"Impossible." Maun whispered at the reflection staring back at him in the mirror Estella handed over. His eyes grew glossy, and with trembling hands he touched his face to confirm what he saw was real.
The right side of his face, which was once scorched and twisted as though melted by lava, was now smooth and soft, like the skin of a newborn.
Tears slipped down, one after the other. His shaky fingers threaded upward to the right side of his head and found hair, thick and even, matching the other side.
A broken laugh tore out of him. "I'm healed?" His voice cracked with disbelief.
"Yes, Maun," Estella answered with glee. Her eyes shimmered with tears, happiness swelling in them.
Beside her, her twin sister only offered a small smile. Quiet and restrained. Unlike Estella, she did not let her emotions show. Her lips curled with mischief. "At least now you can stop being a prick and return to being a jerk."
Main rolled his eyes at her, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. He put down the mirror and looked up at the girls, his glistening eyes darting between Estella and Seren. His lips trembled; it looked like a new wave of tears was on its way.
"Thank you," he whispered hoarsely, his voice cracking at the end.
Estella smiled warmly and ran her hand through his thick brown curls. "Thank Arwen; she was the one who healed you." She announced softly, watching his face for a reaction.
Maun stilled. A cold shiver blew the tips of his ears. Images of what happened a few minutes ago flashed across his mind, and he instantly remembered the way Arwen had clung onto his face. The way her humanity slipped and she turned into something…eerie.
He could still feel the searing fire that had engulfed him. The way she held his face, like she could burn and melt away the ruin in him by sheer will.
His chest heaved. His breath hitched, and his eyes darted around frantically. Beads of cold sweat lined his forehead. Healed him?
"No." He shook his head once, sharply. His voice went low, still reliving that torturous moment. "That wasn't healing. She was…" His voice broke; he tried to make sense of what he experienced and still be grateful, but it was hard.
He looked up at the girls, and panic flashed in his widened eyes. "I thought she was trying to kill me."
A part of him knew that wasn't true, but she exhibited a power similar to why he had destroyed him and the world as they knew it.
His eyes flickered from Seren to Estella. They too could sense the unease that oozed from him.
"King Duarte might be right about her after all," he whispered.
A feeling of dread settled between them when those words left his lips. They knew what this meant; they trained for this moment, but now that it came, it felt more like a threat to their existence.
Was she here to save them all or destroy them worse than the box ever did?
Seren drew in a sharp breath and straightened her posture like she was about to fight. Her face hardened and her eyes narrowed. "Well then, I guess it's time she met the whole squad."
Meanwhile…
Arwen woke up in a different room this time around, and when she did wake up, it was like she was summoned. Her eyes simply flashed open, and her body rose off the bed.
She sat upright on the bed and remained motionless for a while before her brain memory kicked in and she gasped loudly, her eyes widening.
What have I done?
Her mind raced; she remembered what she did; she recalled how a foreign surge of energy had flowed through her with immense heat. She lifted her hands to inspect them and noticed nothing unusual about them, but she could not shake the chill that had settled deep in her bones.
Her eyebrows furrowed. She didn't understand what happened in that dark hallway; she could not explain the emotions and feelings that ran wildly in her at that time, but there was one thing she could not shake off.
That girl was definitely not her. That magic, those emotions…they weren't hers. Her frown deepened; her heartbeat began to pick up pace. "What is happening to me?" She muttered lowly.
She looked around and noticed that this room was not like the previous one she woke up in. It wasn't highly extravagant with a series of burning hearths, but compared to the room she shared with her sister in their stone cottage house, this was a room of a princess.
Grand and large with the same high arched ceilings as the previous room. Heavy lavender curtains draped over the canopy bed she was on.
She noticed that the room was mostly empty and spacious. A single stained glass window let in the soft glow of the dawn.
Her lips parted in surprise. It was morning already? A panic alarm set off in her head.
Her sisters!
Hurriedly, she threw off the thick lavender blanket and jumped down from the bed. Big mistake.
Her head swam, the room spun, and she lost her footing. Thankfully, she landed on her butt and not her face.
"Ugh." A groan tore past her lips. An ache was forming where her butt made forceful contact with the floor.
Suddenly, the room's temperature dropped so low goosebumps appeared all over her skin, and she let out a shiver.
"Careful now," a feminine voice whispered,like it came from the shadows. Arwen's eyes grew round with panic. She immediately got off the floor and just in time to notice the large round mirror at the vanity opposite the bed rippled as though its glass had turned liquid. Swirling like silk.
Her heart skipped. Her breath lodged in her throat as she unconsciously took a step back. The inside of the mirror continued to spiral, forming a whirlpool of silver light.
Suddenly a hand broke through the surface. Slender, long and of pale white skin. Arwen didn't know she'd be walking backwards until her hands splayed against the cold brick wall. Her chest heaved as her eyes flickered wildly across the room, looking for means to escape whatever was about to happen.
"We wouldn't want you breaking something important." The voice was gentle but airy, almost soothing if it didn't carry a weight of dread.
The mirror slowly produced a feminine body trying to break free. Its silver sheen framed her body for a quick moment right before she was released. And out came a tall, frail, beautiful lady.
Arwen let out a single gasp. Her chest sank.
The girl – no, lady? Was way taller than her. Draped in a creamy gown that fell in a perfect A-shape, reaching the floor and hiding her toes.
Her slender hands were folded neatly before her, posture sharp and elegant like a strict governess.
Arwen's gaze travelled up, taking in the diamond-shaped face of the intruder, skin pale and flawless like she was kissed by the moonlight. Her silken black hair cascaded down her shoulders, a deep contrast to her Snow White skin. It was her eyes that pulled Arwen in. Fascinating yet dreadful.
Pale crystalline blue that burnt sharper and brighter than they should. They emitted a soft glow like the full moon reflected on still water.
Those eyes found Arwen. Something stirred in them. Arwen couldn't pinpoint what it was, but when the lady's thin lips spread into a warm smile, it dispelled all dread and shadow that came with her. With that smile, she looked like an angel.
Still, Arwen wasn't completely at ease. She eyes her carefully, her entire back now glued to the wall. "Who are you? What am I doing here? Where are my sisters!?" The words blew out before she could stop it. Raw and desperate. She allowed her emotions to get the best of her, but she was tired of all these games. Who knew what torture her sisters were enduring while she remained here, powerless?
The woman walked forward, but her dress made it look more like she was floating.
Arwen raised her chin defiantly even though she was trembling with fear. "Don't. Come. Any. Closer!" She warned in a low voice. Her eyes fiercely threatened the woman to remain where she was.
Luckily for Arwen, the woman obeyed.
She didn't take any step further. Her head tilted in a warm manner.
"We are not your enemies," the woman spoke, coaxing like a mother to her doting child. "Sadly, we couldn't get to your home quick enough to save your sisters." That confirmation made Arwen's heart sink.
"The king's men took your sister," the woman continued."But we will help you rescue them if you come with me." The woman extended her pale, delicate hand, inviting Arwen to take it.
Arwen studied the woman very carefully. Her eyes dropped to the hand offered to her. Her heart thudded violently as conflicting decisions battled in her mind on what to do.
And then she saw them.
The sight of two white shadowy figures like they were made of fog drifted into view.
Ghosts.
They were kids. A boy and a girl, each holding one of the woman's hands, looking up at her with so much adoration. Their eyes shimmered with love.
Arwen's blood turned cold. Their presence was enough to clear her mind.
Her choice was made.