"Before me there were no created things
But those that last forever—as do I.
Abandon all hope you who enter here."
―Dante Alighieri, Inferno
There were two things Bloom was absolutely certain about when she first stepped into the land of Obsidian.
First, Obsidian was a wasteland. Wherever she turned were bones of monsters and animals, covering the grounds as if they were its ornaments. The air stunk of decay, a smell that got stuck in her nostrils and she had to stop herself from vomiting. The only indication that there was ever any sort of life were wilted plants.
And second, they knew she was here. She felt dark magic, much like Darkar and Valtor's was. But the worst part was the pull of it, and its raging essence in every breath she took as if her dark magic was being summoned to the surface.
Ever since Darkar, she had grown close to that feeling, but this was more intense than in Magix. The pressure slithered around her limbs and found its way to her heart and she shivered.
Avalon's orange prison flashed before her eyes, but she pushed it away. She had to make sure that what she still had of her mental shields was intact. Reaching out in her mind, she noticed the eery shadows threatening to slip under the cracks.
But, Bloom was ready for them and focusing on her thoughts, she put up a wall of dragon fire around the bricks of her subconscious. Valtor would be proud of her progress, she thought. She retreated from the thoughts instantly as there would be time for that once she returned. Thinking about him now would only distract her.
She exhaled and stared ahead into the endless darkness as the cold breeze slammed into her, causing shivers to prick her skin. Even the wind wasn't normal here, all of its fibres were bathed in dark magic. And she hated how some part of her craved it.
She started to walk, following the instinct in her heart. Whether it was drawing her towards the witches or her parents she didn't know, but a gut feeling was telling her she would find them both at the same place.
A bone crushed under her foot and scattered into dust. Bloom shivered as she continued, doing her best not to let her eyes wander too much. Because if she decided to focus on the hanging bones and the rotting flesh, she was sure to vomit.
"It sure does bring memories, doesn't it?" a voice said from the dark.
"Who's there?!" Bloom shouted and turned in a circle, but found no owner.
"Imagine how it would have been if the Council had left you to rot like this," the stranger continued.
"Whoever you are, show yourself," Bloom demanded again and the creature burst into laughter.
Something breathed close to her neck and she snapped her eyes to the source. There, standing close to her was some sort of witch or fairy, but she didn't look similar to anyone from Magix.
Her body seemed to be infused with an insect as large and sharp moth wings were spread on her back. Her limbs and fingers were elongated inhumanly, but what gave Bloom the biggest shivers was her skin. It looked like she had insectoid scales that spread down her body and disappeared underneath her armour.
Bloom gulped but was instantly ready for an attack.
"It is such a displeasure to meet you at last Princess of Domino," she said, slurring the last words. "I am Mandragora," she said with a mocking bow.
The name wasn't familiar to Bloom so she simply waited.
"My mistresses are so glad you decided to join us. They are ecstatic to add your skeleton to their collection."
At those words, Bloom's blood ran cold. She fired at Mandragora, but the woman simply teleported, leaving empty space behind. Bloom waited for her to reemerge, but when she didn't show up in the next couple of minutes, she decided to keep walking, yet still be on alert.
She knew there were going to be obstacles in her way, but she didn't imagine them to be some sort of deformed insect humanoids. Maybe Mandragora hadn't always been that way, maybe it was what happened to souls who wandered into Obsidian and never got out. Bloom didn't plan on staying long enough to find out.
She transformed, and her body instantly felt more powerful. Even if the power itself didn't lay in her transformation, she still felt protected by it.
For the next several miles there was nothing in her way besides rows of skeletons, most of them human. She avoided looking at them, telling herself that her parents had to be alive. They weren't one of them.
The air was turning heavier the farther she walked, but she didn't let it slow her down, even if she had to make short pauses to regain her composure and rest her legs. She sat on one of the rocks, far away from the decaying flesh, and closed her eyes. It was so comforting to do it, to not have to think about what awaited her.
She opened them again and found herself unable to move. She was lying down, strapped to some kind of table. Bounds were placed over her mouth and around her limbs.
She blinked once then twice, trying to force the scene away.
It couldn't be real. She escaped.
And yet, this was the inside of Darkar's fortress. The same dark walls, the same table. Bloom tried to keep herself calm.
It wasn't real.
And what's not real couldn't hurt her.
A figure appeared in front of her, pushing her hair out of her face. Bloom flinched when her eyes settled on the person.
It wasn't Darkar or the Trix.
But Valtor.
He leaned down, breathing into her ear: "Not so powerful anymore, are you?" She tried to recoil from him, but the bounds were too hard.
