Pressure - A Wish Sequel

Her Suffering

"Better, Asha, but try again.." Magnifico's voice travelled through the small opening of the mirror, and a soft smile brushed over Amaya's lips. She knew that her husband wasn't thrilled about having to teach someone else magic, especially not the teenager who had brought down his reign, but she was touched that he was attempting it for her.

Amaya let out a sigh, looking around into the darkness, shivering at the occasional green flicker of energy that passed before her eyes. The air around her began to grow heavier and more suffocating the longer she remained in there, as though it was trying to suppress any joy or happiness she felt.

"He won't get you out of here, you know" a voice behind her made Amaya jump, and she turned around, finding herself face to face with an image of her husband formed of a green mist. The forbidden magic.

"I don't care. He'll save Rosas..."

"Perhaps, but he won't save you. Why would he? You turned your back on him when he needed you the most. Betrayed him when he was clearly not himself. Banished him to a life in here..."

"I.." Amaya faltered. She knew there was some truth in those words. Had she followed him after the citizens of Rosas disrespected him, she might have been able to talk him down again and turn him away from the book. Once he'd taken that step, she had turned on him to protect the Kingdom. "I didn't banish him" was all she could say.

"Do you think he forgives you? For any of it? For abandoning him and betraying him? For tricking him into his freedom at the cost of your own?"

"That's something we can work through later. When he—"

"When he saves you? Why would he want to do that? Why would he save the wife that let him down over and over again?" The smoke figure hissed in her face. Amaya didn't respond. It was a question she had found herself asking in the darkness, but every time she did, Magnifico would appear at the glass, gently caressing the image of her face, his eyes full of love for her and sorrow at the situation.

He loves me, Amaya reminded herself. He is saving Rosas for me.

The forbidden magic seemed to grow irritated at the Queen's silence, annoyed that it couldn't cause her sorrow or despair, wanting nothing more than to crush her spirit while it still had her in its grasp. Magnifico might have escaped it, but the magic would try its hardest to make sure that he didn't get everything he wanted. If it could break Amaya before he could free her, perhaps that would be enough to satisfy.

The green mist shifted its form, turning into a swirl before transforming before her eyes into a man she had not seen in centuries, not since the day she'd run into Magnifico's arms, covered in bruises. Amaya let out a gasp, taking a step back.

A cruel chuckle left the green figure as it stood before her looking just like the father she feared.
"I always knew you'd disappoint him eventually. Just like you disappointed me."

"I was never going to do anything BUT disappoint you. You'd already set me up to fail..." Amaya didn't know why she was arguing back, why she was giving this entity any of her time. The more she talked to it, the more drained she became, the more sorrow took over her heart. She knew she had to stay strong, like Magnifico had.

"You always were a stupid girl. A foolish girl. Do you really think you can beat me?"

Amaya scoffed, before shaking her head. "None of this matters... You won't break me. My father no longer matters. Magnifico doesn't need to forgive me. He doesn't need to free me. I know that he still loves me."

"What makes you so sure?" The corrupt magic hissed in her ear, returning to its misty form, looming over her like a serpent about to strike.

"Because you're stuck in here with me, instead of continuing to possess him." She turned to face the break in the darkness, the barrier between this dark place and the outside world. Just the sight of her husband on the other side pushed most of the sorrow from her. He was free. He was back to his benevolent self. She had saved him from an eternity paying for his use of forbidden magic. Placing her hand on the glass as she watched Magnifico roll his eyes at Asha, Amaya chuckled.

"I gave him a kiss of True Love, and it broke your hold on him. I don't care if I have to remain here for millions of years... you'll never have him again."