"You've got to be kidding me," Margo grumbled. Crouched low to the ground, they were concealed from the guards by a sparse patch of bushes at the forest's edge. Penny, Josh, and Alice had come along too, though Lilly suggested one of them go with Quentin and Julia instead. No one seemed too keen on spending time with those two.

"That's why they call it, The Castle That Isn't There, it's invisible," Josh stated.

"No shit," Margo rolled her eyes, watching the guards pacing in front of a deceivingly empty field. There were only two of them at this entrance, nothing they couldn't handle. They'd luckily had time to change back into their normal clothes before leaving the cottage. She couldn't imagine having to do this all in a dress.

"You guys run, I'll distract them," Josh offered, preparing to stand from their hiding spot. Lilly quickly pulled him back down.

"That's a very valiant offer, Josh, but it's also a great way to get us killed," Lilly whispered. "You guys lure them over here and leave the rest to me. Can you handle that?"

"Don't be stupid," Margo stood and began to undo her coat. "They're men, this'll only take a moment," she strutted out of their hiding spot, gesturing for Josh to follow. He scurried after her, unsure of what was about to happen. Lilly couldn't blame him, she knew from experience that Margo was entirely unpredictable. About halfway towards the castle, Margo collapsed to the ground in an overdramatic faint, complete with a hand to the forehead and a pathetic sigh. Josh hurried over to her, pulling out his improv skills.

"Help! My sister!" He yelled, drawing the attention of the two guards, who quickly rushed over to Margo's side. Lilly rolled her eyes at how easy it had been. In their hurry to help, the guards had put themselves at a disadvantage by turning their back to the dark forest. Unfortunately for them, this gave Lilly a clear shot to slam a rock against their skulls, knocking them out cold in a matter of seconds.

"Okay, help me bring them over to the bushes," she ordered Josh, who helped drag the guards and conceal their bodies from any prying eyes. Lilly pulled her jacket off, handing it to Penny, followed by her boots.

"Uh, what are you doing?'' Josh's eyes went wide as he watched her pull her shirt over her head, revealing a lacy pink bra. She proceeded to unbutton her pants, not bothering to look up.

"If we're going to get in there, I'm gonna have to shift, and I'd prefer to not rip my clothing like The Hulk when I do it," she handed the rest of her clothes to Penny, who didn't seem bothered by her sudden stripping. Lilly unhooked her bra, leaving her breasts exposed to the night air.

'Oh, you're really going all the way, huh?" Josh's cheeks tinted pink as he stood stiffly to her right.

"If my boobs bother you, Josh, then avert your eyes," she bent down to retrieve a knife from one of the guard's belts and ran the sharp edge across his hand, drawing a trail of scarlet blood. Lilly pressed her fingertips to the liquid, shutting her eyes in concentration. She felt the transformation almost instantaneously. Each time she shifted, it became more and more natural to her and soon enough, she was staring down at the hands of a man, "help me get his uniform on," she requested, her voice gruff and foreign.

"Shit," Josh gawked, "what are you?"

"I'll tell you all about it once we save Victoria," this seemed to snap him back to reality at the thought of his friend being tortured inside. Lilly hurried to get dressed into the uniform, making sure it was perfect before leading them forward. They located the door with a revealing spell, and they pushed it open with ease. She supposed it wasn't on their priority list to lock a door no one could see. "Remember, if anyone stops us, you're my prisoners. I caught you sneaking around outside the castle, and I'm taking you to the dungeons," they each nodded in understanding. Penny lead the way through the maze of hallways, stopping before a set of thick metal doors with handles in the shape of a ram's horns.

"This is it," he pushed through to the dungeon, his only thought of saving the woman he'd heard screaming in his head for so long. Lilly almost stopped short when she saw her, clothes ripped, torn, and soiled, face caked in dirt and blood. She hung from the ceiling in shackles that pulled her in every direction. She didn't respond at their approach, her head lolling limply to the side.

"Victoria," Penny shook her lightly. The chains jangled as Victoria suddenly gasped, jerking back in anticipation of The Beast. "Woah, hey, hey! We're here to get you out. We're here to help," Penny assured, holding his hands out in a gesture of innocence.

"Josh?" She choked out, looking over Penny's shoulder to her best friend.

"Yeah, V, it's me. We're gonna get you home, I promise."

