ELEMENT

Chapter Thirty: A Million Chances

"So, it happened?"

"...Yeah." Mage fidgeted with her thumbs, letting a gentle, nonexistent breath part her lips.

"Eh, don't worry about it. I'm glad I didn't have to watch it." Paladin snorted.

"I'm glad they forgive each other eventually, but the way it happens is..." Her mind prevented her from continuing the sentence. "Ugh. No. I'm not happy with it."

"Well, you can't change it, can you?"

"No. As much as I want to."

Amaranth laughed. "You two are so cryptic."

"Shut it, Amaranth." Mage pushed his face away.

Mage and Paladin still hadn't let the mask down. Their faces were blocked by spastic white squares, so only they could see each other.

"Yeah, shut it, Amaranth." Harry teased.

"Shut it, Harry!" Mage repeated, louder and stressed.

"Whaaaaat?! I'm sticking up for you!"

"I don't need you to stick up for me! Asshole!"

Despite the masks, however, Harry lived (or didn't live) with the knowledge. He knew who she was. He just chose not to use it against her.

Maybe it was once that Amaranth saw her face, and Paladin's, but never her name.

Harry knew her name.

"Alright!" Harry sighed, flapping his lips and throwing his hands up. "Handle what you will, I guess."

"Thank you." Mage said through gritted teeth, not exactly thankful. Turning to Paladin, she squinted gently. "...Hey, Paladin. Does that hurt?"

"Does what hurt?"

"Your face, it's..."

A sudden cracking noise jolted the empty palace, shocking the spirits to their core. Even the two lone ghosts in the corner raised their heads.

Paladin brought a hand to his face. "W-what was that?!"

"...Everyone, look away."

Amaranth and Harry turned around, as did Louise and Amber, as Mage waved her hand up.

Paladin's face was cracking at his forehead, matching the white glow that was identical to the one shining off his empty eyes. He hadn't lifted the mask in so long, he'd forgotten what it was like to not be weighed down by it.

"It's cracking."

At least everyone, even Amaranth, had the decency to turn. After all, they'd only have the siblings for a little while longer.

"What about yours?"

Mage breathed in, flapping away the mask. Hers was fine. "So how can it be just you?"

"It used to always be you." Paladin laughed. "Funny how things change."

"No, it's not funny. It's awful." Mage wrapped her arms around Paladin's shoulders, hugging him tightly. "It's awful how things change."

"Strange. I've heard that somewhere before." Harry still faced the wall.

Mage sighed, leaning away. "Alright." She placed a mask back over Paladin's face and hers. "You can turn around now."

Everyone cautiously turned back around, Harry's hands clasped tightly. "Everything okay?"

"I think our departure is arriving sooner than I thought." Mage looked down at the floor, holding Paladin's hand. She looked up at him again. "If that happens again, tell me. I can speed things up if I have to."

"You probably shouldn't," Paladin pointed out. "You should let this happen on its own."

"Oh, come on. This is all I've been looking forward to for 10,000 years."

"I've never seen a kid so excited to die a second time."

"It's for you!" Mage giggled, nudging him. "All of this is for you!"

"Oh, really? I think I remember saying the same thing once." Paladin leaned down teasingly. "And you didn't listen to meeee!"

"Oh, shush! I was stubborn!" Mage laughed.

"You still ARE stubborn!"

Mage and Paladin's voices echoed like an ethereal backwards tape, and if you listened close enough, you could hear other whispers as they talked, like their aura emanated memories of the past.

"Okay. Come on." Mage let herself stop laughing, leading Paladin to the center of the palace. "Look. There they are."

Sage, Ethan and Robin entered the castle, trudging upstairs—remembering to take off their boots and coats. They passed directly through Mage and Paladin, chattering cheerily.

"I'll never get used to this." Paladin sighed, chuckling bittersweetly.

"Hey. You won't have to. It's almost over. And you should be happy." Mage took both his hands, looking at the door.

Meadow walked in with an incredibly blank expression. And she stood there.

"Aren't you happy?" Mage turned back to Paladin, who was still looking at Meadow. "Aren't you excited? You're going to be free. You and me both."

Paladin's eyes stayed fixated on Meadow. "She's hurt."

"She's emotionally hurt," Mage nodded in response. "She did it to herself, and she knows it."

Paladin gently let go of Mage's grip on his hands, walking with small steps towards Meadow, who was still and unmoving.

"Paladin?" Mage called, but he only stepped further.

And, carefully, Paladin wrapped misty and nonexistent arms around Meadow, who only barely felt anything.

Mage sighed, feeling bad—not just for Meadow, but for her own brother.

And when Paladin let go, Meadow teleported away. Presumably upstairs.

He turned to Mage, who was holding her hand out to him.

"Come on. We have a job to do."

If he was able to cry, he would be.

He'd rather be alive than here, and he wished the same for his sister.

To Be Continued in Chapter 31