"How naive you are," he said and retreated from her, now watching her like she was nothing more than a pest.
"You danced right into my open arms," he chuckled darkly and her insides froze. It might as well be a mockery of her most precious memory, their dance on Paxesion.
"Did it never once occur to you that this is exactly what I was counting on? That you would come here willingly and serve as one more sob story." He stared at her expectantly before realizing she couldn't speak.
"How very rude of me," he mumbled and dispelled the bound on her mouth.
"You are not Valtor," Bloom spat. The man in front of her rolled his eyes. "What makes you think so, Princess?"
She wanted to slap him for using that word.
"This fortress was destroyed during Shadow Haunt," Bloom stated.
"Oh, that's right, after your little performance," he said and circled the table. "But, my dear, this realm can become whatever I command it to be." He paused to look at her and smiled: "Even Darkar's hideout."
Bloom refused to believe him.
This, whoever it was, couldn't be Valtor and Dakrar and everything regarded to him was gone.
But, then, how did it seem so real?
How was he so real?
"You don't believe me, do you?" he snarled and leaned toward her again.
"I wonder how I could convince you," he said and the scene around them changed.
Now she was shackled to the ceiling of the Council's dungeon. He had a whip in his hands and struck. Bloom anticipated it, and yet she still screamed on impact. Her leg began to bleed, the strike burning from his power.
"Or would you prefer this," he snapped his fingers and they were now on Andros and one hand was tucking her hair back behind her ear. Bloom wanted to spit in his face. She wanted to pull away but the bounds held her firmly.
"Better yet, I think this scene would be more to your liking."
They changed locations again and Bloom saw him attacking Alfea, then Domino, then Cloud Tower.
It seemed that he knew everything about them. About her.
She fought against the scenes, panting as she said: "You are not him."
The man's eyes darkened. "Suit yourself, Princess," he whispered and then came one more blink.
And she was within Shadow Haunt. Sky stood before her, face twisted in pain.
Bloom averted her gaze. "No, not this. Anything but this." She began to shake violently as the image of Sky began to scream.
"I am having such fun with you," he said almost excitedly as he knelt next to her and forced his fingers under her chin.
"There is someone I missed, I am sure you miss them terribly."
When Bloom didn't respond, he laughed and whispered a spell under his breath. Three new people appeared before her.
The Trix.
Icy already held an ice spear, Darcy's eyes were full of vengeance and Stormy didn't waste a second before slamming a bolt of lightning into her abdomen.
Bloom cried out. Darcy multiplied and sent shockwaves at her trembling body, making her tremble even more.
"They have waited so long to do this," Valtor lookalike said as he joined in on the attack. He burned the flesh around the wound. The smell which greeted her was all too familiar and her insides twisted.
"I want to try something new," memory-Icy stated and aimed her hand at Bloom's throat. Icicles burst inside of her and filled her airway with blood. She started to gurgle, unable to spit it out. Icy reached back for her spear and started to carve letters onto Bloom's skin. The fire fairy tried to remain calm, but it was hurting so much. She didn't know how to stop herself from screaming, knowing no one would help her.
The Winx were not coming for her.
And whoever this Valtor imposter was, she knew that the real one wasn't going to appear either.
This was her mission. Her parents needed her.
She closed her eyes and focused on her surroundings.
She wasn't on the table, the Trix weren't here.
She was in Obsidian.
She just needed to make her mind remember it.
"All you had to do is surrender and it will all stop," Valtor was telling her as she trashed on the table. Stormy had created electric wires and forced them around her neck, squeezing her tight and burning her at the same time.
"No," Bloom spat, blood splashing onto the tiled floor.
Valtor raised an eyebrow, surprised she could talk.
"No," Bloom repeated. She focused on her power and pulled it to herself, blazing the bounds on her legs and arms. As soon as she managed it, the Trix disappeared along with her wounds. She was still panting from the mental exhaustion, but at least she was free.
"You are not Valtor," she repeated.
"This is all in my head."
"Maybe you are not as pathetic as I thought," he said and smirked. It was the same smirk as Valtor's and Bloom felt her heart squeezing.
Everything around her disappeared. She was back on the same road she had paused at with her hands wrapped around her chest. They have found their way inside her shields despite her power's protection. But, as long as she had a sense of what was real, she could bounce back.
She got to her feet, breathing heavily, but ready to move on. She didn't make it even a hundred meters forward when the sounds of snapping bones caught her attention. Something was moving around her in the darkness.
An insect, with large wings and an angular body stopped in front of her. Bloom swallowed, hoping it didn't notice her, but with her luck, it was sent her for her specifically. The creature lunged at her and Bloom sent a fireball straight for its body. She cursed as it hit its scales and did no damage.
