Magic forcing our bodies through the portal at such a top speed, we arrive to the battlefield with only minutes to spare.

Landing on the crystal floor, we arrive at the border.

It's beautiful. Too beautiful to hold a battle.

We're standing on a piece of land consisting only of a gate and tower. As far as the eye can see, the floor is completely crystal and glass. No trees, no grass, no animals, not even a sky.

Everything sparkles so beautifully that all the crystal and diamond material is breathtaking. The tower is miles from where we stand and the gate is so far away I can faintly make it out.

The air, however, smells deeply like roses and I feel a powerful force of magic clinging to the air, unlike in the human realm. As I adjust to the comforting environment, I almost forget the reason we're here.

Regaining my focus, I can notice my soldier's fighting stances and realize Smith has already arrived with his soldiers too. Raising my hand in the air and announcing for my troops to let me pass, they obediently make way and I walk through the aisle toward my demonic foes.

With every step I take, I can feel the power of the gate surge more powerfully in my veins. Trying to resist the call of the gemstone, I continue to walk toward the damn secretary and his slutty girlfriend.

As I reach the demonic soldiers, Nicholas barks an order and they move away to allow me passage, just like what my soldiers did. Of course as I walk past each demon they snarl and growl at my presence.

Some even begin to threaten me, spit out vile curses, and even fake attacks by pretending to pounce on me, but in spite of their annoying attempts to scare me, I still elegantly walk past them with a mocking smile.

Once I reach Nicholas, I place two fingers to my neck and summon a certain demon. "Evan, I hope you're ready. It's time." Mumbling the order, I notice another portal forming in the air. To both Nicholas' and Erika's surprise, demons come flooding out of the portal and stand beside my soldiers.

Knowing my soldiers will confuse them for the enemy, I raise both my hands and wave them in the air. The soldiers notice the signal and obediently allow the demons to stand beside them as allies. "What is the meaning of this?!" Hearing an unsatisfied remark coming from Nicholas, I grin and turn my gaze back to him.

"Oh? You haven't been told? One of your demon masters have betrayed you and joined my side." Smiling triumphantly, I enjoy Nicholas' glare and frown. However, Erika only blushes instead of burning with anger like Nicholas.

Her reaction confuses me and I turn around to see what she's staring at. I then understand her shyness as I see Evan gracefully walking to my side.

He has a beautiful smile plastered to his face as he faces Erika. His actions spark a bit of jealousy in me as he grabs Erika's hand and kisses it. "A pleasure to see you again, miss Brooke. The same to you Nicholas, however it's not a pleasure to say our contract is exterminated."

Intrigued by Evan's words, I stare at him with a raised eyebrow to ask what he means. Watching Evan nod, he lowers his head and I can feel his warm breath next to my ear. "He's made several contracts with the demon masters awaiting their escape back at our realm. That's why he has so many troops in hand."

As Evan whispers the new information into my ear, I almost burst out laughing. "You were so desperate to win, you've made several contracts to secure your power? How pathetic, truly." Scoffing at Nicholas' anger, I almost miss Erika aiming her fist at me.

Before her fist can come in contact with my face, Evan clutches Erika's fist to protect me. "I won't allow you to cause harm to my master, miss Brooke." Evan's words bring more rage into Erika, but nonetheless she complies.

"You have some nerve to call my lover pathetic, you hypocrite!" Erika responds as she notices the rose marking on Evan's neck. I grin and allow my eyes to glow my signature shade of purple, so the rose will glow in response. After seeing this as a sure sign of connection, Erika begins trembling with anger.

"Now, now Erika, you know this marking is not Evan's. It's mine." Baffled by the realization, Erika and Nicholas can only gawk at the image of my glowing eyes matching Evan's glowing rose. "You see, instead of forming a ridiculous contract to give up my soul, I carved my marking on him as a sign of obedience, clever wasn't it?"

Scoffing at the secretary and bodyguard's looks of astonishment, I allow my fingers to linger on Evan's neck as I continue to stare at them in triumph.

"Surly you're wrong, I am on the winning side." Hearing Evan's loyal words, Nicholas can only scowl at the sudden turn of events. "Enough bickering, you came for a war didn't you? Then let's have it!" Smirking at Nicholas' anxiousness, I raise my hand and slice the air to signal my troops for the attack.

