NAOKI FELT THE WORLD MOVING. She had fallen asleep inside Camp, the toy store, curled up inside the tube on the playground that had been installed. A stuffed purple unicorn was between her arms, and a burrito Squishmallow was her pillow. She had considered changing into the sprinkle-dotted pyjamas that were hanging in the store's window, but if a Damia came charging in, she refused to be caught like that.

But now the ground was shaking, her tube rocking and rolling. Naoki jolted up, gripping the unicorn to her chest. She crawled to the end of the tube, tossed around, and peered outside.

A giant crane. A giant fucking construction crane had strapped wires to her sleeping tube, and was lifting her up, over the city, and plopping her down atop the Vessel. The crane was black and smokey, bits of metal gleaming through the swarming shadows that covered it. Naoki stuck her hand out and tugged on the wires that held her. They looked like smoke, but they felt alarmingly solid.

"What the fuck is happening right now?" Naoki demanded. "Shadow Bitch! What the fuck are you doing?"

The Queen of Shadows materialised inside the tube, long white legs kicked up. "Darling, language, please."

Naoki recoiled, nearly toppling out of the tube.

"Ah," the Queen snagged her by the wrist, pulling her back inside. "Careful, dear. You don't want to splat on the floor below. It'd be a pity."

Naoki wrenched out of her grip. "Where are you taking me? You said I wasn't a prisoner."

"I never said that," the Queen gave her an innocent look. "I just let you believe that."

Naoki sneered. "You think holding me hostage is going to make me cooperative?"

"You'll give in, one way or another," the Queen sighed, blowing on her nails. "Either by force or by choice. And either way works for me. You'll come to realise how right I am, in time."

The tube landed with a bone-shuddering crunch, and Naoki spilled out onto the top of the Vessel. Instantly, she scrambled up, darting to the edge of the towering structure.

"Tell me where Illias is, or I'll jump," she demanded, clutching her purple unicorn to her chest.

The Queen scoffed. "First of all, I could just catch you. Go ahead. Second, I don't have him."

"Liar," Naoki snarled, throwing her leg over the side.

The Queen watched her, disinterested. "I'm not."

She snapped her fingers and Illias materialised, running to Naoki, arms outstretched. "Naoki, my love!"

He grabbed her, and the second his fingers touched her, he evaporated into smoke. Naoki was left frozen, arms half outstretched, heart pounding in her chest.

The Queen smiled. "Illusions, darling. Smoke and mirrors, if you will."

Naoki looked helplessly at the space between her arms.

"Walk with me, will you?" the Queen offered her arm, all lithe and sleek with muscle.

Naoki shrank away. And forgot she was half-dangling off a 150 foot high ledge.

The Queen poked her head over the railing, listening to Naoki's screams get further and further away.

"That was rather embarrassing," she murmured, lips pouted. "Poor dear." 

NAOKI WOKE UP SCREAMING, the feeling of falling shooting through her stomach. She jolted up, and slammed her head into a metal wall. 

Groaning, Naoki curled up on her side. 

"Oh, dear, you are a mess, aren't you," the Queen tutted from the corner, shadows swirling around her like fog. "Be more careful next time, my dear. Falling to your death is a horrible way to go." 

Naoki's eyes were huge, quivering with fear. "Where am I?" 

"A storage crate," the Queen shrugged, smiling. "Apparently I can't trust you near perilous heights, so I've kept you contained for now." 

She slammed her palm against the wall, hearing the echo of thick metal. Naoki slumped against it, her forehead throbbing, trying to steady her breathing. It wasn't hopeless. Not all was lost. She couldn't let the Queen win. 

But her heart was still racing from her fall, her body still trembling, and her mind still out of control. Tears threatened to spill over her eyes, and Naoki fought to keep them back, swallowing at the massive wave that raged towards her dry land. 

"Want to see something cool?" the Queen asked softly. Naoki stiffened, but her tears dried, and the wave calmed to a ripple. 

The Queen scooted closer, holding out a pale hand. "Hold out your hand, over mine." 

Naoki did, watching her hand shake as it hovered above the Queen's. 

A shadow began to mass between their fingers, dancing and drifting in a deadly beautiful cloud. Shapes swirled in its depths, elegant carvings of birds and laughter and three dancing girls holding hands. 

Then the Queen pulled her hand away. 

