Hi everyone, and surpise!
I can't believe this is the end of Mirror, Mirror. While I am sad to a degree, I am incredibly excited for the next part. I'll be announcing the title at the end of the chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me throughout Mirror, Mirror and I hope all of you will be with me throughout the rest of the Dreamscape saga! If you add me to your Author Alert, you'll get an email when I release Part 2!
I've also updated my profile and included the link to my Tumblr profile on there. If you want to get a hold of me outside of FF, please don't hesitate to contact me there! I'll also be posting all my concept arts as I complete them.
Special thanks for reviews: Subtle Shenanigans, Tifflinck
Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to Markiplier, JackSepticEye or Matthias/Hi5 Universe. If you wish to use anything relating to my own universe, please ask first.
Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 16: What Lies Within
They re-appeared in Alix's study in Glaysha, all looking in rough shape. In the light of day they could now see just what condition they were in: Matt's armour on his right arm was completely destroyed and he was covered in what looked like black spots of ink, courtesy of Damien's shadow vines. Alix's legs were scorched and blackened, while her white coat was torn and stained black in several areas. Jack's tunic and cape were stained red with Mark's blood, while his hands were still coated in a thin sheen of the life substance from trying to save his friend. Mark's armour was broken and shattered to the point where it was all but falling away from him, his shield's spikes dented and cracked. His skin was still pale, but it was slowly regaining its colour.
Matt and Alix took a couple of minutes to simply sit in utter exhaustion, still slightly shell-shocked that all four of them had made it out of that battle in one piece – though it had been an incredibly close call multiple times. None of the other three had known it at the time, but Matt had been just barely conscious when they arrived, overhearing much of what had gone on further in the room. He'd known just how precarious a position he had been in and how weak he was; the fact that Jack had managed to figure out a way to stop his fall was something that Matt felt incredibly lucky for. And very grateful. His eyes drifted to the young woman sat a couple of feet away from him, her eyes glazed ever so slightly as she came to terms with everything that had happened. Matt reached out a hand and settled it on her arm lightly. She turned to look at him, and he smiled gratefully at her. Alix blushed at the look Matt was giving her and cast her eyes back down, but Matt saw the broad smile on her face.
Jack sat and stared at Mark as his friend remained unconscious, desperately trying to get his frantic thoughts under control. He now had a fair idea of what had been going through Mark's head after the Thundermane attack, and he really hated being on the other side of things. He could see why Mark had been so pissed at him now, but Jack knew there was a lot more complexity to Mark's feelings. Deep down, he knew that as much as Mark may have willingly jumped in to try and save him in normal circumstances, the situation with Damien may well have compelled him to do it. Knowing Mark as he did, Jack knew that he hated causing anyone harm: and Damien's admission that he had tried to bring in as many other people that Mark cared about was going to play on the other man's mind for a long time. In fact…he wasn't the only one struggling to come to terms with the events of the Dreamscape in general.
His mind spun again as he relived the point that he knew would haunt him more than any other: the moment Anti had very nearly seized control of him. While Mark's near miss in protecting him was going to play on Jack's mind for a long time, what he had seen and felt as he slowly drowned in the madness of Anti was going to be something Jack never forgot. He could still feel the echoes of the glitch's mind within his own, the taunting whispers and lancing pain as they struggled for overall control…Jack knew just how close Anti had come to winning, and that knowledge frightened him. When he left the Dreamscape, he knew he was going to have to start taking much better care of himself mentally. He didn't know what would happen to Anti when they left, whether this version of him even still existed, but he couldn't give his psychotic sub-personality the opportunity. In that split second where he'd felt himself slip away, he'd caught a glimpse of what Anti might do.
Jack knew he'd do anything to stop that from happening. Anything.
A groan from the floor caught everyone's attention and they all watched eagerly as Mark finally woke up, eyes flickering in the much brighter surroundings. He covered his eyes with his left hand, blocking out some of the light as his vision adjusted. When he felt up to it he sat up, with Jack's help, and the four of them looked at each other. Then, Jack let a giggle slip. He bit his lip to keep it back but then Alix joined in, trying her best to keep it down but it was a losing battle. Matt soon began laughing softly, encouraging the other two to start again before Mark at last joined in. They all laughed loudly and heartily, stunned that they had all survived the encounter. Arms circled around Mark as everyone piled in for a long group hug, letting the relief wash over them.
It was a minute or so before they all pulled away, but Mark's eyes soon fell to Jack's hands. He saw the red substance sticking to them, evidence of the younger man's part in saving his life. Their eyes met and they gave each other a serious smile.
