Claws and Heartstrings: Logan Howlett | Wolverine ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི

Chapter Forty-Nine

—2 Days Ago..
-Lalia

The hum of the Blackbird jet's engines filled the air, a constant reminder of the mission we were on. The dim lighting cast eerie shadows, making the space feel even more confined. Jean was engrossed in an old, leather-bound book, her face a mask of concentration.

Jean began rifling through the books we had stashed on the plane, her fingers moving quickly, eyes scanning for any relevant passage. Suddenly, she paused, her eyes widening. "I think I found something."

I leaned in, my heart pounding as she pointed to a pattern in the texts. "These books are filled with countless prophecies and ancient tales, but each one hints at a loophole, a way to overcome the ending."

Desperation clawed at me as I looked up, my voice trembling. "What? What is it?"

Jean's eyes locked onto mine, a tumultuous blend of hope and dread swirling within them. "Every single one of these prophecies boils down to two things: love and sacrifice," she said, her voice heavy with the weight of ancient truths. "It's as if the fate of everything rests on these choices, and neither path is without its own peril."

"What do you mean, love and sacrifice?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, the weight of Jean's words sinking in.

Jean's eyes locked onto mine with intensity. "In these prophecies about infamous witches—Hecate, Morgan le Fay, even the Salem witches—they all faced similar trials and defied fate. The key to overcoming it lies in one act: sacrificing yourself for someone you love."

"Sacrifice?" I stammered, my voice trembling as the word seemed to weigh down the air around us. "Like, die?"

Jean nodded slowly, her expression a blend of confusion and revelation. "Yes and no. The act should be powerful enough to bring you back to life. It sounds completely crazy," she said, shaking her head.

A shiver coursed through me as I recalled my request to Logan. I had promised him I'd find another solution, not wanting to deceive him. Yet, deep down, I knew that if it came to it, I would see it through, with or without his help.

She began flipping through the ancient, weathered pages of the books, her fingers tracing the faded lines of text. "All the witches who sacrificed themselves in these books, these old Greek and Roman tales, all show how they waited for the very last thing in one of these prophecies to fulfill before they had someone they loved to kill them. And they were able to beat it somehow."

"If I were to sacrifice myself, how do I know I'll be able to come back to life?" I asked, my voice tinged with dread.

Jean sighed deeply, her eyes a storm of sympathy and determination. "Well, your abilities go beyond mere power. You wield magic—chaos magic. The entity within you, The Scarlet Witch, is eager to break free. If she does, the surge of power could overwhelm your conscious mind, influencing your decisions much like the Darkhold."

I frowned, struggling to piece together her cryptic explanation. "Okay, what are you getting at?"

Jean took a deep breath, her gaze piercing through the shadows. "If the prophecy begins to unfold and someone you love strikes you down just before the Scarlet Witch emerges, there might be a way to defy it. By vanquishing the entity within you, the dormant power you harbor could potentially surge out, bringing you back to life."

Jean looked up at me, her eyes shifting from the ancient books. "But you have to understand, this isn't guaranteed—"

I cut her off, my voice laced with desperation. "How will I know when she's starting to emerge? Tell me any way I can beat this fate."