Bloom jolted away, no tears on her face nor a sad expression. Valtor didn't know what to expect. She showed no reaction, no anger. She just stood there, her hand still in his. Like her mind had emptied out. It didn't feel right to go into those memories. As much as he didn't feel any guilt about his past, something else nagged at him.

He had-hurt her.

The thought was quickly erased by a sharp pain that now inflamed his cheek. He looked at Bloom whose palm was inches from his face.

She had slapped him.

Without a word, she sprinted out of the room and down the hall. When he teleported in her path, she simply turned and marched in the other direction. When he tried taking her wrist, he found her skin burning as if she had a fever of a million degrees. So in an effort to stop her, he appeared in her way every single turn and behind every single door. Until she buried her feet in the middle of a hall, her eyes bright red and glowing as she stared at him.

"Gods just stop!" she shouted and the pain in her voice exposed just how badly she was feeling even if she was attempting to hide it. "Stop following me, stop trying to gloat about it just-" she took a few steps and he was in front of her again. She slammed her fists into his chest and continued to shout: "I told you to stop," she growled. Smoke rose around them and she didn't even react to the ring of fire that surrounded them or to his shirt that now had two holes where she had been hitting him. "Princess," he tried to say, but the fire just burned brighter at that, and he felt discomfort in his chest, guessing that she began to burn his skin too. "You ruined everything! You always ruin everything," she screamed again and again and again. The circle became tighter around them, smoke causing him to cough. But she seemed completely unaffected.

She stopped punching him and simply stood with her head bowed as he coughed repeatedly, smoke filling his lungs and flaring up inside. He tried summoning his powers and found them weak. He couldn't use a blood spell to stop her. Trying to push against the fire he gripped her at the elbows: "You have to listen to me." She said nothing nor did her fire stop. Bloom stepped outside the firey ring and only watched as it compressed around Valtor.

It was so similar to the spell Marion had used when she bested him that he actually began to feel fear. His chest seemed heavy as if she had filled them with stones. Each breath seemed to get stuck in his throat. His head began to cloud, vision blurring. He was sure she finally had enough anger fueling her that she would kill him. Even if it was caused by the loss of control.

All of a sudden it all stopped. His lungs cleared, the fire ceased and he was left only standing in front of her. "Let me get some things straight," she said coldly. "I don't care if you suffered in Omega as much as me, I hope you did. I hope every single breath you took was excruciating. You deserved all of that pain and worse." She took a step closer and a rope of fire closed around his throat. "Second, you can help me get to Obsidian or you can be a bystander. But if you do anything to try and stop me I will use a far worse method to make sure that rotting heart of yours stopped. Permanently." She squeezed the rope before erasing it. "Did I make myself clear?"

Valtor offered her nothing but a sigh. "Good," Bloom said and pushed past him down the hall.

He didn't want to have anything to do with her for the rest of the day so he decided on a small planet on the outskirts of the dimension that prided itself on its power of shielding. It took him no more than an hour to find the core, send his Mark on whoever got in his path and leave.

By the time he got back to Magix, he was craving a release. He entered a bar in the slums of the city, wearing the disguise of a Solarian scholar who finished his studies and wanted a party. The crowd danced and drank with him, all of them oblivious to who was actually amongst them. Valtor gulped down his eighth shot and by four in the morning, he was so drunk that he no longer remembered the angry fairy who waited for him.

After getting bored of the same environment he moved to the bar next door. Valtor ordered a new round of drinks which caused a crowd of specialists, fairies, witches and wizards to gather and cheer him on. Feeling surprisingly generous, he paid for everyone's drinks and watched as a group of people inside did their best to not stare at him.

He propped himself against the bar, asking the bartender to bring him a new bottle when a girl stalked toward him and away from her friends. It seemed like they were pepping her on. She was probably in her late twenties and by the aura that surrounded her power he could tell she was a witch. A former pet of Griffin's then.

"You look like you want some company," she said and slid onto a stool next to him. When he barely acknowledged her, the girl not so accidentally brushed her hand against his. "Sorry, must be the vine," she said quietly.

Valtor wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what she was aiming for. But he could also feel himself getting angry at the gesture. Who was she to touch him? He took a proper look at her and only then took in her features. The sharp cheekbones, green eyes and waves of ginger hair tied back. He was repulsed instantly. "You better take that somewhere else," he said, creating some space between them. But the witch only thought of it as a challenge and took a step closer. "I don't bite," she chuckled and moved her hand toward his shoulder.

Valtor dropped his mask and saw the colour disappear from the girl's face. There were so many people in the bar that no one paid them any attention. Not even her friends who probably lost interest as soon as she spoke to him.