They were going to need a long talk.
Courtesy of the purple powder's miraculous properties and some well earned time cleaning themselves of all the remainders of their climatic battle, by the time the quartet emerged into Glaysha no-one would ever have known just what transpired an hour earlier. Alix led the way in the guise of Cassie, Overseer's Staff in hand, as Mark, Jack and Matt followed her. All four of them had beaming smiles on their faces as they walked through the town, and their demeanour earned them some attention. Many people began following the group, especially when they noticed what was being carried in Alix's hand.
She led them to a small square on the opposite side of the town, her smile growing as she saw Eamon standing deep in conversation with several citizens. They were the first to notice the new arrivals, and several of them gasped at seeing the group. Eamon himself turned at hearing the change, his eyes widening as he saw the item in the quartet's possession. Alix approached him with a broad smile and held the staff out, laying it out across both her upturned palms. "Look what the Wanderers helped me take back," she chirped in the young voice of Cassie, her stomach fluttering at seeing the utter wonder on the old man's face.
Eamon took the staff from her with shaking hands, staring at it in wonder. His eyes then turned back upwards and Alix stepped away, allowing the Youtubers to come into full view. The Overseer took a deep breath to steady his voice before speaking. "Gentlemen…I do not believe we could ever thank you enough," Eamon spoke softly. "I know not what Cassie told you of this staff, but it's significance cannot be overstated. While it holds no power and is purely ceremonial, it is a symbol of hope within Glaysha. To see it returned after the Dark One claimed it for himself… I can think of no greater gift for my people." He handed the staff to a guard standing nearby before coming to stand before the trio.
"Your deeds here will never be forgotten, my friends," Eamon said much louder, making sure all those around him could overhear. "From your charity and compassion in aiding those who have suffered, to your courage and feats in reclaiming our talisman: let your names never be forgotten! Please, my friends, celebrate with us this day! We have cause to rejoice!"
Roars resounded from all around the trio and they shared a look of wonder. This was not what they had been expecting. Their eyes searched for Alix and she was grinning from ear-to-ear a few steps away. Mark held out a hand for her and Alix's eyes widened at the gesture. Jack soon replicated the move, Matt following their example but a second later. She looked at them all dumbfounded for a couple of seconds before taking a tentative hold of Mark's hand. In Cassie's form she was much shorter than all of them, and the other two hands soon came to a rest on her arms. "This young lady played a massive role in everything that has happened here, she deserves more of the credit than we do," Mark declared, causing Alix to blush brightly. She turned to look at him and Mark smiled gently; his choice of words had been deliberate. While Glaysha might think he was referencing Cassie, they would all know the truth. It was Alix who Mark was speaking of, and her heart tightened slightly at the distinction.
Eamon nodded in acceptance of Mark's words but Alix soon spoke up. "They are being modest, Eamon. They fought both Dark and his new comrade, Anti, in the Ancient Castle to try and reclaim the staff. While we don't know what this may mean for the future, at least for now, Glaysha is at peace."
The Overseer stared at them in wonder. "You defeated the Dark One?"
All the Youtubers shared another look, slightly more awkward this time. "Well…we don't know if he's gone for good. But you should be safe for the time being," surmised Matt. It was no lie. They knew there was a high chance Damien would return, but he may not even do it in the Dreamscape. Given his retreat earlier, they had no idea when he might next strike – but they would be ready for him. They knew of his existence now.
Eamon gave them a slow nod. "In that case, please remain with us for at least one more night, Wanderers. While we are sure you wish to be on your way, we would be delighted by your company."
None of them had any hesitation in their answer. "We would love to, Eamon," answered Jack, causing Alix to spin and look at them in surprise. As the crowd around them roared again, the trio gave her a smile. "We talked about it before, back in your study, and we all feel comfortable staying here a little longer," Jack continued in a quiet voice.
Mark joined in. "Besides…it would be nice to get to know you outside of a life or death situation, or at least that's my view on it. Can't speak for these two assholes."
Matt swiped at his arm lightly. "Who you calling asshole, asshat?" Mark groaned at the insult as Matt laughed.
Alix looked between them in wonder as Jack gave her a hug, noticing the tremble in her grasp as she returned it. "Remember what we said before? We aren't leaving you behind. I'm sure there's a way to get you home, and we're not the sorts to give up easy."
Her voice was so choked up with emotion that she didn't speak, and instead held Jack tighter with tears in her eyes. She'd never felt luckier than she did right at that moment.