"The chains- I can't."

"They keep you from traveling," Penny stated, "we'll get 'em," he looked to Alice, who immediately began spellcasting.

"There's someone else in the next cell," her eyes darted frantically to the far wall. Lilly nodded, hurrying over to the dark cell. She cast a quick unlocking spell, eyeing the slumped figure. Their clothes were in rags, same as Victoria, but it was clear by the shape that this was a man.

"Hello? We're here to help," chains dragged across the stone floor, echoing sharply through the dungeon. The man turned, locking his fearful eyes on her own.

"Oh my God," Lilly gasped, her hand flew to her mouth.

"What? What is it?" Penny rushed over in a panic and stopped beside her.

"That's Christopher Plover," she was hardly able to form the words through the whirlwind of thoughts, "which means... he's not The Beast."

"Well, if he's not The Beast, then who is?"

➺➺➺➺

Lilly's nerves were frayed, her knee bouncing up and down capriciously as she sat, dazed in the rickety kitchen chair. In a matter of hours, she'd bitten her nails down to the nubs. She always hated it when she did that, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Her mind raced with possibilities of who The Beast truly was, if not the monstrous Christopher Plover. He'd been the most logical answer, and now they were left in the dark once more. Both he and Victoria had passed out in the midst of escape, leaving Penny and Josh to carry them out of the castle themselves. Julia and Quentin still hadn't returned from their search for Ember and Umber, and as time wore on, Lilly was increasingly unsure they'd ever show up.

A gasp yanked her from her reverie, and she hurriedly hopped up from her spot, and went to Victoria's bedside. Penny was already there, having refused to leave the woman's side since returning. Victoria observed her surroundings intensely, for fear The Beast had found some new way to torture her. The moment she spotted Josh, her body relaxed, sinking back into the handmade quilts and goose feather pillows. Penny held out a cup of water to her, careful to keep his movements steady and nonthreatening as he did.

"Here," Victoria took it, sipping the liquid gingerly.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, honestly, I was getting a bit sick of your voice in my head," he chuckled humorlessly. "I wanted to help you so badly, I'm sorry, I--" Victoria shushed him, placing a comforting hand in his.

"Don't be, you saved me."

"Look, is there some sort of trick?" Penny shook his head, "how do you take people along?"

"Any of us can," she held out her other hand to him. Lilly leaned in close, eyeing the tattoos adorning Victoria's knuckles, a set of runes, one on each finger, "it's a spell." Victoria abruptly pulled back, eyes widening in panic, having just remembered an important factor of her return.

"Josh? Where's Renada?" Josh gulped, looking to the others for aid. His silent cry went unanswered, for they had no clue who she was referring to. Josh stepped forward hesitantly, taking a seat beside his friend on the bed.

"She, uh- she's gone," he choked out, causing Victoria's eyes to well up with tears, "we got separated when The Beast attacked us. I don't know what happened to her after that." A sob escaped the Traveler, and Josh was quick to pull her into his embrace. Lilly and Penny shared a knowing look and left them alone to grieve. They pulled the makeshift divider curtain closed behind them. Lilly returned to her spot at the kitchen table beside Alice and Margo. Eliot was still upstairs fulfilling his duties as a new husband. Resting her head in her hands, she groaned. To their relief, Quentin and Julia returned shortly, bearing the solution.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lilly grimaced at the bottle of milky liquid that sat in the middle of the table.

"Sadly, yes," Quentin scrunched up his nose in disgust, "so, the dungeon?"

"A roaring success," Margo replied, "and a twofer," Quentin's forehead crinkled.

"What?"

"We should see if he's awake by now," Alice jerked her chin in the direction of Plover's cot. Lilly nodded, following Alice as they lead Quentin over to the walking plot twist. The two women pulled the curtains aside, allowing Quentin to step up beside the man. His battered husk of a body stirred as they approached, rolling over to face his reluctant saviors.

"Oh my God," Quentin gaped, "we were wrong about everything. Plover's not The Beast." Lilly pressed her lips into a thin line.

"No," Christopher Plover's gravelly voice spoke up, "Martin Chatwin is."

➺➺➺➺

Her eyes were puffy and red with tears. She was sick of crying, sick of surprises, sick of putting the pieces together only to have them knocked down in a matter of seconds. She wondered if her life would ever turn out the way she'd planned, if she'd ever be able to live in peace. She supposed it was a choice between magic and normality. She could never have them both.

