"You have no power over me."

The words erupted from her mouth with a physical force that struck and wounded him to his very core. They echoed in his mind a

thousand times magnified, deafening him. They were his Achilles' heel and their force blew him backward, as helpless as a leaf caught in a

cyclone.

The world shattered, and as it did, Jareth wondered if destroying him had been Sara's intent. Had she known what those words could

and would do?

As he fell through the void that lies behind all worlds time seemed to stop. He watched his flowing white cape slowly and delicately curl

and gently flap once, twice. His gaze traveled upwards to where Sara stood, watching him. He gazed into her eyes, slowly - ever so

slowly - falling. There was no malice in those eyes.

He knew now. He voiced it with a thought, one singular thought that was precise and clear while all else was chaos: "She hadn't known."

Then time caught up with him and Sara was gone and the darkness came rushing up to meet him, matching pace with the blackness that

threatened his consciousness, and the last thing he heard before darkness engulfed him was a low chuckling laugh that seemed to echo

everywhere.