Wizards Aeterna
The Battle for Everything
Chapter Four: Babel
Slowly, gently placing his right hand upon his lover's cheek, Mason stared into Alex's eyes. Lifting her left hand, the young woman graced her finger tips upon her boyfriend's outer palm. Leaning closer to one another, the two lovingly pressed their lips together, feeling each other's light and warmth. Their hearts beating in harmony, the young lovers felt the world around them slow down. Seconds turned to minutes, all in the pattern of a heartbeat. There was no fear: No secrets: No shame. This was how it was meant to be. Slowly, the memory cracked, and through the cracks, blood slowly seeped out. Taking her eyes away from the void, Alex looked at Juliet. "I'm fine," the Latina answered. "Nothing happened…nothing."
"You just don't seem yourself," Juliet replied. "Alex, I know everything seems wrong and broken now…but this is all going to pass. Everything's going to be okay again."
"My name's Alexandria, Juliet," the dark-haired young woman gently replied, her voice free of any anger. "I don't know if what's happening is going to stop…or if we're going to be able to stop it… But things aren't going to be the same ever again."
"That's not always a bad thing," the vampiress said, trying with all her might to make everything okay.
"No," Alexandria answered, her tone drifting. "No, it's not."
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" the blond young woman persisted. "We're friends, Lexi. I won't tell Justin or anyone unless you want me to."
"I know that, Juliet," the Latina replied. "I just need to put some things behind me. And thank you…for always being there for me."
"That's what friends are for," Juliet happily replied, gently placing her cold hand on Alex's shoulder. "I thought Harper taught you that." The two allowed themselves to chuckle for a moment, only to fall back into silence. The holes were still there, but nothing more could be done at the time.
Hours passed by slowly as Alexandria found herself staring at the door blocking the outside world. Her wand in hand, the young wizard was prepared to defend The Lair, though something troubled her: Something held her back. Louder than the blast of an explosive, the sound of solid glass shattering on the ground pulled the Latina's attention away from her guard. Clenching the table, Juliet held her abdomen tightly, doubled over in pain. "Juliet!" Alex cried out, running to the aid of her friend.
"Don't come near me!" the young blond woman cried out, tearing her trembling hand away from her support and blocking Alex's path. Dropping her hand, Juliet took in a deep breath and reached into her pocket, revealing a thin, clear glass vial sealed tightly and containing pure, liquid blood. The young wizard slowly stepped back as her friend broke off the lid and shakingly bottomed the plasma. Closing her eyes, feeling the pain ease and her body returning to peace, Juliet slowly slid onto the floor, breathing heavily. "Alex…" she gasped, still recovering. "It's okay. It's just animal blood…I'm okay." Alexandria slowly approached her friend, sitting down beside her. "Something's wrong…I shouldn't need blood this soon."
Acting quickly, the wizard opened a single pane from the door to the Magical Realm, letting the lights shine in. Soon, the image of a woman heavily scarred from her face down to her left arm formed. Hissing like a snake, the woman held out her hands, as if welcoming something, and began taking in various forms of energy from the air.
"What is that thing?" Juliet insisted, struggling to rise to her feet.
"I don't know," Alexandria confessed. "But whatever it is, it's feeding off the earth. If that's not the same thing that attacked earlier, there's an army coming."
Clenching her stomach, Juliet expelled a sharp breath, trying to restrain herself. "It hurts," she groaned, gritting her teeth and tightly shutting her eyes.
"The blood's supposed to help you," the Latina replied, coming to her friend's aid.
"It's not enough," the vampiress exclaimed. "When my parents…" Gasping quickly and sharply, the young woman struggled to speak. "Gave birth to me, they…They made me different from themselves…they found a way to fill my body with a soul…so I could have a choice on what I became…but it wasn't enough…I can survive off animal blood…but I need mana to feed off of…Not my own, but from the earth. I…You have to get away from me, Alex…I don't know what I'm gonna turn into if this keeps up…Oh, god, it hurts!" Biting her lips to the point of drawing blood, the young woman pressed her back to the wall, gasping and sobbing violently.
