Mirror images

"Well, you probably don't feel comfortable around me. " she said to Wrongdak, but the clone responded angrily.

"You're bad... Very bad. You hurt Adora, Catra and others." and pursed his lips. She had never seen him truly angry during these weeks, although she had become accustomed to Hordak's fits of rage. Apparently Shadow Weaver deserved it…

"Yes, I have hurt a lot of people and for base reasons... usually. Know that I did not come back here of my own free will and with no bad intentions." she explained to Wrongdak in a calm voice, which she usually used to address Adora when she wanted to force her to behave appropriately. To Adora, but not Catra... Usually not to Catra.

Wrongdak lowered his head dejectedly and said in a voice devoid of all hope.

"It's my fault. If I had looked at you more carefully... If I had talked to Emily..." a tear rolled down his cheek.

She smiled darkly.

"I suggested to Emily that if she told you the truth, the consequences would be dire. But even if you warned the expedition members about my true nature, do you think they would believe you? That the teacher of such a wonderful young lady like Lady Cala, coming from the peaceful but provincial Carurystal, could be a monster who had been waging a bloody war for thirty years on a planet that no one had heard of for thousands of years? No, my dear, no one would believe you, at most they would treat you as someone insane who should be locked in a cabin for his own safety." she explained to him in a calm, slightly tired voice.

"When Lady Cala learns the truth" he said, trying to sound menacing, but she burst out laughing in a sinister but desperate way.

"Lady Cala knows truths that even my black heart refuses to know." she said, seeing his confused face, she added. "Young lady is not who she seems. I can't tell you much about the true nature of my... ward, but don't let her know that you know who I am. I couldn't protect you from her wrath, and it would destroy my fragile alliance with Hordak . Besides, unlike your brother, I like you. And don't worry, I know he told you to spy on me. He was always so predictable. Contrary to appearances, this is a good feature in a ruler. Not necessarily with the general."

When Hordak's younger brother returned to the ship with them, along with his Droid, she knew immediately that he had learned the truth. He looked at her with that judgmental anger that she had seen many times during her short stay in Brightmoon , especially from Adora, and would most likely see again during this mission. Like most things that happened to her in life, she earned it through her actions.

They now stood near the landing site of the flying rocks that took travelers to Mystacor. Around it was the Sorcerer's Valley, where there were several towns that supplied the largest magical college on the planet, or rather the only one. From what she had heard, during the war they were either protected by some of Mystacor's magic or abandoned. But now they were teeming with life, as was all of Etheria. She was surprised to find that she enjoyed it, even though she spent her entire life trying to put the entire planet in chains.

Eventually they stepped onto a shipping stone that had some students with it. One of them was a lizard... Vesk, who was raised in the Horde judging by his accent, but they only noticed Wrongdak... Although Ireanis waved cheerfully at them. During the flight, she thought about her conversation with Hordak. It went much better than she hopes. She expected she would have to incapacitate him before they could talk. He had changed more than she thought. And that child. The sight of Hordak caring for his offspring almost made her stunned. She had seen many strange things over the years, but this topped almost everything. The baby was a hybrid of him and Entrapta... just like Eti and... Catra. Did Entrapta guess the nature of her friend? After all, she herself brought a very similar creature to life. It was only after her own death that she began to think of herself as a mother, even if a very bad one. However, when she saw Entrapta's offspring, she remembered Asindesa's question about whether she could have children. The idea was absolutely ridiculous and absurd, but she would never have even thought about it before.

Hordak agreed to make an agreement with her. However, she managed to convince him mainly because she was honest with him. She exposed herself to him much more than she wanted to, but it clearly turned out to be a good tactic. Unfortunately, he was right. Of all her potential allies, he risked the most, but also had the least to offer her. That's why she came here, hoping to attract someone much more influential. But this will be more difficult.

