The shackles fell to the ground with a vibrating clink before disappearing in wisps of black smoke. Startled, Elsa opened her eyes, her heart pounding against her chest. She stared at Aodhan in amazement, unable to comprehend what had just happened. A slight smile floated across the young man's face, illuminating his features with a familiar warmth. His eyes sparkled with mischief and fierce determination. He winked at her and turned around.
In one swift movement, he threw the Narwhal's thorn at Roderick. The blade split the air with frightening precision, briefly reflecting the shimmering lights of the stained-glass window. The sword whistled across the room towards Roderick, who barely managed to deflect it with his powers, his eyes wide with surprise.
Before the fallen king could react, Aodhan raised his hands in his direction, and towering flames shot up from the floor, trapping Roderick under a burning dome.
"Elsa, we don't have much time!" he shouted over his shoulder. "I'll try to hold him back, and you go and get the Narwhal's horn on the throne! Then I'll get my sword, we'll get out of here and I'll get that damn mark off you! Do you understand me?"
Elsa blinked several times, her mind struggling to assimilate all that had just happened. Over Aodhan's shoulder, all she could see were his orange-lit eyes, like flames crackling with rage. There he was, facing her. Just as she'd wished over the last few days. She finally nodded and tried to concentrate on the horn.
Aodhan didn't have time to see her gesture: Roderick had just shattered the dome. From beneath the flames sprang immense black, spiny tentacles that crashed against the walls and wrapped themselves around the pillars, making them creak dangerously. The young man instinctively threw himself at Elsa to protect her, dragging them both to the ground just in time to dodge a tentacle that grazed the top of their skulls.
He stood up slightly and looked into Elsa's eyes, their faces so close that their breaths mingled.
"Are you all right?"
"Aodhan... I thought... You..."
"Later," he replied, helping her to her feet. "The priority is to get out of here with the horn!"
Elsa nodded as the dome of flames dissipated. They hurried off together, her towards the throne and him towards Roderick.
She made her way through the chaos of darkness in the throne room. With a graceful leap, she jumped over a thorn that had sprung up in front of her and was trying to immobilize her legs.
At the same time, Aodhan erected a wall of flames between the young woman and Roderick. The man had understood the other two's plan and tried to stop Elsa, but his darkness clashed with flames that rose to the ceiling of the high room.
Aodhan slowly circled back to his sword, his arms gesturing like those of a orchestra conductor, his fire magic responding to his unleashed rhythm. The young man appeared calm, moving gently, but the magical glint in his eyes conveyed all the hatred he felt for Roderick. He wouldn't let him hurt Elsa.
Roderick let out a cry of rage and summoned a dark blade in the palm of his hand. He rushed towards Aodhan, who was only a few meters away from the Narwhal's thorn...
"I've got it!"
Elsa's voice rang out as her fingers brushed the cold surface of the Narwhal's horn. Roderick stopped and turned to face her, as she raised the horn above her head, closed her eyes and tried to invoke its power. "The horn only responds to strong feelings"... Aodhan's voice and image immediately came to her mind.
The horn lit up, dissipating the tentacles of darkness and Roderick's blade.
"What?" he exclaimed. "I thought its powers had disappeared!"
Aodhan took advantage of his opponent's blindness to roll towards his sword, which he caught deftly. The light from the horn began to dissipate the curtains of opaque shadow that hid the windows. Soon, however, a laugh arose in the light, which faded away. Roderick was laughing his usual joyless laugh.
"You idiot," he spat. "Did you really think that would be enough to defeat me?"
"No. But it bought me some time."
"What...?"
He turned towards Aodhan, just in time to see the blow he was delivering. By reflex, Roderick formed a shield of darkness between himself and the blade. With a sound like a bell tower, the shield shattered, throwing the fallen king backwards.
Elsa took the opportunity to rush towards Aodhan, the Narwhal's horn in her hands. He grabbed her waist and they rushed towards a window, which darkness was beginning to cover again now that the light had disappeared.
"Trust me," whispered the young man.
He stepped in front of Elsa and embraced her, placing a protective hand on the top of her head. A second later, glass shattered behind his back as they crossed the window and fell into the void.
Elsa couldn't see anything, huddled against Aodhan, but she could feel the wind whistling in her ears. Soon, a pleasant warmth surrounded her, and she turned her head slightly to observe what was happening. Flames were dancing all around them: Aodhan was using his magic to make them glide above the bridge connecting the castle to the false Arendelle.