Lilly held her arms securely around her torso, the cool breeze drawing wisps of blonde hair into the surrounding air. She ignored the goosebumps trailing across her exposed skin, too numb to care. She'd lost her whole family to The Beast, only to discover that The Beast actually was her family. Her head snapped up as the sound of crunching leaves met her ears. Penny stood a few yards away at the edge of the forest. His hands were tucked into his front pockets as he watched her, unsure of whether to approach. Lilly sniffed, wiping at her wet eyes.

"Hey," her voice was thick and strained. He crossed the remaining distance and settled beside her.

"Hey," Penny spoke softly, his eyes filled with sorrow, "how're you holding up?"

"What do you think?" She sniffed.

"You're right, stupid question," he nodded, allowing them to lapse into a comfortable silence. She didn't ask him to leave, nor did she ask for his comfort, but he stood by her side, all the same, a silent, unwavering presence. She knew he would be there when she needed him.

"What if- what if I look into his eyes and see myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a Chatwin, like it or not, I'm his blood. What if I'm just like him?" Penny scoffed, turning to her. He had to tilt his head down to meet her gaze.

"Lilly, that's not going to happen."

"How can you be sure? You weren't with us when we met Martin. He was such a sweet kid- just like us. What if a few years down the road I turn into the next beast?"

"Lilly," Penny's voice was stern as he gripped her shoulders, "look at me." She couldn't bring herself to meet his piercing gaze. She'd developed a sudden fascination with the buttons of his shirt, in hopes he would let it go. A gentle finger grazed beneath her chin, lifting her head so her eyes met his. It was as if he could see straight through her to every flaw, every imperfection, and didn't care, "look at me," he repeated in a whisper. She didn't turn away, "you are the kindest, most selfless woman I have ever met. You saved my life so many times without thinking twice about yourself. You cared about me even when I treated you like dirt, saw the good in me when even I couldn't. Now, let me do the same for you. You are nothing like him. You are not him."

Unshed tears threatened to spill, and the growing lump in her throat prevented her from speaking. Penny lifted his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks and wiping a stray tear away with such tender affection, she was surprised she hadn't collapsed into a fit of tears from that gesture alone.

"Do you remember our first Occlumency class?" He asked, "what Quentin said about my family?"

"What does this have to do with anything?" Lilly shook her head at the bizarre change of subject.

"Just- just humor me, alright?" He placed his hands atop her shoulders. She thought back to the first time they'd been forced to invade each other's minds.

"He, uh, said you're from Florida, and your mom had psychotic breaks and lost custody, right?" She could never forget that bit of heartbreaking information. It was ingrained in the back of her mind. Penny nodded solemnly, his eyes lowering to the forest floor.

"Well, Quentin didn't share everything he saw," Lilly cocked her head to the side, brows furrowed. "Turns out he has some redeeming qualities after all. I want to show you something, if you'll let me?" Penny tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and pressed the pads of his fingertips against her temple suggestively.

"Are you sure?" Lilly knew what he was implying, they'd done it so many times before. Never like this. This time, he wouldn't fight back. She would infiltrate his mind with no resistance, he'd bare himself to her in the most sacred of ways. Penny nodded decidedly.

Lilly hesitated but raised her hands to cradle his face, brushing the pad of her thumb across his slight stubble. Her fingers twisted and folded in an all too familiar pattern. Their eyes fluttered shut. When the spell was complete, and the connection had been made, there was no steel wall in her way, no resistant energy. The gates to Penny's mind were wide open for her. She was faintly aware of his presence in her mind, but rather than fight her for control, he used his magic to guide her. She felt herself being directed to a specific memory, one shrouded in a gloomy veil of fear and sorrow. Her heart clenched in anticipation. Whatever she was about to witness would not be pleasant by any means. Her surroundings dissolved and rearranged into the form of a room. It was familiar to Penny. He'd spent a great deal of time there.

A man lounged across a worn sofa, eyes glazed over as he watched the television flip aimlessly through countless commercials. The living room was filthy, empty beer cans and liquor bottles scattered across every surface. A heavy haze plagued the air from the full ashtray of cigarette butts. A lit cigar added to the atmosphere from where it dangled precariously between the man's fingers. Midday sunlight filtered through the crack in the drawn curtains, illuminating the swirling tendrils of smoke as they polluted the room.

