Chapter 36

The brightness subsided, and the body of Lara Croft fell from its elevated position. She now lay limp on the floor in the center of the room, her movements completely settled. Kurtis wiped his face, drying halted tears as he cautiously walked toward her.

He closely studied her form, wanting nothing more than to caress and hold her, knowing that she was his, the woman he knew. He was sure however, that his wishes would prove false the moment he encountered her.

Kurtis immediately stalled his advance and slightly backed away as Lara began to flutter her eyes. Her body slowly began to move, bringing itself from the floor, seeming to straighten inch by inch until she stood tall. Kurtis stared, praying that his assumptions were wrong, praying that Lara was herself.

He stared; she was unusually still as she faced him.

The sudden coldness of fear entered Kurtis as Lara opened her eyes, no longer glittering with beauty, but red with demonic sorcery.

She was quiet, and calmly moved her arms as if still unconscious or being controlled by some unseen force. Kurtis confusingly watched as Lara began harshly, but slowly, chocking her neck sideways. He heard a loud pop erupt from the creaking of the bones around her throat. She closed her eyes and deeply inhaled, as if for the first time.

"I breathe again." Lara's mouth spoke out, but her elegant voice had been taken away, now replaced with the deep and harsh tone of Mariana.

Kurtis lowered his head, letting out a sigh, knowing that he had failed; Lara was gone. He shamefully starred at the floor as the demon walked toward him in the shape of the woman he loved.

"Hello Kurtis." The corrupt voice spoke. "Do you like my new look?" The possessed form of Lara starred at him with a scoffing expression. "Of coarse you do. After all, don't I look just like the woman you love?"

Mariana forced the form forward, grabbing the grieving Kurtis's arm and pulling him playfully toward her.

He held his head down, ashamed to look at the result of his cowardness.

Lara's mouth smiled at him. " Maybe you could do something for me." The stifled voice came again. "I've always had a thing for you Kurtis, I'm sure you've noticed." The demons eyes slowly waned down his figure, as she smiled "I haven't laid with a man for centuries. Would you mind doing me the favor and refreshing my memory."

Kurtis simply stood still as he starred at Lara's eyes, now possessed with evil. He wanted to scream with agony at seeing her act against him in such ways.

"Oh come on." Mariana spoke. "It would be just like sleeping with Lara, same body, same feeling," she paused and grinned, "only better."

At the words Kurtis lifted his fist, ready to strike the demon down, but stopped as he saw her face, the large brown eyes, and full lips, the soft braided hair and the essence she gave off with a mere smile. He lowered his hand as the evil snickered through the beautiful shell, now tormenting him in ways unimaginable.

"Come on. Hit me!" Mariana angrily teased. "Do it, and bruise the fragile form of this whore you call a lover." She smiled and came closer toward him. "Kurtis, over the years I have found myself to be completely infatuated with you, and I think we can come to a compromise."

Kurtis continued staring at the floor, feeling more alone every time the wraith touched him.

Mariana continued. "I'll put all of this behind me, let you live, and destroy the remaining wraiths," she paused. "If you'll be mine."

Kurtis sarcastically laughed aloud at her request as she made it.

"I have a human form now," she spoke through his laughter. "and we can be together, just like if it were Lara."

Kurtis turned to her, still holding the fake smile on his face.

He wiped it away leaving nothing but hate in his expression. "I'd rather Lara be dead than rot away with some bitch destroying her inside."

Mariana turned the face of Lara into an angered and almost insane expression of anguish at the words. She stared at him with rage until her mouth curled into a cruel and mocking smile. "Really?" she simply questioned.

He watched with unsureness as the possessed form slowly walked to a knight statue by the distant alter. She clenched a sword out of its sheath, and retrieved another from the floor, the blackened blade that Mariana had dropped during the possession process. She slowly walked back to Kurtis and smiled, tossing him the old and rusted blade, then taking her stance, ready to fight.

Kurtis shook his head with anger and fear as he realized the purpose behind her actions. "No." he sternly spoke. "You can't make me do this." He wouldn't allow himself to fight her, not in the shape of Lara, not as Lara herself.

"If you want to live, you will." the demon spoke aloud, the unmatched voice again tearing Kurtis apart inside.

He stared at the rusted blade, his mind wavering on his future, on the loss of Lara. "And what if I don't?" he paused, jaw cocked back forming the expression of confusion and sadness. "What if I don't want to live?"

"Then you make my job all the easier!"

Kurtis was taken by surprise and quickly retreated back as Lara's form rushed toward him. He circled his blade down, blocking Mariana as she thrust her own at his waist.

"I'm not gonna do this!" he harshly yelled as he repelled another attack from the demon.

"Come on Kurtis" Mariana voice teasingly stated through pale lips. She stopped her onslaught and slightly lowered her blade. Her body slowly circled it's prey. "If you kill me," she paused with an evil grin. "and the woman you love," she harshly added. "this will all be over."

Kurtis watched with fearful hesitation as Lara's form lifted the weapon and retook her stance.

