Somewhere between his own pained cries and his vision dropping in and out of focus, Alec heard someone yell a decided and distinct 'Stop…!'

It had the welcomed effect of ending the burning pain that accompanied the sensation of someone pulling off his raw skin from his side and him being conscious enough to experience it.

There was a heated exchange that he couldn't follow, unable to focus properly on what was going on around him. The hands and arms that held him were so unforgiving, the idea of resisting seemed impossible and while he still desperately tried to simply follow what was going on around him, none other than Isabelle Lightwood appeared in his line of sight.

His mind flipped in over itself, refusing to process the information. Izzy was dead. How was this possible.

"Izzy…?" His voice was raspy, and the name was lost in what looked more and more like a battle of the wills between Isabelle Lightwood and the Seelie Queen. The fee's eyes had narrowed at the dark Shadowhunter who had pulled herself up to her full height in front of one of the most dangerous individuals in the downworld, refusing to back down. "This is what I warned you about. That your mind would do everything to deter you and stall your transformation.", She spoke the words in a hypnotic way in Alec's direction before turning to Isabelle. "You do not belong here, dead one."

"Oh, neither do you, witch.", Isabelle hissed. "Let go of my brother. I won't say it again." Alec's mind was reeling, and still all the pieces of the situation in front of him refused to fit into a clear and proper picture.

"Izzy…" Isabelle finally turned to Alec and his captors, eyeing them harshly to step aside. There was a voiceless exchange between them and their queen and they refused to let go of Alec, holding him down even stronger. "You died. Izzy… how is this possible. You are dead." The inflection of the last word, the way he pronounced it, was nothing short of tragic as his voice broke. "No, Alec. This is not real. I am. It's me. Isabelle. I am alive. You are back at the institute. We all are. Please, please, listen to me…!"

He closed his eyes, blinking hard, more and more unable to focus as his conscious and unconscious battled for his attention. The one wishing for Isabelle's words to be true, while the other wanted to persist in this nightmarish space where he was as abandoned by everyone as he felt. Magnus despised him. Isabelle was dead. And Jace hated him.

"She's right, Alec. Wake up. Please, wake up."

It was Jace's voice. Who was as close in his ear and his mind as if he too, was standing beside him. And then, Alec felt himself being pulled backwards, as if he was dropping into deep water. There were no more arms, no more cries, no more faery folk. Only deep and dark water, pulling him under. The pain and anxiety of the last hours reverberated around him, like slow and steady heartbeat. He felt himself fall for what felt like hours,… endless falling,… expecting the bottom of this ocean to welcome him any second now. But there was no bottom to this, there was only falling, in the dark, deep, deep recesses of his mind.

Izzy was alive. In the end it was all that was important. He took comfort in the thought. He could go on in this falling, find solace in its endlessness. The way the darkness wove itself around him, holding him without bruise or hurt. He could remain here, without wish or want. Izzy was alive. It was all that mattered.

Or so he thought.

But,…

There was something else. Someone else vying for his attention. As limited as it was, so occupied in his falling.

Jace.

His brother in arms. His parabatai. And, out of habit, forged out of so many years and hours, so many fights, he reached out. Cast out his mind to brush against his brother's mind, as he had done so many times before. It was a familiar thing to do. An automated response, like clapping your fingers or scratching your nose. You'd do it without thinking about it.

The second Alec came up against Jace's presence and mind, the falling stopped and he was suddenly lying, not uncomfortably, on his back. He became aware of his body. Of the limits of his physicality. Of the limits of his being.

He had arrived.

Alec drew a tentative breath, testing his lungs and his body. A body that felt strangely unfamiliar to him. He could suddenly feel a whole set of people around him. They were talking. There was agitation in their voices. Words… so many words, he couldn't focus on.

And then, Isabelle's voice.

"Izzy?"

The words stopped, immediately.

"Alec!"

He finally opened his eyes. He frowned at the assembled people of his family in the middle of his room. Unclear, as to what they were all doing there. And then he was in Magnus' arms. The familiar smell of his lover's presence - sandalwood, a bit of cologne and a whole lot of Magnus - finally grounded him in the here and now. Brought him back from a confused and painful mix between reality and nightmare. There were explanations offered to him that he couldn't quite take in.

Apparently Isabelle had appeared and asked Magnus to project her into Alec's mind in an attempt to snap him out of his nightmare. The cutting of his rune had inhibited Jace's already limited ability to interact with Alec further. And so Isabelle had saved her big brother from his own desperation and imagined guilt.

The lessons of the experience would be numerous and there would be a time to analyse and take these lessons for their value. But that time wasn't now. Magnus could tell that Alec wasn't ready yet, and needed space. He looked up, locking eyes with Jace who in turn understood instantly.

It took him a moment, but he ended up herding Maryse, Isabelle, Clary and Brother Zachariah out of the room, leaving the last moment of this difficult passage to Magnus and Alec.

When Magnus turned his eyes back down on Alec, he noticed that he was in turn looking up at him, searching his expression. There was a moment of silence between them that Magnus was tempted to cut short with a flippant remark or a reply, but something in Alec's look captured his attention, all sass gone from his mind.

"It's ok. You're safe. I got you." It seemed to be the right tone and Alec replied in turn. "You always do."

"I am sorry I didn't pick up the phone. I wished I'd have been here. Things would have turned out quite differently." Magnus eventually ventured. It was clear that as a powerful warlock wherever he was, represented also a thousand places where he was not. He had rarely been this acutely aware of this painful reality.

Alec drew himself up into a sitting position, his eyes, searching something in Magnus' face once more. "Or not." He sighed. "Wherever I was, you said you despised me for my cowardice of accepting fate and death as part of life."

Magnus frowned, as an apologetic smiled crossed his lips. "That's a bit harsh. I would never despise you…" - "No, I know… but, there's a truth here… isn't there? One day, I will die. And it'll be part of life. Part of my life. As I have lived it. It'll be 'the end' under my story." Magnus nodded for Alec to continue. It seemed important for him to say the words out loud for both of them to understand. "I just hope… it will be a glorious story. That has you in it as long and as on many pages as possible."

Alec drew Magnus' face closer down to him, brushing his lips against Magnus'. They shared a kiss as soft and relieving as a winter's morning. When the sun finally breaks out of the harsh winter cold. There's no heat or demand in the winter sun. But a promise. Of a future spring, of fresh plants and flowers. Of green and lush landscapes. Of easiness, of simplicity and companionship. And of love. Of light and of the future.

One kiss can hold a world and a million promises in its folds.

It might not save a princess or a prince in distress.

But it might just be a promise of things to come.

Perfect kiss.

—

This concludes this little exploration into a new fandom for me. Thank you for tagging along the ride. It was my pleasure if you found something that was inspiring or shocking or even both. Please leave me a comment with your reactions. It will make my day.

May your path be lit with love and belonging and may the goddess hold you in her embrace. Until then: merry part.