Mystacor had changed since she abandoned it in such dramatic circumstances. Even then, the corridors were empty because of the war. But now the college was filled with students of all ages and from all corners of Etheria . Almost all corners, because of course no one came from the Sorrow Islands. She was still the only person from her bleak homeland to study in Mystacor in hundreds of years. She also saw that technological progress had reached even here. There were several computer terminals here now, and small Horde cleaning bots were cleaning the floors. They even came across a hot chocolate machine, and from the looks of it, it was built here on Etheria, most likely by Horde technicians, using parts from the Fright Zone. She saw several people here who looked like Hordak's former subjects, but no one recognized her. Well, no one had seen Light Spinner's face for thirty years, though there were still some who remembered her, and most of them probably lived here in Mystacor. Therefore, she changed the color of the hair and eyes displayed by the holographic mask. Still, she felt strange walking through these corridors absolutely unrecognized by anyone. Others saw only what they expected to see, and no one expected that while rushing to class they would pass the cursed and hated witch. There was something so wicked about it that she wanted to unleash all her dark power and scream, "Look, I'm here. The one who has been trying to kill or enslave you all for decades! Do something! Stop me!"

On the other hand, there were other reasons why no one was paying attention to her. Wrongdak was the only clone that resided in Mystacor, apparently Horde Prime made sure that none of his clones had even an ounce of magical powers. Hordak's brother looked so depressed that several students stopped to pat him on the back or even hug him. Every time this happened, Emily shot her accusatory glances. Well, maybe she was right.

However, Ireanis attracted the most attention. The elf sorceress was delighted with her stay at the magical college. She waved to all the students she passed, smiling broadly at them. She bowed politely to her teachers as she would to her colleagues, regardless of their confused looks.

"It's wonderful to be back at a university full of knowledge-hungry minds. I'm thirsty too. Do you think you can get something stronger here?" the sorceress asked her.

"We decided to quit drinking." she said. It was technically impossible to buy alcohol in Mystakor , but students bought apple wine or strong cider in nearby villages. Lecturers and other university staff typically drank either wine made from fruit grown in gardens or herbal tinctures made by alchemists. Towards the end of her career as a teacher, she spent many lonely nights thinking about dark and grim things. "Wasn't this the beginning of all evil?"

"I know , I know, but it still dries me out." replied the sorceress.

Finally, they reached the gallery where the statues of the most important sorcerers stood. She cringed, knowing what she was about to see. She looked down at her feet, trying not to look away.

"Oh Shady , I think it's you." Ireanis exclaimed.

"I told you to address me like this." She turned around and saw the statue. Her statue. It looked almost as it did when it was first placed. She was then appointed to the council as a reward for her research on entities from other dimensions. It was only cracked and blackened. She had no idea who had damaged it like that. There was one burnt candle lying under my feet.

"What does it mean? Where did this candle come from?" she asked clone, who shook his head.

"I didn't live in Mystacor. I have only visited this place three times, counting this visit…"

She thought for a moment and shrugged.

"Let's go from here. We must find the Head Sorceress." she said in a gloomy tone.

She was cleaning old furniture in the Purple Moon Warehouse, where they kept old magical items whose uses were unknown but were potentially dangerous. This was not a suitable job for the Head Sorceress, she could have delegated other lower-ranking sorcerers or even senior students here. But she needed to calm down before her niece's wedding. Ever since the clash in the hidden chamber and the vision that had come to her when she looked at that artifact, she had felt constant anxiety. She had the impression that some evil was hiding in the previously safe corridors of her home. She couldn't forget what she had seen then, the dead monster that had risen and almost killed her and Catra and Nightgale. Catra… I guess she was too harsh on Glimmer's feline friend. The Grand Marshal saved her from having her blood sucked by the Non-Dead monster. Even though she had shocked her with an electric baton, her back still hurt, but she was also mean to the cat girl, so she didn't blame her.