Bloom ducked when its limb aimed for her head. It was three times her size and she felt like she was a small insect in comparison. She would have to hit it in the eyes if she wanted to do any actual harm. Which would be easier if two more of the same bugs didn't appear from different sides.
They had her cornered and if she moved to fly, they would squish her with their massive bodies. The one on her left opened its mouth and acid-like liquid came pouring out. When it fell on the ground, the animal bones burned away.
Bloom wondered what it would do to human flesh, and made a point to avoid it at all costs and never find out. The bugs were angry, barging at her. She slid underneath one to confuse them, crawling to the other side. She focused her fire arrow and shot it for the back of one's head.
The fire seemed to burn the insect and it started screeching. As soon as it turned to find her Bloom fired, managing to hit its eyes.
Mandragora appeared out of nowhere, cursing Bloom with every insult imaginable as she tried to tend to the insect. But, it crumbled down, its head burned through with Bloom's blazes.
Mandragora turned to Bloom with a vicious look that told the fire fairy just how much she wanted to smother her. She raised her hands and a couple of more monstrous bugs dug themselves out from the ground. Bloom stared at one that looked to be a cross-breed of a worm and mole. Its skin looked slimy, as if it was covered in sweat, and two large scrawny feet were holding it above ground. Bloom wondered how it could even move with such proportions.
It locked eyes with her and charged forward, swinging its tail in her direction. Bloom didn't dodge in time and it knocked her down into the dirt. She coughed and wanted to get back onto her feet until another insect landed above her. It had ten appendages and it dug each into the ground, trapping her inside. Some type of liquid kept dripping from its body, making her feel sick.
Bloom summoned her dragon and aimed it at the creature's limbs. Before Mandragora could come to taunt her, Bloom burned through the makeshift cage. She sent her dragon flying free, blazing off some of the other insects. One's body was cut in half, while others were either blinded or decapitated.
Bloom landed a couple of feet from their owner, her dragon at her heels. "You didn't seriously think that some little bugs could stop me?" she said with a smirk of her own.
Mandragora swallowed, as if scared, but regained her cocky attitude soon enough. "Oh my dear, but this was only the beginning. Obsidian has so much to offer, especially to royalty," Mandragora winked and flew upwards, becoming invisible due to the darkness.
As soon as she departed Bloom continued striving forward, coming upon
what appeared to be a condensed fog. She tried to fly above and to the side, but it surrounded too much of the area. Its vapour started to spread, engulfing her inside. She instantly covered her nose and mouth, but it wasn't enough to stop it from getting into her lungs.
Bloom's legs started to buckle, knocking her to the ground where even more poisonous gas started to appear. She could feel her head getting hazy, keeping her from standing up.
"Defeated by some air, how poetic," Valtor's voice came to her and she managed to make out a blurry figure standing in front of her. "I thought fairies were more tough than this," he said and crouched down. She was twitching on the ground, her nose and ears bleeding.
Valtor caught her by her neck and dragged her toward himself, she could do nothing as he made her look at him. "Pathetic and worthless. And they consider you some sort of hero," he snarled.
There were voices in her head and all of them were screaming. She wanted to snuff out the sounds and regain some sort of peace, but there was nothing to be done. She heard Stella's voice in that crowd, Mike, Vanessa and Daphne.
And even though the rational part of her told her none of it could be real, the hazy part in her current state begged her to smash down her mental shields and let go.
"All of it can stop little fairy," Valtor whispered. "All you have to do is surrender."
"It would be much easier for you if you just surrendered your mind little fairy."
Darkar's words played out in her head. It was as if this entire place caused her to replay her worst memories in order to break her. So she did the only thing that her weak body was capable of and spat into the fake Valtor's face. The figure cursed and dropped her to the ground. He was towering over her as if he wanted to strike her right there and then, but for some reason, he didn't.
She used the only resources she had and called her fire to her, letting it roam her system straight to her heart. She wasn't sure if it would work, and if it didn't it might just leave her vulnerable to this creature that posed as Valtor.
She had to burn the vapour from the inside of herself.
So Bloom let her fire run as if she had swallowed it. It coursed through her lungs and veins and made its way into every fibre of her body.
Valtor tried to grab her again, but as soon as he touched her, his skin started to blister from the heat.
She smiled through the pain as she got herself back to her feet. She cracked her neck to both sides before letting the flames erupt from everything around her. They spread like waves onto the nearby tree trunks, destroying everything in their path. Including the figure crouched on the ground.
