swords clashing sounded again.

"Kalix! Behind you!"

He whirled around just in time to see a blade less than a foot away from his face. Kalix stumbled backwards to avoid it, calling on his magic instinctively. Lightning. A small bolt of lightning hit the other man's sword, sending him stumbling backwards, his entire body twitching with tiny sparks of electricity.

Lightning shield. Sparks surrounded Kalix's body, encasing him in a cloak of green that shock or electrocute anyone who touched it. There was an immediate dip in energy, and he knew that even with his ring, he couldn't maintain the shield for long. Unless... He took a deep breath, fumbling in his pocket for the second golden band he'd placed in it hours ago. Vala's ring. He hurriedly slipped it onto his finger and energy pulsed through him like a second heartbeat, rejuvenating his tired limbs. For a moment he imagined it was Vala's energy mixing with his. A final gift. A silent forgiveness.

Tears pricked at his eyes at the same time adrenaline shot through him, making the world sharper, clearer. He pushed away the barrage of emotions the ring had brought, inhaling shakily. Now was not the time to grieve. He was here to save his parents. Kalix looked towards the bridge, but there too many people before it for him to get there without a fight. I need to hurry.

He shuddered to think about what might be happening to his parents now, and he used his fear to spur himself forward. The sounds of war turned to white noise, a static in the background. As he ducked and stabbed, his body thrummed with energy. Around him, the sound of lightning crackling was comforting, and he smiled. A scream of pain sounded in front of him, and he laughed a little hysterically as he realized someone had made the mistake of trying to stab him. Kalix let his sword rest for a moment, breathing heavily. A wave of tiredness swept through him, and he shook his head. He was so close. He had to keep going. For a moment, he stood there, an unmoving statue in the middle of a violent dance. Then a gust of wind blew over him, and he turned, raising his sword.

"Taini?" Disbelief was threaded through Kalix's tone as he stared up at the griffin.

Taini dipped his head solemnly in acknowledgement. "Lightning Mage." His voice was comforting in its familiarity, and Kalix could feel questions bubbling up inside him. Before he could ask any of them, a Zenarie charged towards him, tentacles waving wildly in the air. Without hesitation Kalix stepped towards the Zenarie, slicing off three of its tentacles in one smooth motion. The still wriggling limbs writhed briefly on the ground, almost pitifully. He raised his sword again, about to cut the rest of the creature's limbs when something soft and oily touched his forearm. Sharp pricks of pain erupted wherever the Zenarie's limb touched his.

Immediately, Kalix's entire body went cold, ice trickling through his veins as he fell to the ground. Beside him, his sword clattered to the ground. He gasped involuntarily as life slid out of his body, rushing to the purple tentacle stuck to his arm like a leech. I need to keep going. He tried to move his arm, but there was a weariness in him that left his entire body immobile. Hooks dug into fragile skin, sapping strength and life from him until his eyes fluttered closed.

He was tired. So very tired. It would be easy, to just stay here. Peaceful, almost. Much less painful. How dare you let out parents die? Vala's voice was sudden and jarring in his head, making his eyes fly open. You have to save them. You have to. New determination surged through him, and Kalix drew on what reserves of strength he had left in preparation to kill the Zenarie.

Before he could do anything, there was a cold gust of wind that sent both Kalix and the Zenarie tumbling through the air. For a moment, there was the terrifying feeling of weightlessness as he flew through the air. Then he hit the ground, landing heavily on his arm. A crack sounded and tiny pricks of pain danced along his arm. He looked up to see Taini's solemn face.

"Lightning Mage." Taini's voice was solemn, and loud to Kalix's aching head.

"You saved me."

The griffin dipped his head, and Kalix murmured a quiet thanks. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand, and almost fell back to the ground as a wave of exhaustion filtered through him. He could feel his body trembling, with cold or something else he couldn't identify. Kalix looked back at Taini, who was staring at him with a sad expression in his dark eyes.

How many years had the Zenarie stolen from him? Two? Five? Ten? He looked down at his hands, searching for premature wrinkles or some other sign of old age, but he found none. Then he shook his head; he would worry about that later. He still had to save his parents. Kalix looked at the drawbridge, still so far away, then back at Taini.

"Will you help me get into the castle?" he asked, and Taini nodded. Kalix stumbled forward, climbing clumsily onto the griffin's back. He gripped onto the griffin's thick brown fur tightly, grimacing as they rose into the air.

Taini flew close to the ground, close enough that he could see the other soldiers and Magi fighting below him. Lightning struck in different places, signs of Ashni. Darkness swallowed other soldiers as he watched Kyren fight in the middle of the mass. A snow white wolf that he thought was Lilija moved swiftly throughout Vaxon's ranks, taking down different soldiers one by one. But there were other Magi who were not so lucky. He could see Evian, lying dead on the ground with a pile of a bodies around him. Aelia, slowly being backed into a corner. Mordzar, with half a dozen arrows in his body as he slowly fell to the ground. He looked away, tears blurring his vision. He clung to Taini tightly as the griffin flew him over the battlefield, coming to stop by the bridge, which was still closed.

