He didn't know how long he sat there on the ground, long enough for his tears to eventually stop and dry up. His mother still sat on his bed through the mirror, hugging his pillow. She had looked up, staring off into the distance once again and showing off her tear stained face. He'd done that to her. He'd made her that sad.

Eli stood, bottom lip trembling. It was time to go home, time to see his mother again and hear her voice. He reached out, hand pressing against the cool frame of the mirror. He could only assume he would go home the same way he arrived, by going through the mirror. It would be hard to explain, but it didn't matter anymore. All he wanted was to go home.

He didn't want to wait out the whole hour. He didn't want to see that horrible version of his face anymore. He couldn't stand it. It was like a terrible nightmare. He had to go now. He had to see if maybe the Mage was wrong about reflections dying, he had to see if Kory was still alive. He didn't want the weight of two of his friend's deaths on his hands.

He grazed the surface with his fingers, feeling the cool glass ripple under his fingers, much like it did when he had been attacked in his room. He could just put his arm through it, then the rest of him, and then he would be home. He would be safe.

Going unnoticed by an emotional Eli, the door shook on its hinges, rattling ominously. It burst open and slammed against the stone brick wall. Eli yelped and pulled his hand away from the mirror. Had the Mage returned? Had it really been that long already? He had to move now, before the Mage hurt him the same way he hurt Korian.

"Eli!" a voice called, relieved and happy. Eli spun with a gasp as Korian ran down the room towards him. He was a blur in the darkness, looking like something out of a nightmare. Eli grunted as he crashed into him, stumbling back a few steps.

Korian pulled him against his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around him. Eli, his mind still struggling to catch up to what was going on, took a second to bunch his hands in the back of Korian's shirt.

"You-you're alive," he whispered into Korian's shoulder. The other man was a warm comfort against him, his arms tight around his body. "How? He told me you were dead." It couldn't be him. He'd heard him scream back in the forest. The Mage had said he was dead. Why would he lie?

"He stabbed me in the stomach," Korian replied, reaching up to hold the back of Eli's head. "He left me there to die. I think he thought I was already dead by the time he left."

Eli frowned in confusion. How was he there, standing right in front of him like the last few days hadn't mattered. "But you're-"

"I am also a mage, Eli. I took from the land to heal my body. I destroyed the clearing. But I could not find you. I thought- I thought you were dead." Korian tightened his grip on him and buried his head in the crook of his neck.

Wet tears fell against his skin and Eli resisted the urge to pull back and wipe them off Korian's face. "Then why are you here?" he asked instead.

"I was going to kill him. I needed to avenge you," he said. "It didn't matter if I wasn't the one who was meant to save the realm. The Mage needed to die and if you were dead..."

"But you would have gotten yourself killed!"

Korian shrugged against him. "Didn't matter. I had to try."

"Korian-"

"I was going to wait for him to come back, but he was already here when I arrived. Then I saw you. I thought he'd brought you in here to kill you, but I had to make sure, so I waited until he was gone." His lips pressed against Eli's neck as he spoke and his breath was warm. "I'm so glad you are alive."

"So am I," Eli whispered. Korian was still alive and completely fine. He hadn't left him in the clearing to die. He was right there, in his arms. Before he could wrap his head around what he was doing, he leaned back and reached up to cup Korian's cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't help. I should have been there."

Korian shook his head and brushed his thumb against Eli's cheek. "I told you to run. I am alright now." he whispered then finally looked at the room they stood in. "Why did he bring you here?"

"To send me home," he replied, ignoring the confused expression on Korian's face. "He doesn't know what's going to happen to him if he kills me. So, he said I could go home and if I didn't come back he would leave me alone forever."

Korian's grip on him loosened slightly. "Were you going to?" Eli nodded against his shoulder. "Eli, why?"

"I don't have anything here. I thought you were dead. You're the only thing that would make me want to stay," Tears welled in his eyes again and a sob forced its way from his throat. "I just want to go home."

"I know, I know," Korian said, his fingers running through Eli's hair. "I'm here now. We'll get rid of the Mage and you can go home. We'll fix this. I'm here."

"I'm glad," Eli replied and breathed out a sigh of relief. Korian leaned towards him and before Eli could say another word, their lips were pressed together softly. It was warm and soft and he gasped at the feeling. In was gone in an instant, as though it hadn't been there in the first place. He stared up at Korian with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape.

The other man tried to pull away from his grip. "I am sorry, I should not have-" Eli silenced him with another soft kiss. Korian grinned at him as they pulled away from each other, a red blush staining his cheeks. "Oh."

"Been wanting to do that for a while," Eli muttered and pressed his forehead against the other man's shoulder again. The room that had once been freezing was now comfortably warm. A hand ran through his hair and another was planted firmly against his back. Korian held him tightly, as if he'd never let him go, no matter what tried to pull them apart. 

They stood in silence for a long while, wrapped in each other's arms. A quick glance in the mirror told him that the mother had left, leaving the pillow in the same place she had picked it up from. "We need to go," Korian said softly. "The Mage will be back soon."