"Once I'm gone, the Lux Veritatis will be free to flourish again." Mariana continued, the vicious smile again returning the Lara's lips. "Miss Croft will be dead, and you can find some other whore to knock up."

Kurtis fist clenched the iron clasp with white knuckles at the words. He felt the urge to lunge the weapon forward, but the thought of Lara's heart beating inside the possessed flesh stopped his cravings for death and revenge.

Mariana looked to Kurtis with fake pity at his hopeful action. The moment of caring sentiment ended as quickly as it had emerged however, as the demon instantly rushed forward with another attack.

Kurtis forced himself into a defensive stance as the angelic form, now possessed by a worker of Satan, ran toward him. He watched her blade with steady eyes, and held an even steadier grip on his own. He swiftly brought his blade at an upward angle as Mariana struck her's down upon him. He slung his body forward, knocking the creature away, briefly stalling her advance.

The sound of metal upon metal echoed throughout the room as Mariana issued her attacks, and Kurtis moved his body to block them.

On a quick advance, Kurtis forced himself to back away as Mariana tried to trick his mind, leaving herself open, and daring him to take her life, daring him to take Lara's life.

She knew that he wouldn't. She had the advantage.

Seeing that her attempt had fail, she frantically charged him once again, hoping for an opening and hoping for his death. Kurtis quickly recovered his stance as she charge. He forced her sword away from his chest with the clash of his own, and quickly brought the weapon upward as she powerfully brought hers toward his face. The blades came together with a force that caused sparks, and Kurtis quickly lowered his head as Mariana forced her weapon away from his, redirecting it toward his throat.

Lara's lungs let out a shrill scream at the miss of her strike, and Mariana hurriedly pulled the blade above her.

Kurtis positioned his sword horizontally in the air, and carefully grabbed the tip with his free hand. He gripped the weapon tightly as the enemy's blade rapidly descended toward his head, then was stopped by the temporary shield. Kurtis took advantage of Mariana's slow thinking, and quickly pushed forward with the horizontal blade.

As the demon's feet fell backward from mis-balance, he started forward. He clashed his weapon against hers, and violently swung the tip with a circular motion. The enemy's blade twisted harshly, its weight forcing Lara's wrist into an identical movement.

The rival sword fell to the floor, and the possessed form was left defenseless.

In a rapid and unknowing moment Kurtis rushed forward, blade leveled to his attackers chin. He was ready to kill, his eyes large with anticipation of his enemy's blood.

Kurtis suddenly stopped as the grin of Mariana became known to him. This is what she wanted, for him to be the cause of Lara's death.

His eyes focused away from the cruel smile and peered upon Lara. His blade instantly fell to his side with personal disgust.

"God Kurtis." Mariana began, teasing him with guilt "You could've had me."

Kurtis backed away as he heard the word's, hating himself for even considering harming Lara's fragile form. Mariana had done it. There was no way to destroy her now, even in her newly stolen human form. Kurtis wouldn't allow it.

She was trapped inside Lara until killed, and even if the demon decided to abandon the shell, Lara would still be lost. It was hopeless. Lara was gone.

Kurtis watched as Mariana lifted herself from the floor and circled around, picking up her vacant sword from the ground.

He didn't care anymore. He welcomed death. "No!" his mind screamed. Lara wouldn't want him to give up. For her, he would never give up.

He looked on with newly found hope as the demon charged forward. He watched her hand, forcing his eyes to followed it.

Everywhere that Mariana thrust her blade, it was met by his own.

Kurtis held the weapon vertically against his side as Mariana swiped at his waist. The black metal was deflected away, slight sparks streaming from its surface. She retaliated by spinning herself away from him, quickly forcing her blade to his other side, knowing that even he was not fast enough to parry it in time.

Mariana smiled with assured victory as her blade hit it's surface.

The noise sounded, the noise she had heard a thousand timed in the previous minute, the sound of her attack being deflected away.

Kurtis's nostrils flared with anger and Mariana looked upon him with disbelief. His face grimaced with hate as he thrust his open palm forward, careful not to harm Lara, but nevertheless, sending the demon backward.

Mariana's attacks had failed. She lowered her blade and stared at Kurtis with admiration as she lifted herself from the floor. Her mind raced throughout Lara's body, thinking of a way to win, thinking of the words that would push Kurtis over the edge, knowing that physical assaults would never be enough. She smiled as they came to her.

She looked to the man before her. An evil grimace appeared upon Lara's face as she spat the words. "Konstantine taught you well."

Kurtis's movement suddenly stopped. The words tore at his heart like a knife had enveloped his flesh. He felt his hands quiver with hatred as forsaken memories ran throughout his mind. He closed his eyes as the anger took him, his mind forgetting the demon's host, and his love for her. He gripped the sword tighter as he turned toward his tormenter with rage.

His teeth were clenched as he stared. He lunged toward the figure before him.

Mariana was taken without surprise at the figure rushing toward her. She stared at him, helplessly falling into her trap, coming closer and closer.

Lara's body instantly sidestepped as Kurtis was upon her. She lifted the blade and forced it outward, toward his position.