"I'll stop her," Alexandria volunteered. "You're going to be okay, Juliet."
"You're not…leaving The Lair!" the blond young woman declared, her face and neck clenching. Violently opening her eyes, Juliet glared at her friend with fiery red eyes and bearing her fangs. "You need to lock me away…something blessed. Keep me from losing control again."
"I'm not gonna let you suffer," the young wizard refused, no longer able to watch another in pain. "You only need mana if you're feeding off animal blood…so take mine. It's the only way to stop this."
"No!" Juliet screamed, thrusting herself forward, though still unable to stand. "You do that, I'll kill you! I won't be able to stop myself. You have no idea what human blood will do to me."
"But I'm not human, Juliet," Alexandria insisted. "I have mana inside my blood…and I can give it to you without being bitten. They need us both alive and strong to protect The Lair, and I'm not going to sit back and watch you die." Touching the sapphire gem of her wand to her arm, the young wizard watched a small amount of her blood stream into the air, void of gravity or bounds. The red liquid then became incased in glass. "Drink it, Juliet," the young woman insisted, giving her friend the vial. "It's pure. It won't hurt you like normal blood would."
"What do you mean, pure?" Juliet winced, reluctantly grabbing the glass. "Alex, what did you do?"
The sound of shattering and human cries tore through the entire room. Feeling a deep sense of empathetic pain, Alex stood up, as if hypnotized, and began to walk towards the doorway out.
"Alex!" the vampiress cried out, forcing herself up, only to be jolted back down by her suffering body. "Alex, where are you going? You can't go out there!" Too weak to move, Juliet could only watch her friend open the door.
"I can't sit by while someone dies," Alexandria declared. "Drink the blood and keep yourself safe. I'm coming back. No one can get in without me if I use the right seal."
"Alex, you're insane!" Juliet screamed, feeling everything grow hazy. "You'll be killed! I can't let you…"
"Trust me, Juliet…" the young woman interrupted, her voice laced with sorrow and self-hatred. "You're the only one who cares."
Departing from The Lair and sealing the door behind her, Alex left her friend alone but safe. Her breaths quaking, Juliet slowly raised the vial of pure blood, no longer able to deny herself of it. Slowly gulping down the liquid, the vampiress felt an icy, loving embrace wash over her body. Her weak and frail bones grew stronger, her throbbing, quaking body returned to strength, her senses sharpened to unveil a new world, and her pupils became solid red and almost feline in appearance. The experience was so new, but all too similar to the horrors of the girl's past. She's not the same Alex anymore, Juliet told herself, feeling her mind open. I can't leave…not like this. I've gotta tell the others. Have to keep control…already slipping away.
Securing the door to The Lair behind her, Alex ran into the center of the Sub Station, catching a glimpse of the surrounding turmoil under the night's sky before sprinting up the spiral staircase. The young woman's first instinct was to call out in order to reassure the victim, but she knew the risk of exposure was too great. Following the sound of crackling glass and struggling, Alexandria found herself at her bedroom door. Remembering what was waiting on the other side, the young wizard swallowed hard and thrust open the door. A young man was half-way through the closed window, his stomach bent inward while his neck and arms dangled just above the floor, his legs frantically kicking outside as the jagged edges of the shattered window jabbed into his abdomen, drenching his torso in blood that heavily dripped onto the ground, all the while, the beast was still shrouded in its mirror prison. Her heart stilled, Alexandria charged towards the suffering man, trying to shut out the wicked laughter from her wicked self. "Don't move," Alexandria pleaded, trying to calm herself enough to help the poor creature. "Relax…I can get you out of this."
"H-how?" the young man choked out, feeling hot, burning blood seeping from his lips.
