I will admit after reading all those entries I can't help but feel sorry for Alexius. He truly loves his son, reminds me of my father…sighing, I shake my head at the memory, I wonder if my father is alive in this world…probably not, he is most likely buried, a lone tear falls down my face but I shake it away as I release a tired sigh. At least he is with mother now, buried by her side, I hope.
Calmly, we enter a familiar throne room; the roaring flames greet me only this time instead of hearing the crackle, hissing and fizz of the flames all I hear is a empty roar, lacking the once cheerful, jolly and bright greeting. I change my focus to a familiar male, older, tired and exhausted as his back is turned to us, he silently stands, staring dully at the glowing flames.
Shocked, my eyes widen when I spot a huddling little boy, bald, pale and as thin as Leliana's skeletal like body, the little child is huddled up into the far corner away from the magister, almost hiding behind the throne tossed to the ground.
I cannot be angry at this man for I understand but this…this isn't right and I have to end this.
"Look at what you've done Alexius. All this suffering, all this bloodshed but for what?" I question gently my tone firm while on the inside all I feel is a pang of pain, sorrow and guilt.
"For my country, for my son but it means nothing now. I knew you would appear again. Not that it would be now but I knew I hadn't destroyed you, my final failure, "Alexius whispers.
"Was it worth it? Everything you did to the world to yourself," Dorian questions him, his voice pitiful towards the man.
"Look at what you've done to your son Alexius, all you did was make him suffer more and you know that," I explain to him softly as I catch Alexius glancing at what once was his son, now a bald, frightened child, lost to all of mankind.
"All we can do is wait for the end," Alexius whispers hoarsely.
"It does matter, I will undo this, stop the pain everything went through even you, please just give me the amulet and I can prevent all of this from happening," I explain softly to the father, trying to make him see sense.
"How many times have I tried? The past cannot be done undone. All that I've fought for, all that I've betrayed. What have I brought ruin and death that is nothing else. The Elder One comes for me with his little pet, for you, for us all," Alexius explains grimly, only for his eyes to widen when Leliana picks Felix up putting the shivering, dead looking male in a hold, a blade to his throat.
"Felix!" Weakly, Alexius calls out to him, his eyes showing true sorrow as I stare in horror at the corpse, rotting away through time, enduring the pain of death over and over just to keep his father happy, the poor child.
"That's Felix? Makers breathe Alexius what have you done!?" Dorian's shock transforms into anger, as he glares darkly at the male.
"He would have died Dorian I saved him," Alexius reasons.
"No you didn't! If you loved your son you would have realized that he had accepted his death, he knew it was coming and all he really wanted was to go home with you, to send his last moments with you Alexius! You still can please just let us have the amulet so I can stop all this madness!" I explain calmly to the male but it falls to deaf ears as he stares dumbly at the dying Leliana and already dead Felix.
"Please, don't hurt my son. I'll do anything you ask," Alexius pleads to Leliana.
"Hand over the amulet and we let him go," I state to Alexius.
"Let him go and I swear you get what you want," Alexius panics pleading desperate to have his son, the person he did all of this devastation for to be alive.
"I want the world back!" Gravely, Leliana answers as I gasp horrified when Leliana easily slits Felix's throat, crimson seeps out of his wound as he collapses to the ground with his crying father, finally breaking, mourning over his now dead son, he snaps…
"No…"
"NO!"
Quickly, we all charge in ready for action however shocked, my eyes widen when we all begin to slow down and speed up, however we continue our barrage of attack, refusing to back down, we have to do this for our future. Pitifully, I can't help but stare firing out at my attacks, hearing Alexius cries of anguish and sorrow as he teleports away, creating a barrier as a swarm of demons to appear, which we handle, this continues until…I deliver the killing blow, ending the reign of the mad father…lost to time itself.
Mournfully, Dorian kneels down to the corpse of Alexius, his mentor, his teacher, his role model most likely retrieving the amulet needed but with an expression of sorry.
"I'm sorry," I whisper feeling sympathy towards Dorian.
"He wanted to die didn't he? All those lies he told himself. The justifications he lost Felix long ago, didn't even notice, oh Alexius," Dorian sighs, pitying and feeling sad for his mentor.
Sighing, I smile bitterly, we need to be supportive there's been enough doom and gloom for one day…
"We can still save him Dorian, the Alexius of this time was gone, lost in his web of lies but the one in our time can still be saved," I reason softly to Dorian who looks at me gratitude evident in his eyes.
"I suppose that's true. This is the same amulet he used before I think it's the same one we made in Minthrasos, that's a relief," Dorian smiles sadly at the idea.
