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Belle, sitting in a chair beside the bed, leaned toward Ben. "Ben, sweetheart, are you alright?" Beast stood directly behind her, an expression of deep concern on his face.

Ben didn't answer. Only his eyes moved. Mal gripped his wrist tighter. "Ben. Ben, answer us," she pleaded. His eyes glowed bright green, confirming her fears. She shifted to her knees and leaned over him. "Ben, focus. Focus on me. We're going to break this," she told him. She had to keep him calm, and that meant staying calm herself. She had to believe everything would be alright in the end.

She gripped his upper arms and focused her eyes on his. The same green reflected in both of their gazes. She knew what she had to do, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she had been preparing for it ever since she had learned the cure from her mother. Now, she desperately sought out the part of her soul which housed the powers inherited from her mother. It felt like a beast chained in a closet. She had given it a short leash on which to roam when she had released the paper creatures in the library. But now, it writhed and clawed at her sanity for freedom. And she knew she had to release those powers in order to break Ben's part of the curse.

"Listen to me," Mal said, staring into Ben's eyes. Her voice took on a deeper, more purposed tone. "I am Mal, daughter of Maleficent. It is now that I take on my responsibility and birthright as the new Maleficent. I accept my full name and powers. I release you from this spell, which I take now responsibility for having cast and for taking away. You will be free now."

The green light left Ben's eyes, allowing them to return to their normal color. Green smoke issued from his mouth as he exhaled. It drifted up toward Mal's face and disappeared.

Mal released her hold on Ben and slid off the bed. She ran to the door, thoughts of greed and power already flooding her mind. The horns were growing more now, sprouting up through Jay's beanie and splitting the fabric. Green fire glowed around her hands, and she closed them into fists to attempt to smother the flames. She had broken Ben's curse, yes. But she had only unleashed the full fury of her own. She had to put space between her and Auradon Prep before she could do any real harm.

She stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at Beast and Belle, both of whom seemed confused by her actions. "Tell him I'm sorry," she said and fled the room. She had no choice but to try to escape to somewhere isolated. She needed to be alone so she wasn't a threat to anybody. If her mother's power consumed her, there was no telling how much havoc would ensue. But if she could get away and focus all of her energy on keeping the power and greed from taking her mind...well, it was her only chance.

But the power was crashing in upon her like ocean waves. It smashed and battered her, confusing and scattering her thoughts. She couldn't concentrate on anything. The only things that obeyed her were her feet, which carried her out of the castle and toward the school.

Fear filled her. If the power completely consumed her before she got far enough away, would it make her release her mother? Would she turn on her friends? Would she turn back around and go torture Ben? She couldn't stand the thought of any of those conclusions. But the power was growing ever stronger, flooding her veins and seizing control. She felt as if her sanity was dwindling to nothing.

Ben stirred slowly, feeling as if he had been drugged. "Ugh, what happened?" he asked, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"Mal saved you," Belle said. She was holding his hand and beaming. "You're safe now, darling. You can rest."

"Safe?" Beast scoffed. "He's alive, but I don't know about safe. You heard her. You saw what happened."

Ben's eyes swept over both of his parents' faces. "What? What happened? Where's Mal?"

"She's gone," Beast said. "She had to accept her full powers and title as Maleficent's daughter in order to break the curse. At least, that's what it sounded like."

"She did what?!" Ben sat up, but instantly found himself being shoved back down against his pillows by his mother.

"You're going to rest," she said firmly. "I'm sure her friends will talk some sense into her."

Ben stared from her to his father in disbelief. "So, I'm supposed to sit here and do nothing while Mal's torturing herself?"

"You're supposed to stay here and rest. You can't do anything for her right now."

Mal only stopped running once she was deep into the forest behind the tourney field. A stitch stabbed in her side, and she struggled to catch her breath. A thousand different voices echoed in her mind. She could be evil. She could be the greatest villain in history. She could control her fate along with the fates of others.

And she wanted it. She wanted the power so badly. It was ripping into her. Really, what were the benefits of being good all the rest of her life? All she would get was a normal, dull life. There was no excitement in being normal. She wanted to feel adrenaline. She wanted the thrill of power.

Her mother's scepter and spell book materialized in her hands. She screamed and dropped them both on the forest path, unsure if she had summoned them or not. Had her power acted of its own accord and summoned them? It felt alive, like another breathing being inside of her.

She wavered for a moment, unsure of who was in control. But as she stepped forward warily and bent to run her fingers over the scepter, she felt a greed within her grow. She wanted the power.

She felt her eyes burn and knew they were lighting up green. As she simply touched the top of the Dragon's Eye Scepter, she felt herself tumble over the edge into darkness. It consumed her. The voices in her head then spoke as one, no longer an incomprehensible mess, to give her clear instructions.

She picked up the scepter and spell book. Her pulse pounded with fury and power, wanting everything she had been deprived of by being locked away on the Isle. She wanted to be bad. And right then, she could feel it. She was evil.

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Foarrin