"You-" she started moving away but Valtor caught her. "Please," the girl whimpered, her knees starting to buckle from fear. And he considered it for a moment. How it would feel to let her go, put his disguise back and drink the rest of the night away.

He might have done it if his eyes didn't once again fall onto her hair. He still held her wrist as his other hand untied the band around her ponytail and the ginger hair spilt over her shoulders. He could feel his power pulse through her and her body going from shaking to being utterly still. He raised the temperature of her blood slowly, ignoring the silent tears on her cheeks.

Only when she fell to the ground, her body lifeless did the people turn to gape at the scene. One by one the screams erupted as Valtor shut all the exits, trapping the crowd inside. "You have a choice. Accept my Mark or suffer the same fate as your friend over here," he spoke loudly, rolling her body onto its back with his boot.

The room was silent, not a single person dared to speak up. Until out of nowhere, a ball of purple energy shot towards him. He stopped it effortlessly, eyes searching for the person who shot it. It was a girl, a specialist by the looks of the artificial gun she was holding. Valtor snapped his fingers and she started to gulp for air until she too collapsed dead on the ground.

He reached for the bottle that the bartender delivered and took a swing. By the time he finished with half of it, the majority of the people were sprawled on the floor. Some with necks broken, others with blood coming from their mouths and noses. And when he was finished, he simply grinned.

That was the kind of night he had been craving.

Bloom was getting that key. If Valtor didn't want to help her, so be it. He wasn't her partner in this, she could do it on her own. As it was meant to be.

She was stupid to start relying on him, to let her hate scatter away. It was wrong and she had known it for months now. But until yesterday a part of her still held some ounce of hope. That maybe, just maybe everything about him was wrong.

That she had been wrong.

But then she saw the memory and all of it was laid out in front of her. No remorse, no regret, he had felt none of those things. And Bloom was pretty sure he didn't even know what they were, maybe even couldn't feel them.

For as similar as the two of them were, the one thing that would always set them apart was their morality. She wished she hadn't done many of the things that they accused her of. Though putting the Mark on Faragonda wasn't one of them. It had gotten her to this point.

She took a breath, debating on how was she to do this. She couldn't simply walk into the yard and demand to speak to Faragonda. A stupid, probably not-likely-to-work idea crept into her head. But if it was the only way to get her inside the school, it left no other way.

So she waited for what felt like years, completely hidden from sight, in the forest in front of the gates. After some time, finally, a fairy walked onto the path where the bus usually arrived. Bloom didn't have much time, so she acted quickly.

She came from behind and before the girl could react Bloom placed the Mark on her. The girl stood still, following Bloom back to Cloud Tower. If she was supposed to get on the bus, she would be away for a while anyway. Then Bloom focused on the magic Wizgiz had taught them. Transformation.

Luckily for Bloom, the girl's hair was just a few shades from her own. The face shape was definitely the hardest part. But with some trial and error, she achieved it nearly perfectly. Valtor was still not back which was simply a bonus. She put the girl with a group of witches, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You are going to tell me all the necessary information I need to know about you."

"Your wish is my command."

After a quick overview of her new puppet, Bloom was ready. She subdued her magic so no one could identify her and returned to the gates. With the information acquired from Grace, which was the fairy's name, Bloom knew how to access the main yard. She pressed a magical card acquired from Grace's pocket, on a special slot by the doors and watched in awe as they slid open.

The yard was empty save from three fairies on one of the benches. One of them Bloom knew as Mirta's roommate so she quickened for the main entrance. Barbatea was walking down the stairs in a hurry, almost crashing into her. "Sorry," Bloom said in Grace's squeaky voice. Barbatea eyed her but then blurted something about having to be more careful before going about with her business.

Bloom climbed two sets of stairs, eager to reach Faragonda's office without anyone noticing when her ears heard a familiar voice.

"Apparently no one has seen her outside her chambers since the attack. Palladium and Griselda are always whispering around the halls and not even Avalon is willing to tell us anything," Musa was saying to someone Bloom couldn't see from a pillar. Probably one of the Winx. She hoped she could catch sight of Stella, but her golden hair wasn't anywhere near them.

"Grace, are you alright?" the voice of Tecna caught her off guard. Of course, something had to go sideways. She didn't count on the Winx knowing who Garce was, she hoped she was just one more random junior.

"Yeah, um," Bloom tumbled with her words, trying not to seem too confused. "Thank god you're safe," Musa added and Bloom just stared at them dumbfounded. She had no idea why would going to town be such a scary ordeal. "The news arrived after you had already left, no way would Griselda let you go otherwise."

"Can I ask, what is this about?" Bloom asked, trying not to sound too interested, but just curious enough. Tecna's face fell and soon after so did Musa's. "There was an attack last night." Bloom inhaled sharply, fearing the direction this was going to take.

