The Twins • Book One • Wattys2017

Chapter 32- The Finale

Song: Holding On and Letting Go by Ross Copperman

Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to voice your opinion, ask any questions and point out any mistakes I make.

Nia's POV

This is it. The last battle against my aunt. She has to die, the world deserves to be free of her poison.

"Hello my heir, your powers truly have no limits if you can teleport across realm barriers with someone. Teleporting while traveling between realms is very difficult anyway, but to four with a passenger? It's practically unheard of." Cora evilly smiles at me.

My heart pounds in fear. What if I lose control? I could potentially hurt a lot of people, which scares me. I don't want to be an emotionless killer like my aunt, I won't.

"You can't distract me with talk of my power. You are simply jealous that I am more powerful than you." I taunt, hoping that my impulsive decision to make my aunt angry and lose control will go correctly.

"Nia, what are you doing?" Saber worriedly asks mentally.

"Trying to get Cora lose control so she slips up and I can kill her." I reply "Don't worry about it."

"But Nia..." I cut him off, focusing back on my aunt.

"Me? Jealous of you? That's funny. You must be more arrogant than I thought." Cora sneers, but I can see the anger brewing in her eyes. I snort in disbelief, pulling off the best acting I've ever done.

"Yeah, sure." I say sarcastically, acting sassy and bratty "Admit it, you want my strength under your control, and it annoys you that you were so close to achieving it, but I slipped away. It annoys you that I have the courage to stand here and taunt you, since I know that you can't really hurt me, you're too weak." I smirk, noticing her clenched fists and tense body language.

Cora screeches and leaps at me, pinning me against the wall. I knock away my strong façade and let my fear show through, so Cora will become confident and keep me pinned here... hopefully. None of this is really planned, I'm just going with the flow. I put my hands on her shoulders, acting like I am trying to push her away but I can't, when the reality is I am draining her life force and powers, adding it to my own.

"Who's weaker now?" Cora shouts in triumph. Her skin is starting to become paler, and I can feel her strength adding to my own. Soon, Cora becomes frightened and tries to pull away from me, but I dig out my claws and dig them into her shoulders so she can't move.

She lets out a blood-curdling screech that echoes throughout the whole room, and I roar in rage, power and relief as the last shrivel of Cora's powers and life flow into me. I listen intently for her heartbeat, and discovering that it's gone, I retract my claws.

Her body drops to the ground like a stone; no sense of life is left.

The reality of what I just did comes crashing around me. I killed my aunt. She might have been evil, but still, she was related to me. Just knowing I killed someone is hard, the guilt floods me. I lean against the wall and slowly slide down it while silent tears fall out of my eyes. What will everyone at the house think of me? What about Ivy, or Aunt Meredith and Uncle Alaric? What will my parents think of me if I ever meet them, knowing that I killed my aunt, my mother's sister? What will Saber think?

Then, my mind starts to feel emptier as my tears become full sobbing. I don't know why it feels this way, it just does. I feel things slip away, but I can't remember what they are. I think there is something I am supposed to remember about what's happening, but I can't. I start to feel the emptiness increasing even faster, until there is one image, one name, one feeling that my mind and heart struggles to hold onto.