But the cloud still stayed.

Instead the images shifted. Strawberry plants bloomed, and cats curled and twined like ribbons. Laughter seemed to roil from the cloud, the honey-brown voice of Illias Cross. 

Startled, Naoki jerked her hand away, concentration slipping. The cloud vanished. 

The Queen beamed at her. 

"Magic," she whispered. 

ILLIAS CROUCHED BEHIND THE CRUMBLING REMAINS OF A BUILDING, his heart pounding in his ears. He was perched by the last building before a wide stretch of concrete and sloping ramps. Behind the open space was a tall, beehive-shaped structure that spiralled into the sky, rose-gold pink. The Vessel. Where Naoki was. 

He needed to be quick. If only Xandra were here, he lamented. Naoki would be safe in a heartbeat if he had the speed demon at his side. 

But he was almost glad it was only him. He felt like an action hero, saving his true love, making up for everything he'd ever done wrong for her. 

Illias cracked his neck, steeled his breath, then ran. 

His feet dug into the concrete as he ran, hurdling over black pits in the ground, dodging asphalt that had ripped up like the corner of a rug. He skidded behind large columns for temporary cover, then sprinted off again, never lingering, never resting. 

His swords bounced against his back as he dove into the shadow of the Vessel. The pink-gold surface reflected his own crouching body, brown hair flopping into his face with sweat, his chest rising and falling against his armour. He let himself take a short breath, then dashed into the entrance, chest tight. 

KIERNAN AND ROSA FELL INTO A FAMILIAR RHYTHM, dancing around each other as they made calls through purple amethysts, circled potential entry points, sketched up rescue plans, and took inventory of their resources. Rosa forgot what it was like to be in Mirage, with the power of the world at her fingertips. It felt good, but that was what was so scary about it. 

"I think we can get enough troops to storm the mall part of the building," Kiernan tapped the floor plan. "But the Vessel is a hundred feet away from the actual mall. If we raid the mall, they'll see us coming." 

"So we attack the Vessel instead," Rosa offered. 

"We could, but it's so visible. I worry that there's a trap," Kiernan said taughtly, hands clenching. "She might not even be there." 

"Illias sounded certain," she said sternly. "He wouldn't put the call in if he was unsure." 

"The Queen is good at illusions," Kiernan reminded. "It could've been a fake." 

"Maybe," Rosa agreed, "But it's a chance we have to take. If she's really there, we can snatch her up before they move her to another location. And who knows how they've been treating her." 

Kiernan rubbed his eyes. "We can set up missiles from the roof. If we surround the place, and demand Naoki back, they'll have to agree. If they don't, we have to blow it up." 

Rosa's neck strained. "With Naoki inside." 

He couldn't look her in the eye. "You know it's the right move." 

Rosa slammed her fist down on the table, but didn't say a word.

"The Queen wants to use her," Kiernan sounded strained, as if he wasn't even convincing himself. "We need to get Naoki out of her grasp in any way possible. Naoki knows what that means." 

Rosa looked at him. "How much more blood do you want on your hands?" 

Kiernan met her gaze, eyes red. 

ILLIAS HEARD THE SWEARING BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. The Vessel had been alarmingly empty, only a few Damia patrolling every floors, and they were easy to slip by. Illias' shoes were padded with foam, and his steps were silent. Any Damia who did spot him he bested easily, strangling them until they passed out, then kicking their bodies off the structure. They plumed into smoke upon impact, leaving no trace or sounds. 

It was almost too easy. 

A few Damia skulked by. Illias tensed, ready to take them out, when they stopped before a massive metal crate, and banged on it. 

"Fuck you, you nasty little shits! I told you, I'm not eating any of your greasy ass food. It tastes like Subway sandwiches soaking in mayo water. Get it away! Leave me the fuck alone, dipshits!" 

Illias burst into a huge smile. Naoki. 

The Damia grunted and unlatched the door anyway. His buddy turned around, standing guard. 

Illias tackled him, and they went spilling over the edge. The other Damia walked inside, oblivious. 

His arms strained as Illias gripped the railing of the Vessel, bringing himself to a jolting stop, watching the Damia he tackled splatter to the floor. His arm popped and creaked, and Illias gritted his teeth against the pain. His muscles strained, tendons threatening to snap, as he dangled by an arm. 

The Damia turned, half-way through the door, and spotted him. It roared.