"We need to kill him," Eli replied. The venom in his voice surprised him. He had been so ready to leave, but with Korian back he felt his strength return once more. The thought of killing another person scared him to death, but it needed to be done if the realm was to be safe, if Korian was to be safe.

"Come on," Korian said, letting go of Eli's body to grab him by the hand. "I have your sword." Together they walked out of the room of mirrors, Eli sparing one final glance at his mirror. He would be going home soon, but he had things to do first.

When he came out of the long hall to the door under the stairs, Eli could see one of the huge double doors was open, light shining through into the entrance hall. He could only assume that was where Elias had gone while he waited.

Korian stopped him at the small doorway, handing him his long-forgotten sword. "I have an idea," he whispered, drawing Eli close. "I can try and sap the magic from him, make him weaker. You might have a better chance of winning if I do. He's dependent upon it. Without it, he will be weak."

Eli only nodded. It might work if Korian can pull it off. There was no way Eli was going to be able to do it right now, Elias was much too powerful, despite what the prophecy said. This plan, however, might just work.

"Are you ready?" Korian asked him, gesturing towards the open door.

"I don't think I will ever be," Eli replied, feeling his hands shake. There was a feeling, like a lump, in his stomach. "But I need to do this, don't I?"

"I wish you didn't have to," came the whispered response. Eli didn't reply, only looked down at the ground. He wished he didn't either, but he had to. He shouldn't have tried to escape it earlier, Korian's return reminded him of that. He was the only one who could defeat Elias, with or without a special sword. The prophecy said so.

Only the reflection of evil can defeat evil. The words repeated themselves over and over again in his mind as they walked towards the door. He had to do this. Korian went first, peaking around the door like a shy child before walking confidently in. Eli followed close after, keeping a tight grip on his sword.

Sitting on a tall, blue cushioned throne at the other end of the room was Elias, one leg crossed over the other. He sat up when he saw them, a look of confusion passing over his face so quickly Eli wasn't even sure he had actually seen it.

"Well, would you look at that," Elias called. "You're alive. I thought I'd killed you."

"You thought wrong," Korian said coolly.

Elias stepped from his throne, a new cloak billowing around his legs. "Do you really want to do this again?" he asked. "Look what happened last time. You know I'll win, there's no way you can stop me."

"If you were so sure about that you wouldn't have tried to force me to go home," Eli said boldly, trying to ignore the fear that was rising in him. Elias glared at him, almost making him look down to the floor.

"Are you really going to test that? Really, Eli?" Elias snarled, stepping towards them. Eli stood his ground, staring the Mage down. "Well, if that's how it's going to be." Before Eli could even blink, there were flames in both the Mage's hands, dancing out to the side as he stalked towards them.

"Korian," Eli said uneasily, glancing over at his friend.

"We can do this," he assured, giving Eli a small nod. He was more confident than Eli would ever be.

They made their way forward, drifting to either side of the Mage. In front on Eli, Elias shook his head, letting out a menacing laugh that echoed through the bare throne room. Eli, clutching his sword in two sweating hands, swung out.

His vision blew up in a cloud of orange flame, spreading out like a deadly flower. For a second, he thought it was all over, that quickly. For an instant, he thought of his home, of Korian and Kory. Then it was gone, as though it hadn't even been there in the first place.

He gasped, shooting backwards so quickly he almost tripped over his own feet. There was a grunt from nearby, and he swivelled towards Korian. The other man was pulling at the flames like a wild dog on a leash, yanking them away from Eli. There was sweat beading on his reddened face.

The flames shot upward, slamming into the wood and thatch ceiling. The Mage roared with anger as the flames spread. He pulled a sword from his cloak, one Eli hadn't seen earlier and lunged for Korian.

Elias attacked and attacked and attacked with an aggression Eli had never seen before, not in all the times he had talked to his reflection. Korian struggled to parry and block, occasionally glancing over at Eli.

The boy knew what he had to do. He stalked forward while the Mage was distracted, breathing slowly to calm himself. He brought his sword upward, feeling it catch along the skin of his reflections back. It wasn't deep enough to do any lasting damage, but enough to distract him from Korian.

Elias cried out in pain, hesitating long enough for Korian to back away. It took only a second for the Mage to recover, he must have used his magic to heal himself the same way Korian had. He turned, seething, and charged at Eli.

Eli gasped, bringing his sword up to quickly parry the attack. "Eli!" Korian called towards him, voice laced with concern.

"I'll be okay!" he yelled back, never taking his eyes off Elias's movements. "Do what you need to do!"

He could do this; he could keep Elias distracted enough for Korian to sap his power away. All he needed to do was stay alive. Eli only realised how hard it would be at Elias's next attack, which slammed into him so hard he nearly dropped his sword.

He struggled to keep a tight grip and stay upright as the onslaught of attacks continued. The clashing of metal rang in his ears, giving him a headache. There was never an opening for him to attack, on the block and parry over and over again.