She was the one smiling now as she knocked his body to the side and saw fear in its eyes. "What did you do to me?" it screeched and its body began to shift. It no longer resembled Valtor, nor any of her tormentors. It looked similar to Mandragora, a body infused with an insect.
"Oh, all of it can stop if you only surrender," she mimicked its words before smashing it with a fire wave. Its remains were left splattered on the dirt floor and Bloom stepped over it with ease.
She could feel the tingling of her dark magic at her fingertips, but she kept it back.
"You shouldn't have done that," Mandragora's voice said as she appeared in front of Bloom. "Plenty more from where that came from," Bloom replied and a fireball sprung to her palm. She held it back until Mandragora lunged at her. The flame slammed into her chest, sending her flying. Bloom was ready, she attacked again, creating firey ropes around the woman's wrists and ankles.
"You will never free them, Princess," she responded and started to laugh. The sound made goosebumps appear on her skin.
"Oh, I will. You just won't be there to see it," she created a circle of fire around the other woman's body.
"Please," Mandragora spat, "You don't have what it takes."
Bloom's eyes shone golden as the air within the ring started to drain. She couldn't tell what emotions were present in Mandragora's eyes as she stared at Bloom.
Hatred or fear or desperation?
"That is where you are wrong," Bloom replied and squeezed the ring shut, eliminating Mandragora from the picture.
Valtor was walking up and down the hallways, the rooms and the tunnels. But nothing could stop his mind from going towards Bloom.
He let her go in there.
Into Obsidian.
To the Ancestral witches.
After swearing no harm would come to her again.
He let her go in there.
He let her go.
He smashed a potion bottle onto the wall.
And what if she failed? What if all of her glory and heroism was for nothing and she died in there, tortured and alone?
He wanted to do so many things, hurt something so he didn't have to feel these wretched feelings inside his own mind.
But then again, what if she succeeded? What if Oritel and Marion got free?
It's not like they would let their precious and only daughter be associated with him. The man responsible for ruining their kingdom.
He laughed to himself. Did he actually believe that Bloom would ever join his side fully? Even if she was against Alfea it still didn't mean she would follow his conquest or his principles.
She would remain a distraction, one more thing he had to be aware of. And yet, he didn't want her to be anything but that.
He slammed his fist onto the desk.
An actual distraction was what he needed and he knew exactly where to get it. He had some unfinished business in there after all. And he would wager that not even Bloom would be that opposed to it.
Valtor teleported in front of Alfea in the dead of night. As all of the fairies and the faculty slept, he found the perfect spot and let his magic collide with their magic barrier. It didn't break right away, meaning that they at least had the sense to power up their security systems. But, a loud siren erupted from somewhere in the main building.
He summoned fire in the shape of lightning strikes, mercilessly attacking the protective field. Griselda was running towards the courtyard along with the rest of her faculty and the Winx. He smiled from above as at last, the barrier came down, its electric particles showering the air.
"It has been too long," he said as he stood before them. All at once they started to attack, even the pathetic Solarian princess as if she hadn't stood in his presence just a day before.
Valtor sent his powers soaring, knocking one of their professors into a wall and shackling him there. He turned to the newly arrived group of fairies and managed to implant his mark onto them. He sent them charging at the Winx who instantly used their fairy dust.
He fired at one of the buildings, bringing down glass pieces and parts of the wall. The fairies scattered to avoid the crumbling bricks and falling pillars which is exactly what he needed to slip inside the school.
The core was in the library and he was going to finally get ahold of it. He nearly collided with one of the fairies who was trying to reach the action.
"You are Valtor," the fairy declared and raised her hands as if ready to fight, but with one simple spell, Valtor trapped her within a flaming cage, her powers insignificant to him.
"You are a coward!" the girl screamed at him and it made Valtor pause.
He knew that the Winx were in his tracks and he wanted to show them just who they were dealing with. Dropping the spell around the fairy, she was instantly on her feet and attempting to strike him. Valtor began to laugh as he avoided her attacks. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Winx come to a halt.
"Get out of the way!" the Andros Princess yelled at the fairy, but the other girl was not giving it up. She attacked relentlessly and Valtor was almost amused at her durability.
Until he grew bored.
He raised his hand and aimed at the girl who stopped moving. "Let her go," the Princess demanded, trying to use her Morphix against him, but it didn't work. He summoned a wall of fire, isolating himself and the fairy inside. The Winx could only watch as he commanded her next moves.
"I need you to cut off your wings," he said simply and offered her a dagger from one of his pockets. The Winx were incoherently shouting, but Valtor paid them no attention.
He started to move back as the fairy brought the blade onto her wings.
Valtor was moving down the halls again, and by the time the Winx caught up with him, he had reached the library and with it, the core of Alfea.