Chapter 25

So, a few days later, Saki, Koudelka and I begin chanting the spell. As we say the final words, "Take this soul beyond the gates of time," the ground begins shaking and a great wind begins blowing. Our spell is smaller than Kato's, so Margarite tells me. That is how Saki and Koudelka will be able to return back to the…the real world.

Margarite begins to rise up as we watch.

"Alice!" She says. I run over to her, grabbing her arms.

"Alice, we…we found a way to stop the masks! You don't have to…" she stops then. Something in my expression. "Alice…" She looks worried, upset. Then she hugs me. "Take care of yourself,"

"And you," I reply. She floats up, waving at me. I look round. Karin is still here, feet on the ground. I walk over. Saki and Koudelka look away.

"Karin," I say. Then I gasp. Something in my chest is glowing. The mistletoe curse. We both look at it. "I…I guess it's time,"

"Alice…"

"Don't look at me like that. I'll see you soon,"

"Promise me," says Karin. "I…I don't want to lose you forever,"

"No," I say. Karin begins floating upwards.

"Karin!" We reach for one another's hands. I manage to grab her. She is still floating, but I am grounded, as heavy as lead. "Karin…I…thank you,"

She nods, smiling gently.

"Take care of him for me!" I ask her. She nods again. I let go of her hand. She carries on floating away.

"Take care of him for me," I hear her whisper gently, before she disappears.

I turn slowly and calmly towards Koudelka. She is chanting again, casting another spell. She has her eyes closed, but she opens them as I look at her. I nod, and she shuts them, sadly.

She finishes casting her spell, and I gasp as a stalagmite hits me from behind. Koudelka's earth spell. It goes straight through my chest, straight through the necklace. The cursed necklace. I hear the masks screaming in anger as I die. I do not know if the smile my dying mind feels transports itself to my face. They will never claim another life. They cannot claim mine, now. They are gone, gone, gone, gone…

I…awake. In front of me, I see a beam of light shining through the clouds. I realise I am trapped within the mistletoe. The other me I saw before.

Yuri swims down through the clouds towards me. He holds out his hand, smiling in that old familiar way, and suddenly I am not trapped anymore. I float out of the mistletoe and take his hand.

Now we will be together.

Forever.