Mystic - EN version

Chapter 41 : Legacy

Clave struggled to free herself from the chains. She had never seen this kind of magic before: it was as black as night. Noah had never told her he could do this.

The young girl didn't know what to think. She just wanted to go and cry in a dark corner and not move at all, but she had to stay strong and keep her composure. Using her own magic, she managed to break her restraints. She got to her feet and stood in front of the door Noah had gone through. It had closed: she needed the code for the pendant. But she didn't know it. She was too shocked to have memorised it when Noah had said it. She wasn't even sure she was really capable of it.

"How did Noah find the code...?"

Then the young girl had an idea: was the code the sequence of numbers she'd seen on his shoulder when Arthur had made her his servant? Had Noah looked at it when they had slept in the same room in the castle?

Or had Marcus, perhaps knowing it, told him?

She opened the two top buttons of her shirt collar and slid her sleeve under her left shoulder. The letters were there, as they had been ever since Clave had become a servant and then been released. It seemed so long ago...

Clave looked at the code tattooed on her skin and, concentrating, ran her index finger along the writing to read it, as it was upside down in comparison to her gaze.

"C... 6... L... 3..."

When she had finished deciphering it, it read...

– C6L32A6V1E2, she murmured.

As soon as those letters and numbers were out of her mouth, the door opened again. The young girl turned slowly towards the entrance, towards the path leading to the Crown, and, taking a deep, determined breath, she advanced into the passageway, in pursuit of Noah.

After barely ten metres, she spotted a light. She quickened her pace, anxious. She wanted to call Noah, but she had a feeling that wasn't a good idea. She had no idea what he was planning or why he was doing it, but it was probably for a good reason. He couldn't have betrayed her, never.

The young girl then entered a huge domed room with golden walls. The first thing she noticed was the large pedestal in the centre, on which the Crown rested. Then she saw Noah, lying on the floor. He wasn't moving.

– Noah? exclaimed the blonde in panic.

She rushed over to him and crouched down beside him. The young man's face was twisted in pain.

Clave quickly realised that he had tried to seize the Crown, but had not succeeded. This made the young girl even more doubtful. Could she really do it?

"I have to do it" was her only thought.

Then she stood up and grabbed the Crown with both hands. Golden magic began to sizzle around her palms. It was quite hot, but bearable. Clave then removed the Crown from its base and gently placed it on the top of her head. Immediately, a long, burning shiver ran through her and she fell heavily to her knees on the floor. She thought for a moment about removing the Crown from her head, but her whole body was paralysed; she couldn't move. She began to pant.

Her heart was beating faster and faster.

Her vision became increasingly blurred.

Until darkness fell upon her.

– Mystic, listen to me! exclaimed a voice.

It took Clave a moment to react and turn towards the person who had said her name, but when she did, she realised that it wasn't really her who was being called.

She immediately recognised the people standing in front of her: it was herself and Ruby. They were kneeling on the floor and Mystic was crying her eyes out.

– I don't want to do this... I can't! she whimpered.

It was then that Clave noticed that the queen was holding out a long knife to the princess, and that its blade was pointed at her stomach.

"She wanted Mystic to... I mean, kill her? But I didn't, did I...?"

Ruby, who was also starting to get teary-eyed, put her hand on Mystic's cheek.

– I'm sorry, sis... I'm going to die anyway...

Then Mystic took the knife gently between her fingers and whispered:

– Sorry, Ruby, sorry... I love you...

The Queen smiled, then her sister thrust the blade into her stomach.