They happily burst into a strong roar as they come racing toward my demonic foes. "Good luck, you're going to need it." Angered by my sly comment, Nicholas can only hide behind Erika as she pulls out her guns.

The battle has commenced and the demon soldiers are hurrying to kill me where I stand. Having Evan at my side, he creates a powerful force-field around us and we pass by the demons with ease. Once we reach my soldiers, Evan dismisses the force-field and smiles as he sees my servants rushing to my side.

"Young Mistress?!" Siva being the first one to reach me, I immediately give him his orders. "Siva, I need you to look after Noah, he's been ordered to repair the soldier's weapons if anything goes wrong. Elliot, the same goes for you, make sure Ava can skillfully maneuver herself through the field to tend to the injured."

Giving out my orders, my servants have no other choice but to ignore their pleas to protect me and to go on with their work. "Jinx, Jean I need both of you to act as my substitutes because I won't be able to lead my army. I have more urgent things to tend to." Raising a hand to dismiss any protests from my guardians, I quickly turn my gaze back toward the secretary.

"But Young Mistress! Somebody has to protect you!" Hearing Jean's cries and attempts to change my mind, I bring my gaze back to Jean. "Don't worry about me, Evan and Alexander will deal with that." Letting power surge through my arms, I let a blue ball of light conjure from my palm and rise into the air to search for my apprentice.

Alexander comes in record time and I usher Jinx and Jean to tend to their orders, they reluctantly do and they leave all three of us alone. "Alright boys, you see that carriage racing toward the tower? I have a feeling Nicholas and Erika are transporting Smith as quickly as possible to the gemstone. Which means, both of you have to watch over me as I try to race after them, understood?"

Setting up my game plan, I race ahead of Evan and Alexander, passing soldiers and bloodthirsty demons on the way. At first, not a single demon pays attention to my presence, but as they gradually begin to notice the direction I'm running toward, they all break away from their opponent and run straight toward me.

Realizing the demons have noticed my plan, I turn my gaze back to Evan and Alexander. Watching the hordes of demons racing toward me, I begin to realize I can't ask for any sort of protection at a moment like this.

A battle is mostly about survival, either you fight and win..or die trying. It's as simple as that, and now if I continue to ask Evan and my apprentice to protect me, they won't be able to protect themselves.

Cursing my idiotic wishes, I turn my gaze back to Evan and stare seriously at him. "Leave me! There's too many of them!" Seeing a warm expression on Evan's face, I can feel my heart race as I see his gorgeous eyes stare into mine understandingly.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that. I want to make sure you make it through this alive." Alexander also hearing Evan words, his eyes widen as much as mine. I scowl and glare at Evan for being so careless.

"Protect Alexander! THAT IS AN ORDER!" Of course, hearing my cruel words Evan has no other choice but to fall back and protect Alexander, since the mark of obedience prevents him from disregarding my commands.

As I watch Evan and Alexander slowly disappear into the crowd of bloodshed, I can faintly watch Alexander's hopeless attempts of escaping Evan's grip and coming to my rescue. Smiling warmly at his stubbornness, I almost forget about the circumstances I've put myself in.

Breathing a sigh of frustration, I power my hand with magic and manipulate my body into another form. Having so many opponents after me, it makes me wonder if I'll need more than two arms, so on assumption I transform into an arachnid.

Extra arms sprout from my sides and multiple eyes pop into my forehead. I smile devilishly as I summon more than one weapon from my vault. After all my relentless running, I finally come to a halt and stand in the middle of the battlefield.

I pant heavily and ready myself for the hordes of demons happily rushing over to me to sink their teeth into my flesh. "Hm..how bothersome." Mumbling under my breath I bring up my hands and stand in a fighting position.

As the demons come closer, the grip I have on every sword I'm holding, in every hand, becomes stronger and sweatier. Once the demons eventually pounce, I swipe my hands in the air and slice off their meat in chunks. Of course, I hit vital spots and instantly kill them, but something about the air perks my interest.

The hordes of demons are lying by my feet dead, but my victory isn't satisfying. I sniff the air and smell a scent I haven't smelled in a long while.