"Forty-three bodies were found."

Bloom was sure she heard her wrong. Tecna had to be wrong.

Bodies.

They had found bodies.

Was this her punishment for attacking him yesterday? The insides of Bloom's soul and head hazed over. She felt sick.

Of course, she knew he killed people before, but this-She hoped for, what? That he would suddenly turn a new leaf because he saved her life a few times? Because he had shown her kindness? Even when it went against his nature, she had seen traces of good in him. It clouded her judgement and she despised it.

"I thought of it more as teaching you a lesson, but punishment can work as well," he had said to her once before. This might not have been much different.

"Grace, are you sure you're okay? You look very pale," Musa asked, placing a hand on her shoulders. Bloom managed to nod, pushing all the feelings down. This was not the time to fall apart. "Just tired I guess, but I'm fine. Griselda sent me to check on Faragonda."

Musa and Tecna exchanged looks. Had she said something wrong?

"I hope she is recovering swiftly with your care. Alfea is lucky to have a healer fairy." Bloom exhaled, sometimes even her lies were spot on. She said goodbye to the girls and continued to the top floor and then to the office.

Palladium was exiting the office as she was about to open the door. Bloom paused, cursing herself and the recklessness of her plans. "Grace," he said with a smile, "-do you need something?"

She put on her most innocent smile as she explained that Griselda sent her. He didn't seem as convinced as Musa and Tecna but he stepped away from the doors. "I was just with her, but if Griselda thinks it necessary you check her again." He gave her a small nod before walking down the hall.

Bloom walked inside and nearly fainted at the sight of the Headmistress. She had never seen her so emotionless, so drained. Her skin was ashy as if she hadn't been outside in a while and the circles under her eyes were unmissable. She took a step forward which got Faragonda's attention.

"Grace, what is it dear?" she said, and even her voice was ghastly, the sentence followed by coughs. Bloom got closer and sat at the desk chair. "Don't scream," she said before dropping the mask and watching the horror in Fargonda's eyes. "Hello Headmistress," Bloom said slowly.

"I think we were rudely interrupted before, but now we can finish our conversation." Faragonda was not talking, she was not moving. If her chest didn't rise and fall Bloom would question if she was breathing.

The fire fairy set her hands on the desk between them.

"The key to Obsidian, where is it?" The Headmistress pulled on a string around her neck and produced a palm-sized onyx key. The mere sight of it made Bloom's breath hitch. She could feel the energy radiating off of it, like heartbeats. "How do I use it?"

"At the gates to Obsidian, there is a keyhole. The doors will sense your power and if you are of a weak heart you will be killed instantly. After that you have to be ready for the darkness to embrace you," Faragonda explained, removing the string from her neck.

"Where do I find the gates?" she asked, not being able to keep her voice from sounding excited. She was going to get them soon. Only a little bit more information.

"Valtor knows how," Faragonda said and the mention of the wizard made Bloom's stomach twist all over again. "Do you know how?" She shook her head. "I hid the key, I never learned how to get there."

It dangled in the air between them and Bloom couldn't help but smile.

Finally.

Once she makes Valtor talk, she will have all the answers and her parents will be free. It was so close.

The doors of the office burst open and a set of music waves erupted through the room, making her head spin. Bloom covered her ears as she got to her feet, facing the raging faces of Musa, Tecna, Griselda and Palladium.

"I knew it," he hissed, looking from Bloom to Faragonda. "You might be good at disguises, but not that good. Your eyes are too light." Bloom rolled her real blue eyes. He stared at Faragonda, at her stillness, her lack of reaction and Bloom saw the puzzle click inside his head.

He nodded to the two Winx before aiming his attacks on Bloom. She pushed back with her own power, moving from Faragonda to defend herself.

All it took was a few seconds away. A sparkling layer of magical dust fell onto Faragonda from Musa's Enchantix bottle. Bloom watched the Mark materialize again and then fade entirely away. She cursed as Faragonda opened her eyes, and blinked from Musa to the room and then to Bloom.

She clutched the key in her hands tighter and played it back around her neck. The look on her face wasn't angry and Bloom could swear she seemed almost remorseful. But given how many lies she was telling them through the years, she was fairly sure Faragonda could no longer feel such an emotion.

Faragonda then summoned a spell of blinding white light and levitated it firmly in her palm, bracing for Bloom's attack. It didn't take a genius to notice just how weak she had gotten. The way her hands twitched, how hollow her gaze was or the lack of colour on her face.

"It will be better for you if you surrender Bloom," Palladium said as he walked over to Faragonda without lowering his attention from Bloom. The fire fairy almost laughed as she summoned a fireball. "So you can send me back to Omega, is that it?" she hissed.