The party that night had gone on until the sun rose the next morning. While the quartet had not lasted quite that long, they had managed to make it through most of the festivities in their honour before they retreated to the safety of Alix's study. All three of the YouTubers had spent much of the night with her, learning more about the woman who had been the innocent victim of Damien's quest for revenge. They learned of her interests and hobbies, surprised to learn that she had in fact seen many of their videos and knew a lot about each of them before their meeting within the Dreamscape. Jack's heart had almost melted when she began singing 'All The Way' when she got slightly more drunk, while Mark and Matt both almost fell over laughing as Jack joined her and they sang at the tops of their lungs. They had all swapped stories about their favourite games and funny moments of their lives, about their families and friends; Alix had been elated to learn more about the people who had once been her idols.
But the next morning, the mood was a lot more sombre between them. Despite all the hardship they had all suffered through inside the Dreamscape, Mark, Matt and Jack were all sad to leave. They felt as if they had learned so much about each other from the experiences they had shared, as well as themselves. It was a journey none of them would ever forget, the good or the bad. Alix had offered them the chance to teleport to the location of the exit portal but all they instantly declined, wanting to spend as much time as they could with the young woman. They were all acutely aware that once the YouTubers left, Alix would be all but alone again: and they wanted to help put it off for her as long as they could.
The journey to the portal took a little over an hour's walk, and they had all made a point of asking more detailed questions about Alix's family. All three of them had felt very strongly about trying to help out in some way, especially when she had expressed her worries about them the night before. After much pestering, Alix gave them the bank account details for her parents. She was infinitely touched that they all wanted to do something to help the family she had lost.
When they finally arrived, the three men stared at it in hesitance. The exit portal looked like a white flame hovering in mid-air, about three feet across and six feet high, while it sat just over a foot off the ground. They stared at it for several seconds while Alix waited patiently. "Don't worry, it shouldn't hurt in any way. The transition back to your bodies should be painless. I double checked everything this morning before we left Glaysha and I'm confident I've re-written the code successfully. Once you touch the portal your minds will be extracted via the Mental Matrix and returned to your bodies. Though I imagine you'll all feel more than a little weird, seeing as you have all been in here several days."
Matt chuckled. "I imagine we'll all have a few panicked messages from back home given how long we've been out of contact."
Jack winced. "Damn, Signe is probably going out of her mind, and I imagine Amy and Amanda are too. What on Earth are we going to tell them?"
Mark hummed in thought. "Honestly, we're going to have to come up with something. One, I don't think they'd believe us if we told them the truth. Two, if we did tell them the truth, they'd never rest easy. Could you imagine telling them about Damien, and the fact he may come back? Let alone Sean telling Signe the truth about Anti… No, it's better if this stays between us, at least for the moment anyway."
That earned a sigh out of Matt. "As much as I just want to go home and see my girls, you're right. Which means we'll have to stick it out the rest of the two weeks that we were scheduled to be in Digitalia to avoid making them suspicious."
Alix frowned. "I'm sorry, guys. I wish you wouldn't continue to have such problems."
Jack nudged her with his elbow. "Don't you dare apologise for that. You're the whole reason we're getting out of here in one piece, and we're going to use this time wisely. We'll see if we can get started on doing some research to find you a way out of here. Digitalia has access to some high-level research from your other team members, right?" Alix nodded at him. "So, we'll get in contact with them and see if we can learn anything. It might take some time, but I'm sure we can find you a way home, Alix."
Her eyes filled with tears again as she was rendered momentarily speechless. "I…Thank you, all of you. Mark, Jack, Matt…I can't believe you guys are willing to do all this for me, you've all got such busy lives."
Mark smiled at her. "Hey, that's what we do. We're there for our fans when they need something to make their lives that bit easier to cope with." He walked over and embraced her in a warm hug. She smiled as she returned the gesture. "Thank you, for all you've done to help us. I'm so sorry you were dragged into this whole mess."
Alix pulled back and gave Mark a watery smile. "Are you kidding me? I got to meet you three! Honestly…I will treasure this."
Matt was next to give her a gentle embrace. "We won't forget about you, and we'll do all we can to find you a way home. I'll maybe even be able to get some of my team involved if the opportunity comes."
She gave him a tight squeeze in response. "Thank you, Matt. That means so much to me."
As Matt pulled away Alix soon found herself in a bone-crushing hug from Jack, and she gripped back just as tight. The two of them had grown the closest, and it tore at Jack's heart to know she was going to be stuck here. "I'll be back, I promise you," he whispered into her ear. "You won't be alone in here."