She needed to calm down, because it was her responsibility to organize the wedding, and it was only a few days away. She had to pull herself together. Good thing she had Nightgale to help her . Although the girl disappeared for a few days due to, as she said, personal matters, but when she returned, she started working with renewed energy, as if she were planning her wedding herself. She was so hardworking. Maybe she should take her to the wedding and sit her in a place of honor next to the Queen. She smiled. Yes, that's a great plan, I'm sure she'll do that... Maybe she'll make Catra a tail warmer too, Scorpia liked to tell the story how the Grand Marshal, while they were in the Northern Rim, would ice her tail and rub it so hard that it would electrify itself and attract all the dust. which aroused Entrapta's fascination so much that she stopped her research for the whole day. She smiled to herself, this story definitely improved her mood.

She had to admit that cleaning the warehouse was a much more labor-intensive task. No one has been here for a long time, probably even since that accident when... Shadow Weaver performed her ritual. After that, no one found any suspicious artifacts, apart from the sword of course, but that was a completely different story. Many of the items here came from the dark sorceress's private collection, and she had the distinct impression that many of them were only brought here because they were found in her apartment, as she had never seen anything that seemed dangerous, like the items locked in the Vault of Abbadus , as the dark moon associated with destructive magic was called.

For example, this mirror. It did emanate a magical aura, associated with transmitting messages over great distances, but it was nothing sinister. But it was very nice. Maybe he'll give it to Glimmer as a wedding gift... She'll definitely be delighted to discover its secrets.

It was just getting dark, and she was about to go for a portable lamp, but then she saw that the mirror did not reflect what was in the storeroom, but as if it was a room, quite tastefully decorated, with a large number of books, as if it belonged to a distinguished and educated person. Maybe it would be good to examine the mirror first, because Glimmer would start changing her clothes in front of someone and it would be embarrassing. She was just leaning over the mirror to take a closer look at what it showed when she heard a familiar voice.

"I do not advise exploring the secrets of this mirror, because they may lead you to a path from which there is no return."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course Shadow Weaver had to come here and ruin my mood. If he ever wants to show up at the wedding, it will be a complete disaster...

She blinked her eyes. She just heard Shadow Weaver's voice... Behind her. She turned around abruptly. Four figures stood before her. Wrong Hordak She recognized immediately, as well as Emily, who was standing next to her and chattering incomprehensibly. Hordak's nice brother was charmingly colorful, but seemed depressed. Next was a black woman, Saihe, with silver hair, whom she didn't know. She looked around the warehouse in fascination and touched every item. She didn't recognize the last person right away. Probably because of the lack of a veil on her face. Only after a moment did she manage to match her facial features to the statue standing in the hall, and she summoned a defense spell.

"They said you were dead!" she shouted, considering how she should fight the dark sorceress.

"Because I was, but now I'm standing here in front of you." Shadow Weaver said. Cold sweat beaded her back.

- You're Non-dead! – she shouted and cast a fire spell, but the dark sorceress dispelled the spell effortlessly.

"They proper name is undead, but no, I am not one of them. However, it's interesting that you encountered these types of creatures. Until recently, I believed that, like dragons and devils, they were only characters from legends. Well, it wasn't the first time I was wrong." Shadow Weaver said and started walking towards her. Silver-haired Saihe looked at them and said with concern in her voice.

"Listen, girls, I know you broke up in turbulent circumstances, but it's all over now. Now you are meeting again and this is a chance for you to be together again."

"Ireanis…" Shadow Weaver drawled, placing her hand to her temple, she felt as if her face was blurring.

"Yes, I know, only now, after this separation, did you realize that you had actually loved each other all along, even though during that time you were enemies and were constantly trying to kill each other!" the sorceress embraced them tightly and pulled them to herself. "Now you can kiss each other!"

"What did you tell her?" she growled, barely able to contain her outburst of fury and moved away from both women. It was mean and deceitful even for her. Unless Shadow Weaver really saw their relationship that way…

"I'm sorry about my companion, but she's a special person. Ireanis, Castaspella and I are not a couple, nor have we ever been... In fact, as far as I know, Castaspella is not the slightest bit interested in these matters. Now, why don't you look for some students you can... educate," said the dark sorceress.