"Not this idiot again.." As I find the familiar scent in the air, a scowl escapes my lips and I angrily watch Kalis running to attack me. Raising my sword up to my face, I ready myself for the impact of his hit, but something odd happens right before he reaches me.

Instead of pouncing or giving off a blow, Kalis merely runs past me. Leaving me standing in my place with the sword still raised to my face, confusion keeps me frozen on spot. After finally gaining back my focus, I turn around and meet my gaze with Kalis.

He shows no sign of emotion. No sign of anger, bloodlust, not even savagery. Nothing. He just stands a foot away from me with his eyes glued to mine. Thinking this is a sort of trick, I shake my head and run toward him for my turn at an attack.

Making my way to the foul demon, a weird pain tingles at the shoulders of all my arachnid arms. Dropping all my swords, my arms begin to shake without my control. Panic beginning to overcome me, I try to gain back control, but I end up collapsing on the floor.

My eyes widen as I see the crystal floor stained with my blood. Not knowing the reason, I look over my body and watch as all my arms begin to sizzle as they slowly dissipate. Soon only my extra arms disappear without my control and I feel blood dripping from forehead.

Looking into my reflection on the crystal floor, I notice my arachnid eyes slowly disappear as well. Overwhelmed and shock to see my power slowly slipping away, I raise my head and stare again into Kalis' eyes.

I look over to his hand and notice what he's clutching. "An ancient stone..? Don't tell me you're too weak to take me on by yourself!" Shouting at his pathetic attempts to stop me, I force my body off the ground and stand with dignity.

"I have strict orders to make sure your fist never reaches Smith's face. Specifically by any means necessary." Watching the stone glow brighter in Kalis' hand, I begin to feel myself getting weaker.

Clutching my sides, I begin to feel blood rise in my throat. "Wh..what..are you doing to me?!" Feeling more pain rise in my knees, I begin to tremble and find my way back to the ground.

Feeling as if something is crushing my organs with brute force and setting my skin on fire, I try to summon another form. Although I focus on my magic and try to change into a monster, my attempts have no affect.

"Wh..what the he..hell..?" Raising my palm in front of my face, I try to conjure up a flame, but nothing happens. Complete denial engaging my furry, I stubbornly try to change into a cat, a werewolf, or anything really.

"This stone is different, it absorbs anything it senses. Right now, it senses your magic." Realization swelling over me, I realize my body has been drained of all my power and magic. Kalis noticing my state of shock, he confidently walks over to me.

He pulls on my hair and forcefully raises my head so I may look at him. "Now, where's that meal you promised me?" Opening his mouth and widening his smile, he shows off his sharp teeth and slowly moves to eat me. Before he can feast on my flesh, I raise my knee and kick Kalis' left side.

Wincing from the sudden impact, Kalis doesn't notice me skillfully slide away from him. Carefully hiding myself in the crowd of savage warfare, I quickly hide from the winged demon.

"I..can't fight."

Losing myself in the pain, my confidence and arrogance slowly slip away from me. Many soldiers and demons bump into me and eventually I fall to the ground.

"No..I can't lose..not now..I'm so close..!" Feeling my strength come back to me, I clumsily try to rise off the bloody floor and stand back on my feet, but unfortunately Kalis finds me before I can run.

Kalis, noticing my fleeing attempts, he quickly flies over the soldiers and dives down. He then snatches me up into the air with him. Thrashing in his embrace, I eventually escape again but land harshly on the ground.

Feeling the impact of my spine hitting the crystal floor, I feel blood shoot out of my mouth and a horrific cracking sounds alerts me. Feeling numbness in my legs, I definitely realize I cracked my spine and now I'm unable to move.

"How pitiful to be in such a vulnerable state. Surely you have brought shame to your kingdoms' name, Elizabeth." Watching Kalis slowly walk to my body, I begin to regret my decision. Suddenly I get sharper blows of pain and feel my organs bleeding inside my body.

"This stone is extremely powerful and I assure you the pain will not go away if you refuse to feed me your blood." As Kalis begins to negotiate with me, I try to drown out his voice as more pain begins to crawl into my brain.

Knowing my brain is the most important organ in my body, I realize if I don't give my blood to Kalis, I could possibly die.

The thought sends a shiver down my broken spine, and I begin to feel something I haven't felt in a long time...fear.