"Just close your eyes," the young wizard instructed, taking her wand from her boot. "Sileo," she whispered, encompassing the boy in blue mana. "Esto." Suddenly, the blades of glass evaporated, leaving the young man still and levitating above it all. Her eyes glowing with pink energy, Alexandria gently moved her arms towards the center of the room, slowly moving the boy and turning him onto his back before setting him down on the carpet like a child. Amidst all the thick blood stains, the victim's inner muscles and several of his bones were exposed, his stomach deeply gored.
"Are you gonna kiss him?" the evil Alex mocked, seeing only vague glimpses of what was occurring. "Like we kissed Mason? Or are you gonna cut and run?"
"Stop it!" Alexandria cried out, her composure shattered.
"What is that?" the young man groaned, unable to open his eyes.
"It's nothing," the young wizard quickly replied. "Now hold still, please…This is going to hurt."
The boy nodded, entrusting himself to a kindly stranger. Carefully removing what was left of the injured man's shirt, Alexandria placed her hands over his wounded body, her palms facing downward. Opening her eyes wide and deep into an Empathetic state, the young wizard felt the deep, heavenly mana flow over her vision. He has five shards of glass inside of him…two piercing his diaphragm. Major blood-loss…major flesh wound, Alex learned. "Sano Consano," the young woman chanted under her breath, feeling the glass turn to water, the rushing blood becoming still, the inner wounds sealing themselves, the punctures filling in, and finally, the original flesh that was torn away by the unseen accident attached itself with pink and flesh-toned strings of tissue, closing the hole, and mending the last of the scars. Waving her right hand once more over the young man, Alexandria watched the stains of blood fade and vanish.
Wincing, the boy attempted to raise himself up into a seated position, only to feel his savior's warm hand on his chest, restricting him. "Don't try to move yet," Alexandria gently instructed. "Your body's still recovering from the shock. Just be still. You're going to be okay."
"Thank you," the young man gasped out, closing his eyes in the presence of a light above him. "…My name's Dominic."
"I'm Alexandria," the Latina replied, allowing herself to smile. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Mustering his strength, Dominic breathed in deeply. "I was running away…my family and I were trying to get away from that thing…but he cried something, and they just fell to the ground…I felt this…stabbing pain going through me, like someone stuck a spike through me…and then the wind threw me up…I was bleeding and paralyzed…and then someone found me and saved me…and her name was Alexandria."
Seeing a glimpse of Mason's strong, kind, vulnerable heart in the young man, the young wizard smiled deeply, slowly pressing her hand to his heart. The evil Alex chuckled to herself. "Your heartbeat's strong," Alexandria declared. "I need you to come with me. Can you walk?"
"I can try," Dominic answered, forcing himself upward with great strain.
"Gently," the young woman said, taking the boy's right hand while supporting his back with her left. "You're gonna be okay."
"Where 'er we going?" the young man asked, forcing himself up straight on his feet. Alexandria kept her hands on the wounded boy, making sure he maintained his balance.
"Some place safe," Alexandria answered.
"Some place quiet and dark…"the beast taunted the two. "Where she can kiss you, and feel you, and lick you."
"Stop it!" the young wizard cried out, her ability to fight back all but forgotten.
"And fuck you," the evil Alex whispered before slipping into a fit of cackling.
"What is that?" Dominic demanded.
"It's nothing," Alexandria answered. "Something that should've been left behind a long time ago."
"…But she's you," the young man realized, stopping cold in his tracks. "It's okay. I know you're a wizard…so am I." Caught off-guard, the Latina felt her mouth open in a moment of vulnerable shock. "My parents made me keep it a secret…said I was a monster…But I knew they were wrong. And I always knew I wasn't alone." Dominic's voice was warm, calm, loving, and gentle as he slowly lifted his trembling hand to touch Alex's cheek. "We're not monsters…You're an angel."
"…Thank you," the young woman replied, lowering her head and resting her hand upon the boy's, just as she had with Mason all that time ago. "…But I'm not…I was so much worse before."
"Before what?" Dominic inquired, not moving his hand. "What happened?"