"Sorry? Did she just say sorry? Shadow Weaver, that personification of pride and arrogance, uttered the word "orry," she thought in disbelief. Even if it was just a figure of speech, the word "sorry" coming from the mouth of someone so despicable could be unnerving. Either she was up to something particularly nefarious, or… she reached under her robes where she kept a stake, just in case… If it wasn't a dead person or a shapeshifter like Double Trouble they will remember her.

"Oh yes, because you know, I used to be a lecturer at the University of Magaambya in Natambu , you've heard about it, right?" silver-haired Saihe shouted.

"This is Etheria. Here, until recently, we had a very vague idea of the existence of other planets, not to mention the lost Golarion which, as the name suggests, was lost at an unspecified point in the history of the Galaxy, and now please let us talk calmly for a moment. And take Mr. Wrongdak and Emily with you, because I suspect they'll jump at the chance to take a break from my company." said the Dark "orceress in a tone as if she was trying hard not to burst into fury.

Wrongdak looked down and said in a voice full of despair.

"Please... don't do anything to Auntie Casta"

Shadow Weaver smiled bitterly.

- This is not my intention, quite the contrary. I hope that the Head Sorceress of Mystacor, and indeed of all Etheria, will be willing to listen to what the old and mean witch has to say.

The clone nodded but looked at her as if he didn't believe her and left.

"What did you do to him?" she said angrily to Shadow Weaver. The woman sighed and said in a voice full of wry amusement.

"I recently came to the conclusion that for many people the mere fact of being near me is painful."

"Shadow Weaver being ironic towards herself? What is going on here?" she thought with growing concern. But then she shook her head and asked in the most confident voice she could muster.

"What was happened to you, where were you and what were you doing? And what do you want from me... from all of us?"

Shadow Weaver smiled at the corner of her mouth.

"In sequence. I died, then I came to Aucturn, and then to Carurystal. There I took care of a creature that terrifies even me. I can tell you that much." The dark sorceress paused, and she had the impression that she was asking a question unnecessarily. "What am I going to do, well the answer to this question is much more complicated." she became lost in thought, then went to the mirror and looked at it carefully for a moment, and then suddenly, with an angry movement, she covered it with a cover. "It all started a long time ago, before Adora found the sword… Before Hordak activated the portal and helped transport her to Etheria. Before... I made a rite and summoned a being whose power... Before Hordak was abandoned on Etheria... Before this hundred-fold cursed sword was forged. I have to go back to the very beginning of this grim story. I have to find Eternia"

She blinked twice.

"But Horde Prime destroyed them all. He said so himself." she exclaimed, as if explaining the obvious to one of her students.

"He said a lot of things, and most of them weren't true. Adora herself is the best proof of this... I won't refer to my source, because... you wouldn't consider it trustworthy, and you certainly wouldn't want to stand in front of them... But think about it. Etheria was just a research facility that was only later decided to be turned into a weapon, and yet they managed to hide it in the Despondos , do you think they wouldn't use this technology to protect their own capital? Hordak was right about one thing, Etheria is a provincial planet. The galaxy is full of wonders beyond imagination, as I can attest, though I have only seen a tiny fraction of them. But they all pale in comparison to the achievements of the First Ones. We don't really know much about their demise beyond the fact that they suddenly disappeared from galactic history, although even that we can't tell much about it because of the Gap...

"What?" she asked, feeling like she was losing the plot. "Listen, I understand that you are very interested in the First Ones and their achievements, you almost ruined the lives of Adora and most of the inhabitants of Etheria because of that, but could you leave it and all of us alone?" she asked, refraining from screaming. She had already forgotten how irritating conversations with this woman could be.