Naoki's head popped out, strawberry-pink hair stringy and tangled. Her eyes widened at the sight of Illias, who waved at her sheepishly. 

The Damia charged. 

Naoki slid in a baseball slide, knocking his feet out from under him. Illias swung himself up, using the Damia's arm as a pole, and twisted so his velocity threw the Damia over the side instead. 

They watched him flail and shriek until he exploded into black clouds at the bottom. 

Illias turned to Naoki, desperately thinking of something witty to say. "I--" 

She threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck, and broke out sobbing into his chest. 

"Thank God," she heaved. "You're here, you're actually here." 

Illias wrapped his arms around her, and breathed in her scent. "Oh my God, oh my God it's you. You're alive." 

She nodded against his chest, voice muffled in his armour. "I know. I know, oh God, I know." 

"Don't ever do that to me again," he laughed, his voice cracking. They sank to the floor, still holding each other. "I can't lose you again, Noki." 

She pulled away, laughing, and wipe the tears off his cheek. "I know. C'mon, let's get inside. We're too exposed." 

Illias let her pull him inside, and wondered how he could feel so happy on enemy land. 

HANNA RAN INTO THE ROOM, SLAMMED THE DOOR BEHIND HER, AND LOCKED IT. Her dreads were disheveled, flying every which way, and her eyes were wide with fear. 

"Puppets," she hissed, chest heaving. "In the school." 

Theo, Xandra, Paris and Dexter leapt to their feet. Xandra's fists were balled, and Theo had picked up his chair again. Dexter tossed Hanna her bat, and Paris picked up a stapler, flicking it open. 

"Boutta staple some motherfuckers," he raised his eyebrows cockily.

The others stared at him. 

"That probably sounded better in your head," Dexter murmured, patting Paris' arm reassuringly. Paris wilted. 

Hanna pulled away from the door, twirling her bat between her fingers. "I think the door should hold them. I don't know how many saw me come this way. But just in case, you kids need to be ready to run, and take Illias and Rosa's bodies with you." 

She gestured to the window, and below that the slumbering bodies of Rosa and Illias. 

"Absolutely not," Xandra snapped, whirling on her. "We're not going to leave you behind. We'll stay and defend them." 

Hanna smiled. "Sorry, baby, but I'm not asking." 

Theo set down his chair. "You want us to just abandon you?" 

"They're not going to murder me, Theo," Hanna reassured. "But there's no telling what the Queen will do to you kids. You messed with her plans, big time. She wants revenge." 

"And you think she'll let you off any easier? The mother of the girl she kidnapped?" Xandra demanded. "We're not letting you stay behind." 

"And I'm not letting you kids get hurt because of me," Hanna said sharply. "Listen to what I say, Xandra Cho." 

There were no threats made, no empty promises. Just pure concern rippling from Hanna's heart, and pure determination on her tongue. 

Biting her tongue, hissing, Xandra complied. 

"Thank you," Hanna touched her shoulder. Xandra shifted away. 

BAM. 

"That was the door," Paris gulped. "That was the fucking door there's someone outside oh God--" 

Dexter flinched. "It could've been the wind?" 

BAM BAM BAM. 

"Definitely not the wind," Theo gulped. "Dexter, get behind Paris." 

Xandra bunched her shoulders, glaring her frustration out on the door. "Let them come. I feel like punching something right now." 

Hanna cracked her bat into the floor, tense. "Hold tight, kids. We're in for a ride." 

BAM BAM BAM CRACK! 

A fist splintered through the door. 

author's note! 

another shorter chapter, but i hope you guys enjoyed it! next week is my midterms, and then the weekend after that i have a church retreat with my youth group, but then i should be back into the normal swing of things! expect updates! 

i will say, for the future, i might have to take a long break due to SATs and stuff. i'm in my junior year, so a lot will be happening. hopefully i'll be able to find times to write between work, but i will be prioritising school over wattpad (duh). 

all that being said, i'm sorry because i know updates are always fun times, and i don't want to have the possibility of me not finishing this book hanging over all our heads. but also i do need to get school done, so that has to come first. 

anyway, see you guys soon! go read vigilante shit by lvejackson because it's getting really gooooodd it feels like a webtoon tbh. 

ALSO HAPPY END OF PART THREE!!!! 

love y'all! see you soon!