They danced around the throne room, Eli twisting his body as soon as they came near a wall. He didn't want to be cornered, that would be the end of him, and of the realm. He stared Elias in the face, watching his expression never change from the familiar malicious grin, the same one he had seen before he had been attacked in his room all those weeks ago.

He could hear the concerned noises from Korian in the distance, but never answered them. He didn't want the distraction. He had to focus on the Mage and of not failing. He parried an attack, swords clashing together once more and blade stopping inches from Elias's face.

He panted, relieved at the two-second break and never even noticed his mistake. He'd left his side too open. Elias kicked out, boot slamming into his hip and sending him sprawling to the floor. He slid nowhere near as far as last time, meaning that Korian's plan was working.

His sword fell from his grip, clattering to the ground just out of his reach. He lay on his back, his already injured chest heaving. "You thought you could defeat me? Me!" the Mage roared, stalking towards him. "You never stood a chance." There was a cry from Korian in the distance that went ignored by both of them. Eli only wished he wouldn't do anything, the other mage had a job to do.

Elias lifted up his sword, ready to slam it down into Eli's prone body. Adrenaline rushing through his, Eli desperately looked for a way out. His sword was to the left of him, if he moved quickly enough, he could reach it.

He kicked out just as Elias swung his sword down, catching the Mage in the knee. Elias groaned, his grip on the sword wavering. Eli rolled to the side and grabbed for his sword, standing just as his fingers grazed the hilt.

"How dare you!" the Mage screamed, rushing for him once more. Eli barely had a second to prepare himself before he was slammed into once again. The strength of the Mage's attacks was dimming noticeably; they no longer made him feel as though he was going to lose his balance.

Eli panted, he was beginning to grow tired. He didn't know how much longer he could last, even with the Mage weakening before him. His back hurt, his chest hurt, his arms were aching from the weight of the sword and the attacks.

He blocked another attack, struggling to keep their blades locked together, to not let his grip slip. His arms were shaking immensely, and a quick glance towards Elias told him his were too. A good sign. Elias followed his gaze, mouth opening wide when he realised.

"What have you done to me?" he bellowed. "My power!" his eyes widened and snarl was expelled from his lips. "Korian!"

He pulled his sword away sharply, leaving Eli floundering. He recovered as quickly as he could, but by the time he was stable again, Elias had already made it Korian, who fumbled for his sword. He looked distressed and tired, face red from the effort of draining the magic from their enemy. There was no way he was going to be able to do anything in time. If he didn't move, he would die.

"No!" Eli screamed, charging forward. Korian was able to push Elias back with the strength he had stolen from him. The Mage stumbled backwards just at Eli reached them. He was moving too fast to stop himself in time, momentum pushing him forward. In the blink of an eye, his sword plunged into the Mage's side.

With a gasp, he yanked it out, gagging at the blood that spilled on the smooth stone bricks. The Mage screamed in pain, falling to his knees and clutching at the wound. Eli had to look away.

"Are you okay?" he asked Korian, frantic.

"Yes," Korian replied, staring down at the Mage. "But this is not over yet. He needs to die. Come."

With shaky hands and breath, Eli made his way around the panting Mage, who glared up at him with a sneer on his face. Eli stared him in the face, one so familiar to his own and remembered his words from earlier. What would happen if he killed him? Would he die? Or would he have to live with that blood on his hands? He didn't want either.

"I don't think I can," he whispered.

The Mage laughed. "Of course you can't," he said with a pant. "You don't want to die."

"What? Eli," Korian said next to him. "You will not- I do not- I cannot promise that you will live through this. But think of the woman, the last time this happened. She lived, she did. I think you will too."

"You don't know that!" Elias snarled, wincing at the pain. He didn't, neither of them did, but looking into Korian's eyes, Eli knew he could trust him. It would all be okay, it had to be. If the woman before had survived, surely he would too. And even if he did die, part of him knew it was worth it. He would be saving an entire realm; he would be giving Korian a chance at happiness. But there was still a part of him, no matter how evil Elias was, that didn't want to kill, couldn't kill him.

"Help me," he whispered, looking up at Korian, bottom lip trembling. Korian hissed in a breath and nodded. He grabbed Eli's hand, the one that shakily held the sword.

"You wouldn't," Elias hissed, moving to stand.

The pair tightened their grip on the sword and thrust forward. Eli closed his eyes as the blade sunk into Elias's chest, a part of him still prepared to die. There was a groan and the sound of blood splattering onto stone. Elias tried to hiss something out, something Eli couldn't understand. There was a thud that echoed in Eli's ears so loudly he was sure he'd never be able to stop hearing it.

He opened his eyes then, and on the ground in front of him was Elias, curled up in a ball with a sword in his chest. Blood pooled all around him, spreading outwards along the bricks. Above them, the roof was still aflame, the only noise in the still room.

Korian still held his hand, lacing their fingers together. "He's dead," he whispered, voice breaking on the last word."He's dead."