Before they could say anything she continued: "You allowed them to do it, Headmistress. To place me in the same prison with a man that ripped my family away," she found her voice quivering.

She looked at each individual in the room. Griselda's face was a blank slate with a layer of disappointment and worry buried underneath it. Musa and Tecna were in a fighting stance. Musa had the same look as Layla as she stared at Bloom while Tecna's face still held a hint of reluctance. Palladium was in front of the Headmistress as if to shield her and Faragonda-

There were tears in the corners of her old face. She was crying in front of her for the first time and Bloom wasn't sure how it made her feel. "I'm sorry," the words were whispered, aimed at Bloom. "That is something I should have told you since the moment I found out who you are." She gently pushed Palladium away and took a step towards the fire fairy.

Bloom was instantly on her guard, the spell in her hand igniting. "We thought that it was a mistake. It had to have been because to us you died the day that Domino fell. But your power was unmistakably the Dragon Flame," she went on and with each sentence walked a step closer. She got within arm's length of Bloom and then stopped. Palladium was still right next to her but when Faragonda nodded he stepped away.

"We didn't know what to do or what it meant, but there you were. And you didn't even know that magic existed," Faragonda's eyes softened. "Your life had already changed drastically, so when we found out the truth I didn't want to upset you even more-"

Bloom, now calmer, cut in: "You should have told me. I shouldn't have had to hear it from the Trix." Her voice was accusatory as she continued: "You were my mentor. I should have found it all out from you."

The resentment spread over Bloom's heart while the ache at the apology tried to overpower it. She was so angry at the headmistress for all the pain and all the lies and yet all her soul wanted was to go back to normal and back to Alfea.

"I know dear," Faragonda continued. Techna and Musa exchanged looks with Palladium and after a single nod from their professor, they left the room. Griselda walked closer, to the right side of Fragonda.

"At first, I thought you would be better off with the Council." Bloom's skin crawled at the mere mention and she flinched. Faragonda seemed to notice because she didn't come any closer. "But Bloom, then I got to know you and you were such an incredible fairy and an even more generous friend. You saved us all from Darkar," she went on, extending a hand to touch Bloom's shoulder.

The fire fairy couldn't hold the tears any longer and they trickled down her cheeks. "Then Valtor came back and I knew that you would find out the truth eventually. It's selfish of me to say that I wanted to keep you safe from it, hoping you wouldn't go as far as you did."

Bloom interrupted her again: "All the choices I have made were to get my parents back," her voice was slightly uneven, "I never-" she started and swallowed to regain composure. "I never wanted to hurt anybody."

"I believe you," the old fairy said, gently touching her on the shoulder. Bloom hated how much she wanted that warmth and security she had once felt with Faragonda. In many aspects, she had looked up to her as a second, or well, third, mother and she didn't want to accept all the terror that she had made her feel.

She left them in Obsidian. The words echoed in her hand loudly. "I just want them back," she whispered and Faragonda nodded, stepping next to her. "We will dear, we will." Bloom's eyes ignited at the words. She looked at Faragonda in disbelief. "You will let me, you will give me the key?"

"Faragonda-" Palladium tried to intervene but she shut him up with a pointed look.

"We will figure it all out, Bloom," the Headmistress said, taking Bloom's wrists into her hands. "Just let me help you, let me make it right." A sob broke out from Bloom's throat as she thought about it.

Her parents free and safe with her. Their kingdom rebuilt and filled with citizens. Kids running around the courtyards, fairies and wizards attending the royal balls, she and her parents visiting Roccaluce Lake and talking with Daphne, Mike and Vanessa coming to visit her. She had wanted it. All of it and more.

She chose to forget the threat of the Council, the exile on her head, her disagreements with the Winx, and most importantly, Valtor. She didn't want to imagine what he would do or how she would make him reveal the way to Obsidian. She pushed it to the back of her mind.

All of it for this.

So Bloom looked Faragonda directly in the eyes and nodded. The older fairy smiled genuinely before in a split of a second she placed enchanted cuffs on both of Bloom's wrists.

When Valtor returned to Cloud Tower, the castle was surprisingly quiet. All the witches were still in their rooms. And yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

He went through all of the rooms until he found the anomaly. A girl he had never seen before was lying on one of the beds, reeking of light magic. He didn't dwell twice upon inspecting her neck. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary until he chanted one of the blood spells and a curled-up dragon started to glow red on the fairy's skin.

Valtor sighed as he made his way toward Griffin's office and through the magical hallway to Bloom's room. He didn't stop to knock before opening the door. But the room was empty.

He tried to locate her through her powers, but the line was blank. As if there was no one on the other end.

As if she was-No.

He would have known.

Which only meant that someone managed to successfully obliterate the keeper of the Dragon Flame.