Slowly shaking her head, her eyes nearly closed, Alexandria swallowed her pride once more. "Come on," she said. "We have to get to The Lair before that thing attacks again."
"Alex," the young man persisted. "What did you do?"
"We don't have time for this now," the young woman declared. "We have to go."
"But what about her?" Dominic asked, gesturing towards the shrouded beast.
"It doesn't matter," Alexandria insisted, slowly growing frantic. "She's a part of me. If anything happens to her, it'll only hurt me. No one but me."
"What is she?" the young man pleaded.
"Tell him, Alexandria," the evil Alex called out. "Tell him everything I am. It'll be fun to hear."
"It doesn't matter," the young wizard argued. "I'll tell you once we're back in The Lair."
"Alex…" Dominic replied.
"Don't call me that anymore!" the Latina broke down. "My name is Alexandria! I'm not Alex anymore! I got rid of a part of myself…okay? I made mistakes, I did bad things…This is what's best. I split myself into my good and evil halves. I can be a better person now. I don't ever have to be her ever again."
"But you were," the dark side sneered. "You still have to live with what we did…what was done to us. You can never take away all those years, Alex. Mommy and Daddy can't wish them away. Justin and Max can't erase them with magic. Face it, little girl…all you did was give up on yourself."
"Why won't you stop it?" Alexandria cried out, leaving Dominic to lean against the wall for support and charging over to the mirror. Tearing the cover off, the young woman stared her wicked reflection in the eyes. "I hate you! You did everything wrong! I hate everything about you! I hate myself! I threw all that away. I'm better than you! Leave us all alone!"
"Oh, you threw me away," the evil Alex pretended to sob, covering her heart with both hands. "You didn't want me anymore, so you got rid of me…You gave up on me. Just like we did to Mason. Just like they did to us. Do you remember that, little Alex?"
"That's not my name!" the Latina screamed, clenching the crown of her hair with both hands.
"Remember how we made our mother cry together?" the evil thing laughed unrelentingly. "Remember the look Riley had on his face when we fucked him and left? Remember how we always did our own thing no matter how many rules we broke? Remember how much we loved it?"
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it now!" Alexandria cried out, throwing everything off of her dresser while bursting into tears. Her body giving way to her trauma, the young woman rested her arms on the wooden surface of her dresser, letting her head drop in an effort to conceal her tears. After a moment of agonizing silence, the wizard felt warm, gentle hands on her shoulders. Slowly straightening her posture and drying her eyes, Alexandria stood still. "We have to go," she whispered. "We've waited too long."
"You're right," Dominic boldly replied, his words followed by a shrill ringing sound and s sharp, burning pain flaring through Alexandria's lower diaphragm.
Gasping, the young wizard turned around, her jaw dropped and her face locked into an agonized look of fearful shock and vulnerability. Glancing down, Alexandria clenched the blade extruding from her chest, feeling the hot blood seep from the wound. Smiling wickedly, Dominic watched his savior fall to her knees, gasping and coughing. "Dominic," the young woman choked out. "W-Why would…" Tears streamed from the wizard's eyes, blinding her.
"My name's Gancanagh," the monster replied, making his way towards the mirror. "You wizards truly are pathetic creatures. Only in your vices do you have power."
Her face trembling, Alexandria turned her tear-burned eyes towards her betrayer. Every breath throbbed, forcing her onto the ground it pain.
Staring into the eyes of Alex's wicked reflection, Gancanagh touched his icy hand to the glass, smiling a sick smile at the beast. "That lair she was talking about," she said, her voice strong and sure. "That's a gateway to our world. But you don't get shit if you kill me."
"I have no intention of that," the creature replied, shattering the glass and releasing the evil Alex. "I find my mother's fury in your eyes, and I believe you could be a great ally to me. Will you rule by my side as their worlds burn?"
"I will," the beast answered. "But I'll never bow to you." The two smiled and kissed, forcing Alexandria to look away, her entire body frosted over in agony.