Shadow Weaver closed her eyes and reached for the back of her neck. Her face blurred and now she could see her true face. She knew from Catra's stories that the dark sorceress looked terrible without the Mask, but when she saw it... She put her mouth behind her hand and took a deep breath. She didn't think any spell could change someone so much. She could show her face as a warning to students about what the use of dark magic can lead to... Though after a moment she realized that she had expected a much more terrible sight. Shadow Weaver, as far as she could tell, since she had no interest in such matters despite the scars and fangs and eyes like those of mythical demons, looked quite attractive. She saw victims of war, especially occupation, who suffered a much worse fate...

"She should do it right away, after all, it is only fair to have such a conversation face to face... You see, without diminishing the evil I have committed, all the tragedies that have befallen Etheria are the work of the First Ones. Light Hope, it's a good thing we never met, brought Hordak here, and many years later Adora, just to destroy all her enemies, i.e. most of the intelligent life in the galaxy. What was noticed... But we'll talk about it later... The heart was destroyed, but our planet hides many secrets, one I already knew... Far away from here in the Golarion system there is a gigantic space station inhabited by millions of beings: Absalom. It is the heart of the Galaxy both economically and politically, but also in a very literal sense. It houses the most powerful artifact we know of, the Starstone. It allows ships using Drift Drive , the most efficient form of interstellar travel, to navigate, but not only that... It is said that in ancient times it allowed mortals such as the Iomadae to sled themselves as gods."

She snorted.

"Do you mean the things that the inhabitants of Eridani talk about..." she asked skeptically, but Shadow Weaver shook her head and sighed.

-"Oh yeah, I forgot it was Etheria. For now, let's just say that it gives great power, power beyond all imagination. As I flew here through the middle of space, I discovered that there was a second similar artifact on Etheria..."

She inhaled sharply as she realized what the dark sorceress was getting at.

"This is where She-Ra draws her power from." she said with a mixture of surprise and delight

Shadow Weaver nodded.

"Yes, and now think whether the First Ones will allow something so powerful, which has been in their possession for so many millennia, even if only theoretically, to be taken away from them... Such power... I know well how much can be done to gain greater power. I don't know what they are planning, what steps they have taken, but if what I heard is true, they intend to use their other weapon against us, perhaps the most powerful one... But this is not the only threat that awaits us, but I will tell you about it next time. our next meeting, during the Victory Day celebrations."

She listened to Shadow Weaver carefully. This woman had been a lecturer at her university for many years before she became the monster that destroyed the lives of so many innocents and knew how to tell a story and be persuasive. If what she said was true… She didn't know if she should believe her, not after she manipulated Glimmer into activating the Heart, but could she afford to ignore her?

"What do you want from me? I'm not as powerful as Mikach, I'm not a princess and a warrior like Glimmer. I spent most of the war hiding in Mystacor and pretending it didn't concern me since Mikah was dead."

The dark sorceress smiled sadly.

"You are Castaspella, the chief sorceress of the only and last school of magic in Etheri and one of the largest in the galaxy. You have power, maybe not as much as mine or your brother's, but you shouldn't underestimate yourself. Besides, people like you and will listen to you... But don't tell anyone for now, if it seems that she's back, my hands will be tied and I'll lose control over the course of events, and there are still a few things I need to do before she comes back. Victory Day." Shadow Weaver explained in her calm voice, like a parent telling a child to go to school... 'Is that how you talked to Adora all these years ? Now I have to be your pawn in this mad Game?" she thought. On the other hand, it all made sense. Since her release, Mikah has served loyally to the Rebellion, even sacrificing her life for Adora and Catra, or at least that's what everyone thought... No doubt she's changed, or maybe she's just learned to lie better... She had to make sure, so she decided to ask Shadow Weaver one more time. one question.

?During the occupation, Mikah didn't bring it up because the most important thing was to save Glimmer, and then... well, he was chipped . But when peace came, he told us everything. About you sending him to Beast Island. I won't ask if it's true, because no one who even knew you both would doubt it, but... Mikach never said why you did it. But since you are here and asking me for help... I will demand an answer... she looked at the wicked woman with hard eyes, as if she wanted to challenge her, although she knew that in the event of a fight, her chances would be slim.