They landed on the bridge, just in front of the vortex of darkness behind which the echoes of the raging battle could be heard. Elsa jumped to her feet, wanting to come to her sister's rescue, but Aodhan's hand held her by the wrist.
"Anna!" called Elsa.
"Elsa, wait! The mark!"
"How are you going to get rid of it?" she asked, raising an unconvinced eyebrow.
"Take a look."
He placed the flat of the Narwhal's thorn on the mark on her wrist. The sword lit up, projecting a soft, warm golden light over them. Seconds later, the thorn became dull again, and when Aodhan removed it from her wrist, the dark mark had disappeared.
"The horn isn't the only thing that comes from the Narwhal of Light," he explained, apparently proud of himself.
Elsa smiled at him, but didn't have time to reply. A streak of darkness burst from the castle and crashed into the vortex in front of them.
The shadows immediately came to life. Flashes of purplish energy crackled as two huge yellow eyes appeared and the shape of a jaw began to form. The vortex had come to life and was advancing towards them, its sharp fangs ready to tear them apart.
Aodhan stood in front of Elsa. He was clearly determined to show her that he wanted to protect her.
"Leave it to me," he declared. "As soon as I'm done with this thing, we'll destroy the shadows behind it and find Anna."
He faced the vortex and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the blue of his irises had been replaced by the burning glow of his anger. He stretched out his arms. Swirling flames emerged from his palms, forming an incandescent vortex that rivaled the darkness of the vortex in intensity, twisting and contorting in a hellish dance.
A wrenching roar emanated from the depths of the vortex, but Aodhan held firm, concentrating all his power in a devastating assault. Under the impact, he seemed to lean against an invisible wall. Every fibre of his being was stretched to the limit, keeping him on his feet despite the immense pressure exerted against him. The power of the vortex beneath his flames was slowly pulling him back, but the young man refused to give in.
The wall of flames and the vortex met with titanic force, the bridge trembled under the impact and the darkness flickered under the merciless assault of the flames. Aodhan's cloak clattered behind his back under the force of the gusts they produced.
And then, in a burst of blinding, searing light, the vortex exploded, its core disintegrating into wisps of thick, black smoke that quickly vanished. Aodhan fell to his knees, breathless from the effort he had just expended. Elsa rushed over and crouched beside him.
"Aodhan, are you alright?"
He raised a hand and nodded, panting.
"Yes, I just need to... catch my breath."
After a moment, he sat up slowly, short of breath, but ready to dive back into the fight. In the city streets in front of them, the indistinct shapes of shadows crept between the buildings, undulating. Their yellow eyes gleamed in the heart of the darkness, their distorted silhouettes swarmed everywhere, their black mass seeming to suck in the faint glow of the moon half-hidden behind the clouds.
Elsa and Aodhan exchanged a glance and a complicit smile, and the young woman nodded.
In one motion, they threw themselves at the darkness. A blue glow appeared in Elsa's hands as she repelled the first onslaught of shadows with her ice. Aodhan, for his part, propelled himself into the air and landed heavily in the middle of the creatures, creating a shockwave that incinerated those around him. Elsa formed a pillar of ice beneath her to lift herself into the air, and began to glide through the air, all around the shadows on which she hurled stalactites.
Together, they offered a mesmerizing spectacle, their movements synchronized and their gestures fluid. They seemed connected by an invisible link, covering each other's backs. Aodhan caught a shadow and sent it into the air, Elsa cast a bluish streak of magic that froze the creature, and the young man leapt to shatter it into a thousand pieces with his sword.
The young woman continued to glide with ease around the mass of creatures, Aodhan flying behind her thanks to his fire powers, projecting sprays of flame and explosions at all the shadows around them. Where Elsa met resistance, Aodhan intervened with his devastating flames, and where the flames faltered, Elsa intervened with her implacable ice.
There, amidst the darkness, they discerned Anna, Kristoff and the royal guard, surrounded by shadows. The creatures were reaching out with their claws for the exhausted troop, and some of the soldiers were engulfed by the blackness.
They rushed to their rescue, their combined powers creating a storm of light, frost and heat that dispersed the darkness once and for all. Silence finally fell over the city, free from the hiss of the shadows' movement.
Elsa, short of breath, was about to turn to her sister, but Aodhan landed beside her and rushed over to hug the woman he loved.