Alix sighed back quietly. "Jack, that's insane. You live halfway across the world."
"And? What's your point?"
She giggled through the sudden tears in her eyes. "Only you could say that and make it sound halfway sensible." They stood there for a couple more seconds before she spoke again softly. "Thank you…Sean."
Jack smiled at her as she pulled back and stepped away quite suddenly. It was time, and she knew it was only going to get harder as it went on longer. "You guys had better go, the world is waiting for you," she encouraged through all the tears she didn't bother wiping away from her cheeks. She took another couple of steps back and giggled. "Thank you, for being just as amazing as I imagined you all to be. I'll never forget this…and I'll stay safe, I promise you. You've given me hope again, and I don't want to let it go."
The trio gave her matching smiles. "No, thank you, Alix," Mark said back emphatically. "Look after yourself, and we'll be in touch soon. We'll do our best to make sure Anti and Damien aren't going to hurt you anymore."
Alix nodded back. "I know you will." She blew a kiss to them, and their smiles grew. The three YouTubers gave her one last wave before they turned to the portal, stretching out their hands to touch the flame. She watched with a heavy heart as their bodies seemed to freeze in time, and then turned to sparkles in the wind. They blew away in the early morning breeze, almost as if they had never been there. Alix stood there with tears streaming down her face, and a sad smile on her face as she thought on the adventure she had shared with them, knowing she would never forget it.
"Thank you…"
Mark was the first to awake, and he groaned as the fog slowly shifted from his head. He blinked several times, his eyes feeling alien as they were used for the first time in days. A small headache was sitting in the back of his head and it intensified as he sat up. As his hands ran over his temples he felt the small discs situated there and pulled them away, seeing the yellow glow on the emitters as he held them in his hand. He then cast a glance over himself and realised he wasn't wearing armour anymore, staring at his jeans and t-shirt. That was when it finally sank in. We're back.
A painful groan to his left caught Mark's attention and pushed himself to his feet, seeing Jack wince as the light hit his eyes. "Motherfucker that's bright!" the Irishman exclaimed as he quickly shut his eyes again. Mark rested a hand on the younger man's shoulder and pulled him upright, watching as Jack slowly began to regain his bearings. "Damn, this feels so strange." He then looked down and saw that he wasn't in his tunic and cape any more. "Whoa…"
The half-Korean sat on the edge of Jack's capsule with a knowing look. "So, I'm not the only one who feels a little out of place now?"
Jack nodded in agreement. "It's…I can't really describe it. It's almost like it was part of me. Being a mage in Glaysha really did feel like second nature to me, I'm kinda going to miss it."
"I know what you mean, though I'm not that sorry to see all my armour go. It was heavy as shit." Jack laughed as they heard another voice groan from behind them. They shared a look and turned to see Matt sitting up in his pod, rubbing his head. "Hey, man. You okay?"
Matt turned to look at them briefly before closing his eyes again. "Yeah, I'm all right, my head just fucking hurts. I've had plenty of headaches before, but this one really takes the cake."
Jack looked at him in concern. "Maybe you're more sensitive to the supersonics than we are? I've got a little headache, but it's more the sort you get when you've slept for too long, and Mark looks like he's all right." Mark nodded in agreement.
The oldest man sighed. "Yeah, maybe. Ugh, I think I just need to move around for a bit." Jack and Mark helped Matt out of his pod, and the three of them stood there for a minute to give Matt time to adjust. Once he decided he was as good as he was going to get without some painkillers, they walked back to the control console.
All three of them froze at seeing the body there, eyes fixed open.
After sharing a long look amongst themselves Matt was the one to approach first, looking over the form they had originally come to know as Damien. "Damn, dude…" He felt for a pulse and was astonished when one was there, though weak. "Guys, he's alive!"
"What?!" Both Jack and Mark exclaimed in astonishment, coming to examine the form with Matt. They all stared uncomfortably for several seconds before Jack spoke up. "What the hell are we going to do, guys? We don't even know this guy's name!"
Matt hummed in thought. "Let's take him to a nearby town and say we found him, we can't risk calling the cops here. There would be way too many questions given the circumstances, and if they found the Dreamscape-"
Mark hissed in aggravation. "Shit, you're right. If they found out what the Dreamscape could do they'd tear it apart."
Jack's eyes hardened. "We can't let anyone hurt Alix, who knows what that would do to her. He seems stable enough for now, just catatonic. Let's come up with a plan before we make a move though, we need to think carefully on what we're going to say to all the questions we are sure to get."