The dark sorceress considered her answer for a moment, then sighed heavily and said.

"The truth is that I was very drunk at the time. Winning that battle cost me a lot. But this is not an excuse, just a statement of fact. Besides, I came to Mikah when he was locked in a cell and made him an offer... I offered him to serve me in exchange for his life... of course he refused and... he called me a monster, a twisted bogeyman and that his teacher died many years ago. Well, then I said that then there was no one in the entire Fright Zone who could save him from a fate worse than death. Even though we were both wrong then."

She frowned and asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Mikah saved himself when he got to his place of exile, and Shadow Weaver always lived in Light Spinner's heart" Shadow Weaver said and looked at her inquisitively with those terrible yellow eyes. She squeezed her eyes and mouth shut. "If you tried to lie and cheat… then everything would be easier. Did you have to be so honest?"

"All right, I'll help you. Just don't make me regret it later." she said, and the Dark Sorceress started to leave, but suddenly she stopped and asked with a shyness she would never have expected from her.

"Who burns a candle under my statue and why is it so damaged?"

She looked at her seriously

"It's Catra. Every year on the day Shadow Weaver dies... on the day you die, she burns one candle for every good deed you did for her and Adora. And the statue was destroyed by Mikah right after he finished his studies. This resulted in a minor scandal, but much less than he had expected." she explained to the woman, who was probably more gloomy than usual now. She shuddered as if these words brought back many unpleasant memories, turned on the mask and left.

As soon as Nightgale saw her mother, she stopped dead in her tracks, but Shadow Weaver obviously didn't recognize her. Why should it be any different? She didn't even know it existed. She couldn't even guess what Hordak had done. Still, she felt pain. For a moment she felt like introducing herself to her and showing her her true face. But now was definitely not the right time for it. Here in Mystacor it could be very dangerous. She wouldn't die, she was almost sure of that, but it would mean ruining all her plans. It was much easier for her to recognize Hordak's right hand. She felt its power, great and terrible, and more than once she looked at the statue of the Light Spinner. She tried to find a similarity in her features, and she succeeded. Still, she was amazed that absolutely no one in all of Mystacor was aware of who had showed up at their college. As they say, the darkest is in the light of day...

She knew that Shadow Weaver was alive, the Voice from the Shadow had told her about it, and that he would come to Etheria with a wonderful companion... It was definitely not her father's strangely dressed clone , nor a Horde Droid. She wondered if it was the silver-haired Saihe , because she sensed great power from her, but she was looking around like a child in a candy store, so she doubted. Shadow Weaver then asked where the Head Sorceress was and told her that she was cleaning out one of the warehouses. Ignoring her, the four of them left and she secretly followed them. She almost ran into them when the sorcerers sent the others away to talk about something important without any additional witnesses. She wasn't able to overhear them, although considering that she didn't hear screams or the sounds of magical explosions, the conversation was conducted in an unexpectedly calm atmosphere. Then Shadow Weaver left, dejected, and soon after, Castaspella left the warehouse, angry and as gloomy as the dark sorceress. She waited until her apparent boss left, then went to the warehouse to find out what the sorcerers were talking about. At first she didn't see anything, but then she saw a light blue light coming from under the cover of the large mirror. As a servant of the Creeping Chaos, she knew it was idiotic to approach glowing magical objects, but she approached it anyway and ripped off the cover. She saw a room, quite cozy... and a person sitting in a chair. At first she mistook her for a Saihe , but although similar, she was significantly different from her mother's species. First of all, horns sprouted from her head, making her look like a legendary tiefling. She also had four fingers on her hands. But what was most remarkable was her skin. Blue, sparkling as if stars were reflecting in it. With her magical vision, she saw that the bright spots covering her were connected by lines, forming inscriptions in the language of the First Ones, which, unfortunately, she was unable to read. After a while, the figure noticed her, got up and approached her, looking at her with curiosity, as if she were a small, interesting animal, that entered his house. She flinched, but now it was too late, she had to know the identity of this creature. She hesitated, and then and then she asked, drawing illusory letters in the air.