A little boy entered, his neatly combed dark hair a stark contrast to the wrinkled and worn clothes he wore. Even at ten or eleven years old, it was easy to recognize Penny. He carried a large black trash bag in his left hand and began collecting the piles of litter with his right. The man- who Lilly now believed to be Penny's father- didn't acknowledge his son's presence. At least not right away. Young Penny dropped bottle after bottle into the trash, flinching at every sharp clink that sliced through the silence. He eyed his father warily, but the man didn't stir. Shoulders relaxing, he continued about his work. Reaching for a half-empty and long-abandoned beer, he let out a yelp as a hand shot out and clamped around his wrist.

"Did I say I was done with that, boy?" His father's fiery eyes pinned him down through a daze. Lilly's heart plummeted. The boy was terrified, his breathing grew erratic as he sought to wrench himself free, "answer me." The man didn't raise his voice, but it had the effect of a slap across the face. Young Penny stumbled back as his father fumbled to stand. He towered over the boy like a storm cloud moments before a flood. There was a clarity to his movements, Penny knew what was coming, and with a sickening sense of dread, Lilly did as well.

"You-you didn't say you were done-- I just -- I just thought--"

A deafening crack sounded as his father brought a calloused hand down across Penny's cheek. The boy fell back, catching himself before his skull impacted the coffee table. Penny cowered, she could feel his terror and pain as if it were her own. Reaching down, his father roughly snatched him up by the scruff of his neck and hefted him to stand on wobbly legs. Penny was dragged across the room as he gripped the back of his neck in agony. They approached a door on the far side of the room and his father swung it open to reveal a closet, packed with odds and ends that had no other place in the house. With a rough shove, he added his son to this collection of worthless items. Penny's body slammed against the back wall and slid to the floor just in time to see his father's livid face as he shut the door. The resounding click of a lock echoed in Lilly's ears as the memory went dark.

Lilly stumbled, the return to reality jarring. Penny steadied her with a hand on the small of her back and one cradling her cheek. Lilly reached up, squeezing his hand tightly. His misty eyes met hers, and her heart broke all over again.

"He used to push me around the house, beat me, and if I cried, it only got worse. Real men don't cry, he'd say, I didn't raise you to be a pussy. If I so much as flinched, he'd lock me in the closet for the night."

"Oh, my God, I had no idea," Lilly pulled him into a desperate embrace, burying her head in his neck as he let the tears escape.

"Family isn't blood and blood doesn't define who you are," he whispered, "family is people who love and care for you. The people who stand by you, through thick and thin, and never give up on you." Lilly's tears stained the collar of Penny's jacket, though neither of them cared. "I can be your family," he whispered. She pulled back reluctantly, never letting go. Their eyes met and a bond was formed, a silent promise made, one that would take the world to shatter.

"We'll be each other's family," her hands drifted down to his chest. Penny's fingers tucked a stray strand of hair gently behind her ear, a trail of goosebumps formed at his touch. Lilly's heart pounded in her chest, clenching around her lungs until she couldn't breathe. It was as if a magnetic force pulled them together, and before either of them knew what was happening, they were pressed against each other, lips a hair's width apart. Penny inclined his head so that their foreheads touched tenderly, their noses grazing.

A warm flush overcame her, and she cautiously closed the distance between them, brushing her lips against his. It was only a second before he reciprocated, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss. Her mind was in a fog- no- euphoria. Her whole body was alive, nerves lighting up with every touch. The kiss was short and gentle, not one of lust or passion, but genuine affection. Even so, when they pulled apart, they were gasping for air, their hearts pounding erratically in their chests. Lilly couldn't help the tiny giggle that escaped her. Penny's expression of fear and sorrow had been replaced by a youthful smile. She took a hesitant step backward, an uncharacteristic shyness taking over. She bit her lip gingerly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear once more as the wind had caused it to escape, or maybe it was set astray during their kiss? Her bright eyes stared into his, forgetting that they might die that night, that they were about to face the villain of this fairytale.

"Hurry up, love birds! We haven't got all night!" Lilly jumped in alarm at the sound of Margo's voice. She'd been so absorbed in the moment that she hadn't noticed her exit the cottage. "Let's go kill us a beast, bitches!" She hollered, her voice reminiscent of a warriors battle cry. Lilly shook her head in amusement, looking at Penny with raised brows. He rolled his eyes, holding out a hand for her to take. Lilly obliged, intertwining their fingers and following him over to where the others were waiting.

