Author's note: This chapter is something I've personally waited for, so yay. I'd also like to say thank you to every reader of this story. I checked the views on this story and wow: there's over thousand of them. And that's a lot, really! I'm on cloud nine here, haha.

Anyway, that was it, let's get back to the story.

Walk, turn right, repeat. That's what they did for a time that felt like eternity. The corridors were identical, and even Tecna with her photographic memory had to admit that she didn't manage to make any sense of the palace. That would complicate their escape, if it was needed.

"Hey, Amer, what's up with the lack of doors?" Musa asked as the group turned to yet another corridor. If her intention was to ease the tension, she hardly succeed.

"We use portals or such to move between the rooms and hallways," Amer explained in a whisper, as if scared that someone could hear. "Mortuus keeps track of the movement here that way. Since this is his palace, he can sense the magic used here."

Stella snorted. "Wow, talk about a control freak."

"No kidding. Only doors here are the ones that lead out," Amer pointed over his shoulder, though unsure whether it was the right direction, "and the ones to the throne room." His lips pressed into a thin line as they approached the large doors.

"It's gonna be fine," he quickly assured when the group fell silent. "He probably just noticed the portals used here and assumed my 'cousins' came. It'll be just fine." From his tone, they could notice he was assuring more himself than anyone else.

They reached the doors and stood still for a silent moment. The look on Amer's face suggested that someone could have as well said 'Well, it was good to know you, see you in the afterlife'. At least that would have broken the oppressive silence, which made something pinch them on the inside.

Bloom stepped up to the doors. "How do you even open something this big?" She pressed her hand on the cool and unfittingly smooth surface, and soon got her answer. Another one of the doors moved slightly, enough for one person to slip inside.

One by one, they entered the room with careful steps. They glanced up to see Mortuus standing at the top of stairs, his back facing them. Standing still, hands grasping each other behind his back, he reminded them of a statue that one could see being made of a great leader. And yet, Mortuus was all but a great leader.

Amer took a breath and stepped forward while rest of the group remained on their place. "Sir. You wished to see us."

"Mhhm."

Amer hesitated. Such a plain response meant no good. "And... These are my cousins." He hastily gestured to the girls. "As I told you, they would like to—"

Mortuus's statue-like figure started to shake with chuckles. He broke into laughter, folding his arms on his abdomen. But what worried them more was that he fell silent in a second. "So, you're serious." He spun around and shook his head. "Amer..." His hands burst into purple energy, which he fired to the soldier's feet whilst shouting, "Do you think I'm an idiot?!"

Amer quickly regained his footing after having to jump away from the blasts. Spots on the ground fumed with energy and they could only imagine what that would have done to his feet. "Sir, what do you—?"

"No, no, no, don't even start." Mortuus gripped into his hair, pushing it back in frustration. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Did you really think I don't know who these girls are? Did you think I'm somehow, oh, blissfully unaware of what happens outside Galigine?"

Valerie silently, but quickly approached her husband. Bloom nodded to rest of the Winx, deciding it was for the best to step up to Amer.

Mortuus growled in a mixture of disappointment and anger. "I knew who these girls are from the very damn moment they stepped inside." He rubbed his eye corners and sighed wearily. "I'd love to believe you have this under control. I really do. That you put some spell on them or otherwise got them to join me. But then they wouldn't have to be your cousins, now would they? I'm disappointed in you."

A mind control spell. Why didn't they think about that excuse earlier? Bloom cursed herself under her breath.

"And now it has come to this." Mortuus's hands burst into dark flames, which threw heavy shadows on his pale face. "You sure taught me an important lesson, dear Amer. I shouldn't trust anyone." He reached out his hands, blasting the energy towards the other man.

During those few seconds before the blast hitting its target, Bloom's mind flooded with thoughts. She couldn't do anything. She couldn't transform fast enough to do anything, to erect a shield, to send a counter-blast or to even push him away. She wasn't fast enough. But luckily, someone else was. Valerie rushed in front of Amer, arms crossed in front of her face.

"No, don't—!" Amer was cut off by a grunt when the blast hit the woman. Instead of knocking her out or burning her to ashes, the energy curled around her.

Mortuus laughed maniacally. "My, my, this is getting even better!" He pulled his hands back, forcing the woman to himself. "Brave wife you have here. Too bad though." He snapped his fingers, disbanding the energy.

Valerie fell down on her side and Mortuus forcibly pulled her on her knees. "You just doomed yourself." He shook his finger at the Winx when they tried to come closer to him. "I wouldn't do that." He took a dagger off his belt and swirled in his hand. He grasped the woman's blond hair and violently pulled her head back, removing her hood and revealing her neck. Small spark showers cascaded down her head, but Mortuus was too intensively staring at the others to notice.

He placed the dagger on the neck of the gasping woman. "But don't worry. You'll face the same fate." He was unable to hold back his thunderous, self-righteous laughter. "Funny though, isn't it, Amer? Doesn't this look familiar? Ey? Wasn't this just how you killed—?"

"Now, did he really?" Valerie asked in an awfully familiar voice.

Mortuus gazed down to her, just to gasp as loudly as the others in the room, let alone Amer. A long, reddish scar ran across the woman's throat.

She chuckled. "Oh well, I was getting tired of hiding anyway." She used the short moment of shock Mortuus was going through to get up and send him flying few meters away.

Mortuus grunted and hoisted himself up to sitting position. His usually so emotionless gray eyes now held utter disbelieve. "You're supposed to be dead."

The woman swept her robe casually, ignoring every stare she received. "Ever heard of Somnus-spell?"

The girls almost simultaneously turned to Amer, who looked like he didn't know whether to smile or panic.

"I'm afraid I didn't tell you quite everything," he admitted before anyone could ask. "Besides of putting you into sleep where you look dead... The spell prevents you from dying. No matter what happens to you." The corners of his mouth twitched for a while before he allowed himself to smile. "I apologize from forgetting something that relevant," he added in a way that implied that a heavy burden had fallen from his shoulders. Another would appear when he'd realize that the girls weren't going to forgive him that easily.

At that moment, Bloom wasn't sure what to believe. Could this be hoax? But Mortuus wouldn't play along, would he? She rubbed her temples, looking back to the woman at the top of the stairs. She was conjuring away last bits of the blond hair, revealing the white underneath. She adjusted her glasses the way she always did, and then Bloom was sure. It was her.

Faragonda was very much alive.