Then I notice Kalis extend his hand out to me and I begin to shed tears from the fear of me dying so suddenly. Kalis puts on a mocking smile as he sees me spill tears from my bloodshot eyes.

Raising my hand to slowly grab onto Kalis' and admit defeat, a figure comes into vision. It stands behind Kalis with a taunting smirk and I immediately recognize the figure.

Slightly tall, slender body, long, black hair, and beautiful purple eyes.

My eyes widen as I realize this figure mocking Kalis, is undeniably me.

Then it hits me.

This figure belongs to my insanity.

I can only give my insanity a physical form because of my magic, even if this form only remains inside my mind.

Which means, Kalis lied.

He hasn't stolen my powers, how could he? If it was that easy, Smith would have already used this on me and opened a portal to my realm by now.

Reasonable thinking floods my mind again and I realize the stone didn't absorb my power, it merely set up an illusion for me to think that.

My tears slowly begin to come to a halt, as my insanity walks closer toward me. Still holding its devilish smile, it extends it's hand and waits for me to grab hold of it.

Kalis still extending his hand out to me, I'm given two decisions, and frankly, my choice doesn't have much thought given to it.

Grabbing hold of my insanity's hand, I feel magic flow inside my body once again. As the stone explodes in Kalis' hand, he steps back in horror as he notices my freakish smile.

After the stone exploded, it's illusion disappears and I regain my magic.

"Clever strategy, Kalis. Too bad you didn't think of a plan B."

Regaining my focus, I gladly raise a clawed hand and lash out on Kalis. Extending his wings and readying to fly off in retreat, I transform my body and my owns wings sprout from my back to follow Kalis in pursuit.

As the pain slowly leaves my body, I regain my adrenaline and bloodlust in a matter of seconds. Raising my wing, I dive closer toward Kalis and I call upon a sword from my vault.

It materializes in my hand and I swing it at Kalis' wing. It slices it in half and Kalis immediately falls to the ground. I happily dive toward him and retrieve my sword.

"You have no idea how many of my enemies I've killed with this sword. You see, that's all you are Kalis, another reward for my elegant sword."

Raising my hand in the air, I ready myself to finish off the demon spy. "Wait! I know you love me! You know you can't do this! You're bluffing!" Denying my words, Kalis continues his attempts to survive and I merely laugh at him in response.

"Such a fool..Love means money these days, Kalis."

Surprised by my words, Kalis has no time to react when I aim my sword at his throat. Ending his life with a single blow truly brings satisfaction to me.

Finishing my work with Kalis, I ready myself to hurry off in the direction of the tower. Unfortunately, another horde of demons find it more pleasurable to run after me then finish off their own opponents.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I merely quicken my speed and see if I can outrun them, but something troublesome happens.

Kurtis decides to join the fun.

"Ah! If it isn't my future bride! Darling, how have you been?" Mocking my attempts to outrun the hordes of demons, I find Kurtis blocking my way.

Scowling, I raise a hand in the air and ready to blast a ball of magic at the annoying demon, but my attempts are quickly interrupted when all the demons grab hold of my limbs to trap me.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant sight! Seeing you so vulnerable and helpless like this, I'm truly turned on." Walking slowly toward me, Kurtis takes joy in mocking my amusing attempts to escape.

"When are you going to learn? You're outnumbered, outsmarted, and behind. Smith has probably already arrived to the stone by now, and you? Well, your about to lose your innocence on a battlefield." Grinning from ear to ear, I can tell Kurtis only craves my body at the moment.

Feeling pathetic at the sudden insults from Kurtis, I can barely hold back a threatening growl.

"Do not toy with me, demon. You know very well I'm not an ordinary human you can easily manipulate."

Standing my ground, I can only witness a devilish smile form on Kurtis' lips before he shoves his mouth on mine. The only thing I'm left to do in Kurtis' imprisonment, is squirm pitifully as the other demons laugh at my struggling.

Then my insanity kicks in.

'Coward!'

That's all I can think about as Kurtis kisses me and forces his tongue in my mouth. The vile thought can only disgust me because I realize I'm truly acting like a coward, allowing my enemies to take advantage of me like this...it really is pathetic.