They'd formed a line, breaking apart in the middle to allow Penny and Lilly to enter. They joined hands, making sure they were all secure and checking that Alice was prepared to handle any unexpected challenges once they arrived. Lilly didn't have time to prepare herself before they were transported to their awaiting destiny.

➺➺➺➺

"Well, that's not creepy at all..." the early morning mist curled around the dilapidated shack, giving it an uncanny resemblance to a murder house. They'd been spit out into a clearing, finding the shack awaiting them. It wasn't exactly a warm welcome. Penny had taken them to the exact spot Christopher Plover had directed them to. Though now that they were there, the idea that it was some elaborate joke was looking more and more likely.

"The wellspring of all magic? It's a truck stop shit-house," they all nodded in agreement, watching the shack apprehensively.

"He'll be here soon, let's go," Quentin looked to his companions before moving forward. Lilly hadn't realized that she still held Penny's hand until he was pulling her along with him. Something told her to turn and run, but it was too late now. She was in this till the end. Looking around at the faces of her friends, she found herself feeling a strange sense of family. They would each die for each other if it came to it. This was exactly what Penny had described, she'd just been too blind to see it before. This was undeniably special. They each filed into the shack, only to stop short when they took in the interior.

"The fuck?" Penny spoke first, but they were all thinking the same thing. A sense of dread rooted itself in her stomach. It was as if they walked through a portal that landed right back in the horrifying Plover Estate. It was an exact replica, down to every nook, cranny, and creaky floorboard.

"It's Plover's writing room."

"All that power and he still can't stop thinking about where it happened." It was a peek inside The Beast's fucked up mind. Behind the murderous exterior was just a damaged little boy, trapped inside his past traumas. He was simply a victim, who, in the process of liberation, became something much, much worse.

"Fillory needs meds way more than magic." They spread out around the room, all trying to ignore the disturbing fact of what had happened in that room. Lilly wasn't sure what to feel. Sympathy for the little boy who was molested time and time again by a man who was meant to protect him? Or hatred for the monster who murdered her mother and grandmother without a lick of remorse?

"Okay, so, where's the actual Wellspring?" They began searching every shelf, drawer, and surface in the room for a sign of the well. They moved swiftly, Martin could show up at any moment. Lilly rifled through a pile of papers, dumped out a cup of pencils, lifted every paperweight, but saw nothing.

"Okay, so..."

She felt his presence before she heard the fluttering of tiny wings as if he had been summoned by the mere thought of his name, a whisper of his past. The fluorescent blue moth flitted around their heads, an enchanting sight to behold, but now an omen of impending death. The shadow of a thousand moths cast on the door frame appeared before the monster himself. He sure knew how to make an entrance.

"Is it time for this already?" His British accent sounded from behind the cloud of moths hiding his true face. He strolled into the room as though arriving for a tea party. Lilly stepped away from him as he approached.

"Hi Martin," Quentin greeted begrudgingly, "we know it's you." His voice was surprisingly steady for someone staring into the face of a mass murderer.

"Mm..." The moth's dispersed, revealing the true identity behind the mask. The door slammed shut of its own accord, and the sickening click of the lock signaled the sealing of their tomb. Lilly stared into the blue glowing eyes of her great uncle. Her stomach roiled at the fact that she shared the same blood as this beast. "Well, you made it a good long way this time around." He strolled up to Lilly, halting mere inches from her. She didn't dare move, not even to back away. It could only be compared to being approached by a predator in the wild. Any sudden movement might provoke him to go in for the kill. "Hello, my dear niece."

He reached out, stroking his fingers down her cheek, the same hands he used to rip her mother's heart out and sever Jane's head from her body. His whole demeanor was reminiscent of a cat playing with its food. Torture before the final blow. "It's so lovely to see you again. What a shame it's on such dire circumstances. So sorry about your mother, a pity it had to be this way." He turned, reaching the minibar where he poured himself a generous glass of whiskey.

"Why? Why did you kill her? She was innocent. She did nothing!" Lilly stepped forward, searching this man's face for any sign of the boy they met in past Fillory.