"I'm sorry, so sorry...," he murmured, pressing her against him. "I thought I could do it. I thought I could save Arendelle alone... I'm so sorry..."
He pulled away from Elsa and looked at her, his eyes shining not with magical rage, but this time with sincere tears. The young woman stuttered incomprehensible words, still unable to decide whether she forgave Aodhan or not.
Footsteps sounded behind them, and Elsa stepped back just in time to see Anna slap Aodhan mercilessly, her gesture echoing across the main square of the fake town. Apparently, her feelings were much clearer than Elsa's.
"You moron!" she shouted, shaking him like a prick. "Do you have any idea what you've done to Elsa? And Arendelle? Why didn't you tell us?"
She finally released him, letting Aodhan wobble for a few seconds before hugging him tightly.
"I'm glad you're all right," she whispered, before pulling away, her expression once again severe. "But you owe us some explanations!"
The small group, accompanied by the Arendelle guard, had found refuge on the shore outside the fake town. Sitting in a circle in the sand, they had listened carefully to Aodhan's tale until he had felt the darkness trying to corrupt his heart.
"What Roderick had - once again - neglected was this," he explained, showing them the Narwhal thorn. "This sword comes from the Narwhal of Light, and although it's less powerful than the horn, its magic repelled the darkness that wanted to invade my heart. I continued to play along so as not to awaken suspicion, while awaiting your arrival."
"I don't understand," Elsa intervened. Why didn't you tell us?"
Aodhan frowned, looking ashamed as he brought his knees up against him.
"I wanted to protect you and the kingdom," he whispered. "I thought I could handle it alone, but I was wrong. Roderick... his words seemed logical at the time. I knew he was trying to manipulate me to get his powers back, and I thought I could use the powers of the horn to destroy Yohamitään before that. But I couldn't... I was consumed with remorse. Roderick must surely have expected this."
He let out a long sigh, the weight of guilt on his shoulders. Finally, he looked up at Elsa and Anna. His gaze trembling at first, he struggled to look them in the eye, until he met Elsa's eyes.
"I beg your forgiveness. I should never have questioned your trust. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to repair my mistakes and protect you. Arendelle, and you. And if that's not enough to redeem myself, I'm ready to pay the consequences of my stupidity when we return to Arendelle, after all this."
Elsa listened to him in silence, overcome by a whirlwind of emotions. The pain of betrayal she'd been feeling for several days was resurfacing, but seemed to be softened by his apology. Of course, she was still angry with him and extremely disappointed. But he had done all this to save Arendelle once and for all. Somewhere deep inside her, a small, slightly selfish voice was happy that he'd gone through all that to protect her. And she couldn't deny being relieved that he was back by her side, that he'd never thought of betraying her.
Anna, for her part, was frowning, making no attempt to hide her anger. It had taken her a long time to put her trust in him, and when she did, he decided to risk everything by leaving with the man who had nearly destroyed Arendelle. She sighed. His actions had been stupid, but they had all been motivated by a good feeling: to protect Arendelle and the people he loved. A sentiment Anna knew all too well.
"Roderick is linked to Yohamitään," continued Aodhan, determined to tell them everything he knew. "This entity is all around us: Roderick made it take the form of the Arendelle he knew. Neither can disappear as long as the other survives."
"You mean that even if we completely dissipate his false Arendelle, it won't destroy Yohamitään?"
"Exactly," confirmed Aodhan darkly, "because she'll still be living in Roderick. And vice versa, if we kill Roderick, his body will return to the nothingness of Yohamitään and he will emerge again from the shadows - so he says."
He turned to Elsa.
"And as you've seen, the light from the horn is no longer enough to dispel his powers, as he takes his strength directly from Yohamitään."
"So, to defeat Roderick, we need to make sure that the light reaches both the false Arendelle and himself," the young blonde realized slowly. "But he stays locked up in the throne room all the time."
Aodhan, despite these discouraging words, wore a small smile.
"It's risky, but I've got a plan. But we'll only get one chance."
Anna had been staring at him blankly for several seconds. Finally, she stood up and planted herself in front of him. She pointed an accusing finger at him, towering over him.
"If your plan works and we make Roderick and Yohamitään disappear, then I'll consider you redeemed in the eyes of Arendelle. Does that sound good to you?"
Aodhan, looking up into the queen's hard face, nodded slowly, swallowing hard.
"Very well, then. We're listening."