Matt quickly stood and winced at the thundering pain in his head. "All right, but give me some time to grab some painkillers from my room, yeah? And I think we should maybe call round everyone to let them know we're okay." At that all of them pulled out their phones, seeing the several dozen missed calls each. "Damn, Amanda's been trying me constantly for two days."
"Amy's been doing the same," added Mark softly.
"I've got fuck knows how many messages from Signe, she's really worried," Jack said sadly. "All right, we'll split up for a little while, yeah? We'll meet back here when we're all done." Matt nodded at them and quickly headed off. Mark was about to do the same, but Jack caught his arm before he left. "Mark…we need a talk too, man."
Mark nodded at him seriously. "I know we do, Sean. I mean, Jesus, so much fucked up shit happened in there, and we both need to work through that. We can do that once we sort out his first mess, all right? I'm not running away from it, I'm not, but we need to solve this first."
After giving a reluctant nod, Jack let go of Mark's arm. "Just…answer me one thing first, yeah?"
The older man turned to face him fully. "Sure, hit me with it."
Jack hesitated before he spoke again. "You knew, didn't you? You knew when you stood to protect me from Damien's spear that it was going to go straight through your shield, didn't you?"
Mark gave him a stare back. "Just as you knew what could happen to you should your shield break against that Thundermane."
"You didn't even think twice."
"Neither did you."
The pair stood in silence for a few seconds before Jack gave Mark a small smile. "Thanks, man."
Mark smiled back at him. "I'd do it all over again, Sean."
Inside, however, Mark couldn't help but wonder if someday he might be faced with the reality of it transpiring again. I won't let Damien drag them into this again, not if I have any say in it. If this fuck wants to mess with me, he can; he's not going to hurt those around me to do it though.
Matt walked briskly back to his room, his headache growing worse by the second. He rummaged around in his backpack and downed a couple of painkillers quickly before swallowing a glass of water. Realising that he probably needed some time to stop his mind from frantically spinning, Matt leant back on his bed and promptly fell asleep.
Seconds later, however, he was back on his feet.
Reaching into his pocket to take out the phone which lay there, he used his connection on the Digitalia network to link into the Dreamscape mainframe. A few seconds later he got the message confirming the connection. A new app appeared on his phone and he clicked into it, seeing the black screen in response. Green text soon popped up.
Tͨ̂͛͌̿ͤͮo͊̋͋ͫ̌̓̊o͇̹̟͓̹̦k͛̓̉̓ ̭͕̥͍̰̲͕̋y͈̣̐o͈̪͌ͪ̔ͦ͐u̘͔̼̱͚̥̐ͪͨ̍ͧͫ ̗͔͔̋̅f̼̬ü͖̼͉̖̲̫ͣͫͬͤ̈́c͇̖̻̘̗͐̈̂̅k̗̣̥̪̠͓͗i̫̣͍̹̳n̅̏ͬͬ͌̿g̥̗͈̪͖̱̎̋͊ͅ ̩̲̭̬ͪ̏l̩̰̹̗̲ͦ̉́̀ͅo̺̰̓̓n̻̬g̺̖͓͍̑͗ ͉̻͇͊̔ͧͮ̔̚e͔ͩ̿̈́ͅn̞̝͎̘̺̙̱̈́̆ͤo̭̹̜̜͔͕̓̒̅̇̃̑u̗̱ͭ̍͛̾̋͛ğ̠ͫh͉̀͊͑͗̍
A sneer was the response before he typed back.
You know nothing of subtlety, Anti.
A couple of seconds later another message appeared.
F̲͉͇ͦ̍̋ͮͥ̒ü͖̏ͪ̽ͅĉ͕̫̪̣̤̖̓̇̓̚ḱ̾̈ ̙̠̥͎ͭ̄̌̑̋́̇o͙̗̟̻̳̪͈͐̃̓f̖̳̭̱͈̹͙f̪͚͇̭̋,̹͕̚ ̲̠͍͊̃D̤̳̦ͬͭ̀ͣ̌̈ả̦̝̩̗͇m͇̱̔̑ͫͤͮ̏ḭ̘͚͇̘͆̏ͣe̱͖̝͑͗ͮ̂̑ͭ͑n̜ͧͬ̓̃̇̽ͪ.͈͈̣̿ ̰͇̪̞̭͋̅͂̅
Wandering through to the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom, Damien smirked as he caught sight of Matt's normally blue eyes tinted to a slight red in the mirror. Hmm, interesting side effect. Could this be because I am sharing control of a host, rather than taking sole command? Ignoring that for now, the shadow replied again.