"Well, I didn't kill her. I had someone else do it. Oh, what was his name? Allen? No, that's not it. You'll have to excuse me, I am terrible with names, Aaron? No... Alex! That's it!" Lilly's heart dropped. Bile rose in her throat, blood pounded in her ears. "Such a sweet boy, always there when you need him. Not unlike a dog, so obedient," Martin took a casual sip from his drink, the ice cubes clinking as he did.

"You're lying," she spat, fear and shock making her mind lethargic and incomprehensive.

"Why would I lie about something like that? There's no point, is there? You'll all be dead in a moment anyway."

"Stop this, don't let what Christopher Plover did to you ruin any chance you have at happiness. Don't let him have that power over you. You can still walk away from this. I can finally get to know my uncle, the real Martin Chatwin, not this Beast you've become. The Martin I met all those years ago wasn't a monster," her eyes begged for him to listen, for there to be any outcome other than death.

"That's sweet," Martin turned back to face them, sipping leisurely from his glass, "it really is. How naive you are, child, just like your grandmother. The Martin Chatwin you met all those years ago was weak and insignificant. He let others take advantage of him and was too scared to do what had to be done. You can change, too. Shed this little illusion you've created that fighting me is somehow righteous. I am not your enemy," Martin crept towards her, his soulless eyes sinister and calculating. "Think of what we could accomplish if we worked together. You have more power than you know. I can give you the answers you crave, help you to master it, grow it into something more. No one would dare oppose us. We could have the world."

"I will never join you," Lilly spat defiantly.

"Oh," The Beast smirked with dry humor, "but you already have, many times before." Lilly shook her head, clenching her jaw in denial, "you didn't think this was the first time you've had this opportunity, did you?" he reached out to stroke her cheek and Lilly flinched in response. Penny put an arm out to block his advances.

"Don't you dare touch her," Penny snarled, and Martin chuckled, a spark of madness lighting up his face.

"Ah, the boyfriend. I do love to watch this one die, there's something so satisfying about it."

"I know you're still in there. You still feel, you still hurt, and you should be after what happened to you," Quentin pleaded, stepping forward and holding out a hand.

"You mediocre are always so sentimental. Although, must say, most wouldn't walk to certain death forty times in a row. You're no quitter," he laughed sardonically, looking at Quentin like he was no more of a threat than a newborn baby. "Mm... right, let's get this over with," he placed his glass on the desk, pulling up his sleeves.

"Wait! I have an offer," Quentin threw his hand up in front of him. The rest of his companions stiffened at Martin's words, "Jane gave me a message for you, a- a gift. She said that you would want it, that- that you would understand," he reached into his jacket pocket and produced the deck of cards he always kept with him.

"Your stupid bloody cards. Your stalling tactics haven't gotten any less pathetic," there was a shift in the air, as it was suddenly charged with the anticipation of a fight. Lilly backed away with Penny at her side, towards the side of the room Alice was on.

The battle was about to begin. Alice crept forward, preparing to strike with the Virgo blade. "Next time, put something useful in your pocket. Oh, that's right, no next time," Martin shot out a hand and clamped it around Quentin's neck. Everyone stood back, waiting for Alice to stab him from behind. It took a moment for them to realize nothing was happening. A frantic glance towards Alice revealed her fumbling for the blade. The blade that wasn't there. The sheath that rested on her hip was empty.

"Shit," Alice cursed, but it was too late. The Beast turned on her. She choked, falling to her knees, blood flowing from her nose, mouth, even eyes.

"You're stronger than you were. Haven't learned to cast when you're bleeding out?" The remaining Magicians jumped into action, Eliot and Margo began defensive spells, but they were utterly useless against Martin's magic.

"Oh, for the love of Christ, children..." He slammed them up against the bookcase and snapped their necks without a second glance. The sickening crack was enough to make Lilly turn and run, but she couldn't abandon her friends. She would fight until the end, even if it meant her own death. Martin whirled to face her, watching calmly as she cast the complex battle magic that wouldn't even scratch him. "Dear, dear, Lilly. Such a shame it has to end this way. We could've had so much fun together." Lilly felt the pain and agony that came with witnessing the murders of her friends, the anger at having her mother and grandmother ripped from her life, and channeled every bit of that energy into the spell. "Send my regards to my sister and niece."