I have powers that science can only dream of comprehending, and all I can do is partially use some of it that I already know I can control? I shouldn't be scared to test my limits, I shouldn't doubt myself that I might not control it, and who cares if my body can't handle it!

I can! That's all that matters! I said I would cheat life and make my owns odds of winning, and honestly? I intend to do that much and possibly more.

Squirming in the arms of the demons holding me and allowing Kurtis easy passage, I let my hatred take hold of me. I let my ambition and arrogance take complete control over me.

Instead of letting my magic use me as a vessel, why don't I turn that around? If my body can't handle the level of power I need to win, then I'll have to take another form that will.

Focusing my thought on all my monsters and fairytale creatures, I combine and hybrid all the most powerful ones I know and make my creation.

Taking control of my magic, I use it instead as my vessel and my fleshy body begins to evaporate. My skin, bones, and organs evaporate and I'm left as a the form of dark purple mist.

I still have the outline of a woman, but I'm entirely made of magic at the moment. Then I'm able to pass through the demons and escape their containment.

I prick my puppet strings once more and make my body grown in size, so I'm no longer 5'5 and instead I'm somewhat 9 feet tall now.

Taking complete joy out of this discovery, I enjoy killing the demons who had me imprisoned. Manipulating this misty form, I materialize my hands into weapons and lash at the demons, killing and injuring them for my pleasure.

After I finally finish the demons off, I stared seriously at Kurtis.

He's smiling.

"I knew it was a great idea to pick you." As he responds, he raises his hands in the air as a sign of defeat. "I'll leave the battlefield and break off all ties with Smith, but just remember you won't lose me that easily. I'll be back, just some other time when I feel like it, so goodbye for now Elizabeth."

With that, Kurtis' body teleports and he keeps his word as he leaves the gate. Knowing he'll still be a problem, I shake the thought away and focus on the matter in hand.

"I'm coming for you Smith, you can't hide from me now."

Feeling bloodlust swirl around in my eyes, I focus my magic and let sharp wings sprout from my back like daggers. Then horns dig their way out of my misty form and take place on top of my head.

"If only Maleficent could see me now."

Mumbling under my breath, I raise my wings and extend them to their full length. Flapping them in the air, I easily reach the tower in a matter of seconds.

I land gracefully on the floor and stare at the demons watching guard. I shake my head and chuckle at their attempts to stop me.

I raise a hand and they all burst into fire and burn to a crisp. Feeling my true potential surge through me, I feel my confidence lead me up the stairs and into the room that houses the gemstone.

With every patient step I take, I feel the gemstone grab hold of my mind and entrance me with its call. I allow it to take control of my movements and lead me into the room where it tells me where it's in danger.

Knowing the locked door could have demons barricading it from behind, I power my arm and hit the door. The door and anything that was behind it, immediately gets punctured by a thick, sharp icicle.

Breaking the door open and stepping inside, I'm welcomed by a rain of bullets. Laughing at Erika's guns, I swipe a finger at the shooting bullets and they stop right in front of my face before dropping to the floor.

"Where is Smith?!"

Getting the point, I scream at Erika and watch Nicholas' struggling attempts to use his ancient stone against me. Hovering over the floor, I glide my way to Nicholas and touch the stone in his hand.

It explodes and damages Nicholas' palm before I clutch it and break the bone.

"Answer me."

Sensing Erika run toward me for an attack, I glare at her and my eyes emit a blasts of energy that puts Erika into an unconscious state of mind.

"Now that we won't be having any distractions, don't you think it's a good enough time to have a nice 'talk'?"

Clutching Nicholas' collar, I lose my patience and slam him into a wall. He falls to ground injured and I surprisingly hear a faint shout.

I turn around and see a little boy in a wheelchair, but what catches my attention is that he's holding my gemstone.

"Please, stop this!"

Momentarily shocked by his sudden appearance, I regain focus and study his features. He's gorgeous for his age and looks similarly like Nicholas, same black hair and colored eyes.

"Don't tell me this child is Connor J. Smith? If anything, he looks like your little brother, doesn't he Nicholas? Hm..?"

Mocking the secretary's horrified expression, I continue to enjoy and mock him as he lies wounded, but he shocks me when he unbutton his shirt.

Remembering Evan's information, I see all the various demonic symbols engraved to Nicholas' chest.