Just prepare yourself, and do not make yourself obvious when this lot go looking.
P̜̻i͈ͯ͊̄̓̐̿ͭs̭̉̓͌s̺ ͔̳͉̗̖̌͌ͪ͑ͬ̎o̺̭͉̫̖̙̿ͣf͉̣͍̦̃f͕͔̙̩̰ͭ͋ͮͮ ͕̠̑̓̀y̞ͫ̾̄ͭ̎oͯṷ̙͇͗̇ ̑̓ͣa͑r̩͍̮r̫̣͓̝̈ö̦͖̙́͗̌́̆ĝ̮̩̰̞̫͉̌͂a̲̗̼̰̟͕̤ͬ̂ͮn̜̱̟ͧ̐̂ͦͪͮ͊t̥̞̣̻͓̙̑ͮͨ̄ ̖̲̰̟̮͇ͪͥͨf̫̪͖̤͋̑͌u͉̘̭̼̟͖ͧ̃ͮͯ̍̀c͎͂̌̉k͉̤͍̼̖͔̈ͮ̿̿ͅ, ̙̙̮̟I ̹͓̘̩̪ͯͣ̏̓̃̀̅ͅk͍̙͗n͖͔̻͓͇̝̣̊ͦ̓͒̿͗̏o̹̜̹̘ͣͣẉ̠̳͖̍̑ͯ̊ͣ̔ ͉̬̺ͭ̓w̰̣͕͇̽h̺̱̭̎̓a͖̱͊͒t͇͙͇̻̮̠́̎̏̃͒̂̚ ̑͗I̞̬̝͍̱ͤ̐'̭̣͙͙̩mͦ̈́̚̚ ̞̝͈̝͔͓͔̾ͪ̍͆̈̃ͭd̀̈̓o̭̻̒̈i̺̖͒ñ̗̫̺̹̻̣̑ͭ̎͒g̠̲̼͍͍̝͑ͮͣ̊̈̚.̙ͪ̉̐͆
Damien scoffed and rolled his eyes as he stared at the mirror, admiring the view. "Well…it seems taking Matt hostage and leaving a fragment of myself within him proved most fruitful. I will be most intrigued to see how this goes." A laugh reverberated through the room as Damien shifted his focus, tapping into his limited mystical arts to reveal the truth behind the reflective surface. The surroundings of the room melted away and the whole mirror appeared black, save for the lone figure suspended in mid-air. Matt was floating in slumber, his skin tinted white with black veins protruding from his skin. "Mirrors are fascinating things, showing so much. You need only know how to look at them." The shadow sniggered. "This will prove to be most interesting. Now I can watch Mark without that stupid mutt of his barking at me. And once the time comes…I will draw you back into my grasp."
Knowing that he probably would not have much time, Damien walked away and tapped the phone again, sending one last message.
Just get to work, you have much to do.
He then deleted the app from Matt's phone, removing any trace of its existence. "We can't have you knowing that I'm in here now, can we?" he mused before returning back to Matt's former position. "Patience is an art…I can wait a little longer."
With that, Damien surrendered control.
Ten minutes later, Matt was startled awake by a knock on his door. His headache was still there, but not as bad as it once was. He stood up and opened it to find both Mark and Jack on the other side, looking at him in concern. "You all right, man?" Mark asked in concern.
Matt yawned. "Yeah, sorry, just fell asleep there."
"Want us to bugger off for a while longer while you call Amanda and Luna?" Jack offered.
The older man shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I'll call them from out here, the signal in here isn't great anyway. How are Amy and Signe?"
The trio headed back to the main area of the complex in deep conversation, debating on what their next move was going to be with Damien's former host, completely unknowing of the shadow's presence: exactly as it wanted. With enough time, his next chance would come.
Tell me, Mark. To what lengths will you go to kill me this time? Let's see when it comes down to it, whether you are any different from him after all.
And that…is the end of Mirror, Mirror. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, your words of encouragement have helped inspire me to make this the best it can be.
Translations of Anti's Zalgo text (i'm not sure how readable it will actually be):
- Took you fucking long enough
- Fuck off, Damien
- Piss off you arrogant fuck, I know what I'm doing
I will be back shortly with Part 2 – I Am Me. In the meantime, you can check out the synopsis on my profile before I release the first chapter!
I hope you all enjoyed the ending and will see you all in the next part. Much love to everyone!
*Smooch*