It all happened in a matter of milliseconds. The Beast raised his hand in preparation to kill her. Lilly stood her ground staring into his eyes with steely resolve, refusing to cower in fear. Her spell may not kill him, but she would die defending her friends. She squeezed her eyes shut as she released the spell she created and awaited the cold grip of death that was sure to come.

It was only the slightest touch, no more than the ghost of a feather on her skin. She was plunged into absolute silence. No pain, no screams of agony, only the sound of her uneven breathing. Had it been so painless that she hadn't even noticed she was dead? There was no white light at the end of the tunnel. There wasn't even a tunnel to begin with.

Lilly slowly peeled her eyelids open, searching her surroundings for any sign of what just happened. Her friends and the writing room had disappeared, and in their place was a vast forest of dark green foliage. She was alone, she didn't recognize the scenery at all. One thing was for sure though, she certainly wasn't dead. How had she gotten there? One moment she was facing off against The Beast and in the blink of an eye she'd traveled to a dark forest she'd never seen before.

Her eyes went wide with realization and her legs pumped at full force towards where she assumed the shack was. Penny had taken her out of the room before Martin's spell killed her, but he went back. He'd returned, and was most likely bleeding out on the floor along with everyone else. Alice was dead by the time Martin had turned on Lilly, and she was the only one able to hold the Virgo Blade. She was the only one able to kill The Beast. Penny was dead, The Beast would've finished him off and was probably looking for her now.

She had to get back. She had to keep fighting. The fate of the entire magical world depended on them killing The Beast, and she was the only one left alive who had even a sliver of a chance at doing it. There was no time loop this time, all her friends were gone, and they weren't coming back. She was alive, but what did that mean if she was alone?

Lilly's pace slowed, she was running blindly. She had no idea which way the Wellspring was, and even if she found it, she had no way of killing Martin. The only reason they'd gotten this far was that they had each other to rely on. How was she supposed to do this all on her own? She doubled over, emptying her stomach into the underbrush. This was all too much to handle.

Her heart ached for her friends. She had lost them all in the blink of an eye. Quentin, her best friend. Julia, the resilient woman who she was only just starting to get to know. Alice, the voice of reason whenever a problem needed solving. Margo, the fiercely protective and stylish older sister she always wished for. Eliot, the big brother who always knew how to cheer her up. And Penny, the reluctant friend who she feared meant more to her than she'd known.

Tears flowed freely, morphing into racking sobs. Her whole body felt stripped to the core. She had nothing left. She stumbled back, wandering around aimlessly in search of anything other than trees. The moon was waning up above, making visibility scarce. She didn't even notice the glint of metal in the moonlight until it was too late. A cold, sharp dagger was pressed up against her skin. An unseen attacker had her hands pinned behind her. Her attempt at a spell was futile.

"You're trespassing. How did you get here? What do you want from us?" A woman's voice commanded. Lilly's attempt to struggle was met with the woman tightening her grip on the knife, causing the sharp edge to dig into the fragile skin of her neck, "don't try to fight, it won't end well for you, I can promise that. Now, I'm going to ask you one more time, what do you want?"

"I- I don't know, I just got lost trying to find my way back to my friends," Lilly knew better than to spill the details of how she got into this predicament. Fillory in the books may have been whimsical, but the real thing was anything but.

"Well, you took a really wrong turn, Blondie."

Before she could try to fight back, the woman slammed the butt of the blade into her skull. The world spun as she collapsed to the hard soil. She barely registered being dragged across the uneven ground, moving further and further away from her butchered friends and The Beast who was now her responsibility and hers alone. There was no one left to share the burden.

The Beast no doubt had the button now, and she was stuck in this horror-filled world with no way home. Lilly tried to fight back, but the blow to her head rendered her incapable of any coherent thoughts or motions. The trees shifted in and out of focus until they were ultimately replaced by an open, star-filled sky. A part of her prayed it'd be the last thing she'd ever see, but she would keep fighting, until her very last breath, whether it be tomorrow, a week from then, a month, or sixty years in the future. All she knew was that she would not die that night. Her eyelids drifted shut to the sound of shifting sand and the familiar smell of a burning campfire. Her body relaxed as the ground beneath her smoothed and bowed with her weight. It was a long time before she allowed herself to sink into the abyss of darkness that beckoned her and conceded to the coming journey she would be forced to walk alone.