"I promised that I would kill you! I promised I would enjoy watching you suffer, as you watched me take everything you loved away from you! Don't think I'll back out of my promise now!" As Nicholas' rage engulfs him and the symbols begin to glow, I shake my head and chuckle at the situation.

Knowing that demons will flood the room soon, I grab hold of the child as I imprison both of us inside the gemstone.

Nicholas desperately tries to run after his brother, but as I combine my magic and the gemstone's, I create a hiding place inside the stone where no one will bother us.

Landing on a black floor, I notice the little boy sitting in his wheelchair near me. I smile and stand up to my full height so I can intimidate him.

Surprisingly, the child merely returns my smile and places his right hand above his chest. "Your Highness, a pleasure to finally be acquainted." Intrigued by the boy's words, I squat down and make eye level with him.

"I'd say the same, but I would be lying. Tell me kid, are you the infamous Connor J. Smith I've been agonizing on about?"

Raising an eyebrow, I begin my questioning. The boy keeps his smile in place and nods his head. "Yes, but that's just an alias. My real name is Collin Shane." As I hear his response, it confirms my theory of him being Nicholas' younger brother.

"Why? You're only a child. What reason or motive do you have of wanting to conquer my realm and kingdoms?"

Not bothering with social manners, I get straight to the point. The boy, not caring for my rudeness, nods his head and lowers his gaze. "You see, I am a child and, frankly, I don't have any motive or interest in taking away your citizens",

As the child pauses and breathes in a shaggy breath, I tap my finger as I begin to lose patience, but the boy doesn't take long to continue his sentence.

"My brother was the one who organized everything. This was all of his doing and I had no say in any of this", Watching the kid's movements carefully, I can tell that he's telling the truth, since he's not fidgeting or sweating.

"If you're telling the truth, then what was his motive?"

As I ask my question, I notice the boy's expression turn grim and for a split second his smile vanishes too, but it quickly recovers as he raises his head to look at me.

"I have cancer in my brain."

I let out a faint gasp as I process the boy's words.

"Cancer? I don't understand, I'm sorry."

Listening to my apologetic tone, the boy's sad smile still stays intact as he nods his head understandingly and then points to his wheelchair.

"Having cancer in my brain caused the development of a high-grade brain tumor that caused paralysis, but only on one side of my body, therefore I'm unable to walk." When the boy finishes his sentence, his smile truly does vanish for good moment this time as he lowers his gaze.

"That's my brother's motive. To keep me alive. To find a cure and make sure I don't die so young." Pain rising in my heart, I begin to feel my eyes burning and stubborn tears threaten to drop down my cheeks as I watch the boy's expression worsen.

"He'd do anything to make me happy. Anything. He sleeps and fakes his love for Erika in order for me to have only the best security. He possessed that stone so he could protect me too, he's done everything he could to protect me. Even damn his own soul",

Itching to ask why, I keep my lips firmly shut and prevent myself from being inconsiderate as I continue to watch the boy. The boy notices my curiosity and smiles again.

"There was this one evening where my brother came across a dead animal. Only, it wasn't an animal and it wasn't dead. At first when my brother captured the injured creäture, after a while of keeping it contained, it healed itself and escaped. My brother's scientists didn't run any tests on it before it did, not to mention they couldn't identify it",

The boy pauses as he shifts his body around his seat and I can tell he feels nervous. I place my hand on his shoulder and he smiles as he regains his composure.

"They had nothing, but they knew it wasn't of this world, therefore my brother turned to a different approached. He summoned and made contracts with several demons he felt would help him capture this creäture, but the problem was he didn't have access to your realm, and would have to run tests on all your civilians to find that one creäture he was looking for",

Nodding my head, I understand the boy and speak for him.

"Your brother didn't want my civilians for soldiers, he wanted them as test subjects to find your cure, and the only way he could do that was to cooperate with the demons...Do you know his contract seal?"

Even as I ask a personal question, the boy gladly responds. "Yes, it says, and I quote; I will give you my soul if you help me cure my brother." Taking the boy's words and processing them carefully, I find a loop-hole in the contract.

"The contracts will become invalid if you die before he can find a cure..."

I try to mumble my findings, but unfortunately the boy hears me loud and clear. He clings to my body and clutches my shoulders with his tiny hands.