"Give me an hour to work out the spell he used and I should be able to reopen the rift," Dorian explains only for a angrily stomping Leliana to appear, bow in hand.
"An hour? That's impossible! You must go now!" Leliana argues just as the floor quivers and the hissing roar of a dragon, I believe approaches, oh no…
"The elder one," Leliana recognises making my eyes widen in fear of this elder one.
"You cannot stay here! We'll stay outside the door when they get past us it'll be your turn!" Solas informs us making my eyes widen when Cassandra, Iron Bull and Solas share a numb nod of acceptance.
"I can't let you do this! There must be another way!" I plead, my voice trembling in utter rage at the idea. I just saved them, I made them go through hell to save them and now…they know they'll die its suicide!
"Look at us we're already dead. The only way we'll live is if this day never comes," Leliana reasons making my eyes widen as I feel a sense of helplessness watching my friends give their lives for this future to never come. Determined, Iron Bull stays with Leliana drawing his blade, his eyes focused on the door.
"Cast your spell you have as much time as I have arrows!" Leliana gets into position, the doors opens where Solas and Cassandra exit, facing their demise.
Slowly, the doors creak shut as a small lone tear escapes my shaking green hues.
"Though darkness closes I am shielded by flame…"
Loudly, the door bursts open, my eyes widening when I see the dead corpses of Solas and Cassandra finally at peace be tossed inside like rag dolls, slowly, demon after demon strolls in. Tevinter soldiers too roaring in but each time Leliana fires, hitting them saving us only then for my eyes to widen when a familiar arrow hits Leliana's shoulder.
"AH"! Leliana hisses in pain from the arrow, staggering back from the hit as my eyes widen in horror, shock and fear when I see a familiar white haired elf confidently stroll in, her once stainless steel gauntlets now coated in layers after layers of crystal crimson, fresh teardrops of red cascade down her sharp dagger like claws, looking demonic as I spot the once calm, cool neon blue veins coiled around her marked skin, now a vicious angry ruby red, matching her cold calm stoic turquoise eyes now a demonic ruby red, I stare at her demon like fangs as she grins, gleaming even, enjoying the bloodbath before us.
"Fen…" I whisper in dismay at seeing my friend now a slave…
"I told you didn't I? A mind slave!" Iron Bull growls charging forward at her, sword in hand, only to be stopped by a single gesture, a single bloodied coated gauntlet catches the sword and the other, slowly purposefully rises.
"Andraste guide me. Maker take me to your side…"
Quickly, I rush in knowing I have to help, I can't let this happen, too many have died from all this chaos however Dorian's hand grasps my own, pulling me back as my hardened watery eyes stare into Dorian's.
"You move and we all die!" Dorian explains.
"I can't do nothing!" I scream as Dorian gives me a look of pity, shaking his head as I turn back forced to watch the one sided fight before me, streaks of liquid pour down my eyes as my eyes shake, petrified at the battle before me.
Horrified, I stare as Fen impales Iron Bull with one arm, shocked, I stare at her arm in Bulls chest, no longer is it the calmly blue armed veined hand, instead the veins coiled around her are a deep scarlet but what stands out most, is the spikes of red lyrium infused into her skin spiking out and with a flick of her bloodied wrist, her hand turns into a blade, made of pure red lyrium.
"Maker…" Traumatised, I stare as Fen merely pulls out; leaving a huge bloodied Iron Bull to lay dead, in a pool of crimson, his chest where his heart is has a hole inside, instantly killing him. Her crimson hues desiring death turn to stare into Leliana's cold ice blue pair, but she remains unfazed continuing to fire arrows but as each arrow fires, Fen easily misses them, almost taunting her with how slow Fen is being, teasing her.
The portal is opened just as we are about to go, I look behind me my eyes widening when I see Fennic, no this isn't the Fennic I know, it smirks a mad malicious, psychotic smile as one of the demons, a scream demon puts Leliana in a chokehold as Fen no, it arises slowly, her crystal claw, ruby red raised and hear the sound grunt of pain, slowly, the newly bloodied hand withdraws as the scream demon losses its hold, the heavy sound of a body dropping echoes as my shaking green hues turn to gaze in shock and terror as the…thing turns smiling eerily at me, its hungry inhumane eyes of red gaze curiously at me as I take a step back terrified with Dorian in tow.
I will stop this; I will not let this future come…
I'm sorry Fen, I'm sorry Solas, I'm sorry Cassandra, I'm sorry Bulla and I'm sorry Leliana…