Inhaling deeply, Kalix fingered the two identical rings still on his hand. They felt colder now, their energy greatly decreased. But there was still enough for him to get past the bridge. Lightning. A single bolt of bright lightning hit the bridge, creating a small hole.

"It's not big enough for you," he breathed quietly into Taini's ear, and the griffin nodded.

"But it is for you."

"What-" Before he could finish his sentence Taini was at the gap Kalix had created, and it took him a moment to understand what the griffin was waiting for him to do.

"Taini, I can't go there alone. I'm not strong enough. I'm injured; I don't have a sword." The words were sour on his tongue, stinging with truth.

The griffin shook his head. "You are. You do not need magic, or a sword to be strong. Magic and a sword cannot give you strength. It is you, your family, which gives someone strength." There was a brief pause, and then Taini said quietly, "You must go now."

Kalix swallowed hard. He looked at the hole in the bridge, then the back of Taini's head, wishing he could see the griffin's expression. "Okay." Then he slid through the hole. He landed hard on the ground, and grimaced before forcing himself to start walking. He kept Kyren's instructions in mind, walking through the large halls at a pace that made him grimace. It was as he passed through the war rooms Kyren had told him about that he ran into Lydora.

"Kalix!" Her voice was full of surprise and relief, and she moved towards him.

"Lydora," he acknowledged.

"What happened?" she asked, looking at him with wide, worried eyes.

He snorted. "There's a battle Lydora. People get hurt." His tone was brusque, but he was too tired to feel regret.

"I know that," Lydora replied, her tone sharper than he expected. "But what's with the gray hair?"

"What?" Surprise went through him like a shockwave. Reflexively, his hand went to his hair, like he would be able to tell the difference in color simply by touch. Then he shook his head. The Zenarie. Of course. It was a side effect of being fed upon by them.

A gentle hand touched his, and Kalix jumped. Lydora was looking up at him, her eyes squinted slightly in concentration. She was healing him. The throbbing in his arm was slowly disappearing, the angry red skin slowly turning back to its normal color. Then she let go of him.

"Thank you," he murmured quietly, and she nodded. He cleared his throat, looking away. "Come on, let's go. We still have people to save." He began walking, not giving her a chance to reply. They walked in silence until Kalix opened a door to reveal two Nires. They're lizard-like creatures with scales that are anti-magic. Taller, faster, stronger than any human, he heard Kyren's voice in his mind.

Kalix looked at the creatures before him with wide eyes. Kyren had been right. Similar to the Zenarie, they were humanoid, but larger than any human he'd ever seen. Black scales covered every part of their body, glinting dully. Slitted eyes stared at him maliciously, and he sucked in a sharp breath. He turned to look at Lydora, whose face was paler than he'd ever seen it.

He couldn't let her die on his watch.

He wracked his brain furiously, trying to come up with a way to fight them even as they advanced towards him and Lydora. Before he could, Lydora threw a dagger he hadn't noticed her holding at one of them. The Nires dodged it easily before running towards her. She moved swiftly, grabbing him and running out of the room with both of the Nires following them.

"What are you doing?" he demanded breathlessly.

"We have to get them away from the door. This was the only thing I could think of," she replied.

"And how are we going to kill them?"

She shook her head, and Kalix cursed. He glanced behind them, where the Nires were closing in, easily keeping pace. His eyes darted around, landing on the torches that lined the walls, keeping them well-lit. The beginnings of a plan formed in his mind, and adrenaline rushed through him. He ran forward with an extra burst of speed, grabbing one of them. Turning around, his blood ran cold as he watched the Nires grab Lydora.

Without thinking, he threw the torch in their direction, yelling a warning to Lydora. It landed on one of the Nires' head, and he grabbed another torch off of the wall, throwing it at the second Nires. He repeated the action with another three torches, and he watched as flames slowly engulfed them. Come on Lydora, where are you? He searched for her, and bile rose in his throat when he saw her. Lydora sagged in the arms of the Nires, her head hanging limply against her chest. Crimson blood ran through down her shirt. Guilt ate at him, and Kalix berated himself for not being enough to save her. Tearing his gaze away, Kalix turned and ran back to the throne room.

When he saw the door, Kalix hesitated before opening it. Then he steeled himself and pushed it open.

The room was brighter than he'd expected, and he blinked as he took in the room. Over a dozen of people were inside, but he cared only for two of them. His eyes searched the room, roving over people with dirty faces and expressions ranging from fear to defiance.

"Kalix?" A woman's voice broke through the silence, and Kalix turned to look at her. The woman's face was dirty, but familiar. Dark brown eyes that were mirror images of his, dark hair that could have been Vala's were it not for the gray. She was smiling, and Kalix ran towards her, wrapping her in a tight hug. Her body was thin and bony, but she hugged him with the same strength that he hugged her.