"If the contract becomes invalid, does that mean my brother will live?!" Feeling that I've done something wrong, I clutch both the boy's hands with mine and stare him down seriously.

"Yes, but you'd have to die! Can't you understand that?!"

Hearing my warning, the boy can only smile sadly at me and spill tears from his big, innocent eyes. "Yes, but that's no issue. I've already accepted my death. I know you won't give up your kingdoms for just one soul. I know humans won't create a cure soon enough...and I'm okay with that. I only had a month to live and my brother still had his whole life ahead of him...",

The boy pauses and his smile vanishes as he cries loudly in my shoulder. I hug him tightly and rub his back soothingly as he continues to cry in my shoulder.

"I can't take that away from him! It was because of me that he's sacrificed so much! I don't want him to give up his life for me! I want him to live...to live for me! If you think I'll just pass by on this chance to secure my brother's life, then you're a thoughtless idiot!"

Shocked and stunned by the boy's truthful words, I can only gaze at the boy's angry, watery eyes.

"If I kill you, your brother will live. I can feel your heart and confirm your acceptance of your death, however before I grant your wish...I need you to say the words officially before I can do anything."

Staring seriously without any doubt in my eyes, I gaze at the boy as he raises his head from my shoulders and straightens his composure as he's seated on his wheelchair.

"I, Collin Shane, ask for you, Elizabeth Stone, to kill me. Right here, right now on my behalf...no one else's."

Hearing those words slip elegantly out of the boy's words, I raise my hand and cup his face.

"As you wish-"

Interrupted by the feel of tiny hands clutching mine, I stare confusingly at Collin. I can feel his hands trembling, but in spite of that the boy still holds his smile even though tears are spilling rapidly from his eyes.

"Tell my brother I love him."

Closing his eyes, he signals me that he's ready. I nod my head and I grip my hands on his cheeks.

Then I twist his neck and end the life of Collin Shane.

As I let Collin's head slump from my hands and hang off his neck, I'm able to read his soul as it rises from his body.

"He was only 11 years old..."

I can feel my eyes burn again and realize tears are slipping from my eyes. Then a faint whisper caused me to flinch.

"Thank you."

Stunned to hear a familiar voice, I open my eyes and raise my head to find Collin's soul float above my head. I smile and nod my head slowly as I watch the soul disappear.

Then I use my magic to escape the room I created and to leave the gemstone. What I find is quite painful.

The room if flooded by demons and Nicholas is panting from rage.

"Where is my brother?! What did you do to him?!" Feeling regret, I lower my head and stare at the ground.

"Your brother is dead. I killed him. That was his wish."

Stunned by my words and out of rage, Nicholas barks a command and the demons pounce on me. I wave a hand and a series of icicles puncture all of them and the demons drop to the floor, dead.

Nicholas can only stare in horror at my new power and he slumps to the ground on his knees as he processes my words.

"N..NO! He wouldn't want this! He wanted to live! You witch! YOU'RE WORST THAN MY DEMONS!" Beginning to cry, I slowly walk toward Nicholas as he covers his face with his hands.

"No, you wanted him to live. He had already accepted his death and wanted you to live instead...but before he died, he wanted me to tell you that he loved you...those were his last words."

Hearing my words, Nicholas removes his hands from his face and stares into my eyes. He's trembling and he continues to allow tears drop from his eyes. "B..But..couldn't he see?! I..I can't..live without him..!"

Lowering my gaze, I try to stay quiet and let Nicholas mourn his brother's death, but he surprises me as he runs toward a window. Understanding his actions, I race after him and reach for his hand, but he grabs a gun and shoots my hand.

Of course, I can't feel the pain, but Nicholas still catches my attention. "I promised I'd ruin your life, but it seems you accomplished that instead...well played, your majesty. I respect that."

My eyes widen as I hear Nicholas' responds and I have no time to react as Nicholas fires the gun again, but this time he aims at his head.

Racing to the window, I hurry to the ledge and witness the lifeless figure of Nicholas Shane fall to the ground. Even if his body is miles from me, I can still notice his chest.

His demonic symbols had vanished before he fell out of the window, before he committed suicide.

"Forgive me Collin, but your attempts were in vain."