"They call me... Defect. Who are you?" she asked, using the first name she received from her father. She preferred not to reveal her real name. The person tilted they head to the side and began to write himself in illusory letters just like her.

"I am Aaravos . He, Him , if that interests you... "he explained and bowed courtly.

"Who are you... I've never heard of anyone like you..." she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

heard of us because there are only a few of us left. – he explained to her with theatrical sadness on his face.

"Elf? It's an ancient name for Saihe ... But you are not like them." she said, baffled.

"We were changed a long time ago... I once talked to a Saihe woman. But that was a long time ago. No one has visited me for a long time... No one from your world, anyway." he explained to her without taking his eyes off her

"Our world? Or also our planet?" she asked, smiling with a bit of superiority. But Aaravos just raised an eyebrow.

"So you remembered that you are part of the universe. What about the Heart of Etheria? Ahh, I see from your reaction that you know what I am talking about."

She cursed inwardly, but since she had already betrayed herself, there was no other option and she had to tell the truth, although she was afraid that nothing good would come of it.

"Yes, it was destroyed five years ago. By She-Ra …"

Aaravos nodded thoughtfully. And then he said more to himself than to her.

"That clears up many things. That's why the boy was able to cast spells despite the protection... That means we don't have much time... - he looked at her again. – What about Light Spinner , that woman I was talking to earlier. Was the ritual successful?

- This is a very controversial issue. The being came … but changed her…

Aaravos smiled in amusement.

-"So it worked..." he tilted his head to the side and quickly cast the spell. She felt her illusion dissipate. The Star Elf smiled.

"Impressive... An illusion that does not create a false image, but influences the observer's mind. I didn't know you had discovered this technique... You, too, are an extraordinary creature, proof that the ritual worked better than I expected... You were artificially created, just like me... But I sense that we have something else in common. – he reached under his robes and pulled out an upside-down Ankh. Symbol of Creeping Chaos.

That woman, Nightgale, didn't inspire her confidence. At first glance, she saw that a strange aura was emanating from her. She was definitely using illusions to hide her face, although she guessed that many war victims used this magic because of their scars. But there was something else about her, she felt like she was looking into a mirror. But it was absurd. She considered telling Castaspelia about it , but I guess the Head Sorceress of Mystacor had checked her second-in-command, right?

She found Wrongdak in the garden, talking to someone who looked like a Gnome. She was surprised to see that she wore the Serenae symbol around her neck. When she saw her, she nodded and hurried away, and the clone looked at her with fear in her eyes, but she smiled back at him and said.

"Everything worked out fine. Castaspella agreed to help us."

Hordak's younger brother blinked several times, as if he didn't believe what he was hearing.

"You… enchanted her?" he asked and she let out a short laugh.

"Oh, I was just being honest, absolutely honest, because, believe it or not, my intentions towards your friends are good." she said gently. He seemed skeptical, but she didn't care. It's important that he doesn't spill anything to anyone.

"Where's Ireanis?" she asked and then she heard a loud scream and a clatter coming from the side corridor, from which Ireanis ran out after a moment, accompanied by Emily.

"Shhh Daisy! I had funny adventure. By complete accident, I came across a group of students and I decided to show them something, so I went to a side room and summoned a minor demon, just for fun, I think I made a mistake and summoned Vrock instead of Quasit , but luckily we defeated him together. And I became a hero, because I don't think anyone realized it was my doing, but... just in case. We should run away. ? the elven sorceress was saying, and Emily was chattering away from the side. She sighed and said.

"I'm slowly starting to think, my dear Ireanis, that you are my reflection, but in a distorting mirror."

The silver-haired woman grimaced painfully.

"No, at least you're not a coward." she said, and suddenly feeling sad, she walked down the bright corridors of Mystacor .