Then she pulled away and smiled tremulously at him, raising a feeble hand to push his hair back. Before either of them could say anything, a wave of darkness pushed them apart and Vaxon suddenly appeared. A silver dagger was held carefully in his hand, and he pulled Kalix's mother to him. He held her in a mockery of an embrace, the fine edge of his dagger leaving a thin line of red on her pale throat.

"Kalix Leanour." The name was a sneer on his lips. "Come to be a hero?"

Kalix stared at him. The king's expression was cold, his face lined with years. He was taller than Kalix's mother, and there was something familiar about him. He looked a little like Mathas, the same straight posture, solemn mouth. But he also looked like Kyren. They had the same eyes. Cold and dark, like black holes intent on consuming everything in its wake. He swallowed.

He'd thought, that when he finally met Vaxon, he'd scream at him for every injustice he'd inflicted on Kalix and his family. Or that he'd try to fight him, with magic or sword. That he would do something besides stand and stare. He opened his mouth, licking his lips nervously.

"I told your daughter where to find us. She said that you'd let my family go free if I did."

Vaxon's expression turned into a sneer. "You lied. You weren't at Elloyn, you were already gone. My daughter's promise means nothing now. You lied, and your father paid the price." Kalix's heart sank at his words, guilt eating at his mind once more.

"However, my daughter is still fond of you, so I'm offering you a deal. Surrender, and I'll let your mother live. You can be the hero you've always wanted to be. You can save your mother. You can save your family, take care of it. Just like you've always wanted to. You can do what your sister can't. Just surrender." Vaxon's words were like honey, sweet and full of promise. They lured Kalix in, and he looked between Vaxon and his mother, heart torn. He thought now, he could understand Kyren a little better. When it was someone else's loved one, it was so easy to be righteous and say what was right or wrong. But when it was yours, the lines blurred together, changing into what was painful and what wasn't.

He looked at his mom, who was shaking her head violently. "Mom?" He spoke the word almost too softly to hear. The name was foreign on his tongue, one he hadn't used in over ten years.

"Kalix." His mother's voice was just soft. "Don't surrender. Don't let him use you." Kalix could feel his eyes water at her words and he shook his head.

Don't let him use you. Kalix remembered how Nassia had used him, controlled him by threatening Vala. He shuddered at the thought of being controlled by someone else again. He thought of how she wouldn't have hesitated to throw Vaxon's offer in his face. Then he looked back at his mother. He couldn't let her die. Not like he'd let Vala and Lydora die, not when he could save her. He shook his head again.

"I can't," he whispered weakly, and Vaxon smiled.

"Save her." His words were more insistent, but just as smooth as before. Cool and collected, like he knew what Kalix was going to say.

"I-" He swallowed, staring at his mother. I can save her. She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. He could see her trembling, and Kalix closed his eyes. He felt like a child again thinking if he couldn't see it, it wasn't real.

"Don't make me into a bargaining chip. I don't want to live like that." His mother's voice was a plea, so small and soft. Her words made Kalix hesitate, reminding him of Vala. Running and hiding isn't real freedom Kalix.

"But you'd be alive," he whispered, and tears pooled in his eyes. He wiped at them roughly, cursing himself for showing such weaknesses in front of Vaxon.

"Choose!" Vaxon's voice was loud in the terrified silence of the room, and Kalix's gaze flicked to him. His eyes were dark and full of an icy anger. Black holes sucking in everything around him because there was nothing inside of him. No mercy, no kindness, no pity.

Kalix swallowed. "I surrender." The words fell from his lips like stones, and his stomach turned with shame at himself.

"Excellent." Vaxon smiled, the expression stretching across his face unnaturally. Then, with a single swift movement, the blade he was holding sliced his mother's neck.

"No!" Kalix lurched forward, but it was too late. His mother was dead. Just like Vala. Like his father. Lydora. Dead. All dead, because of him.

Not because of you. Because of Vaxon. He imagined Vala's voice, soft in his mind, and he shook his head. It's okay. You don't need to be afraid of being alone. Her words reminded him of Mathas. What was it he had always said? Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

But we're not suffering. Not anymore, imaginary Vala said again.

Instantly, a million different images flooded his mind.

Vala, with fire dancing across her fingertips. Vala, smiling as a boy twirled her across a bright dance floor. Vala, eyes bright with wonder as she looked at the stars. Vala, laughing as she sat atop a tree. Vala, throwing her arms around him. Vala, Vala, Vala.

Something sparked in Kalix, a new determination and he stood, rising to his feet slowly. The world around him seemed clearer than ever, and Kalix looked at it like he was seeing it with new eyes. He was not his mother, with gentle determination until the end. He was not his father, strong enough for everyone around him. He was not Vala, passionate and caring. He was Kalix, and he was going to make himself someone to be proud of. Someone his family would be proud of.

He turned to look at Vaxon. "I changed my mind." His words were surprisingly steady. "I don't surrender."