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[24] Blood Stained Halo

POV: Saige.

"Go! Get out of here!"
"Paige, I can't just leave you here. I promised not to lose you again."
"You have to go. I can't save you if you stay."
Seth crawls then rises. He scrambles around avoiding trees and bushes.  Seth runs into a tunnel and keeps going.
"Seth! Seth!"
Seth hears a familiar, masculine voice. A figure in the distance approaches him. Seth leans against a cave wall and breathes heavily.
"Finn?"
"Yeah, I heard Mortaquor and I knew you needed help."
"I'm fine. What about the others? Where are they?"
Finn looks down and tries to collect his thoughts. Seth grabs Finn's shoulders and yells at him.
"WHERE ARE THEY?"
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
"Finn, I need you to rethink your answer because we don't have time to waste. Where are they?"
"Hunter locked them up."
"Hunter did what?"
"He thinks they're a threat. He thinks we're a threat and Steph is too worried about her daughter to care about us."
"That skrundell! He can't do that to us. We're the reason why he's alive!"
Mortaquor screams and ransacks through the woods in search for Seth. Finn and Seth dash through the cave and look for a back way out. They reach a dead end, a wall of rocks impede them from freedom.
"Why does she hate me?"
"Us Nocturnals are fair creatures. If we want you gone, it's because of something you've done that has caused us pain."
"That's not fair, that's revenge."
"No, revenge is letting you live with pain. We end your days so you can't hurt anymore people."
"So she's going to kill me?"
"Seth, she's coming. We need to go."
"Finn, answer me."
"I can try to stop her but I can't stop her heart from it's true desire."
Seth takes a deep breath before thinking of a plan.
"I have a plan. Finn, lure Mortaquor into the palace. I'll--"
"We can't! He surrounded the perimeter. We can't get in and no one can get out."
"How did you get out?"
"The Demon King can fly."
"Almost forgot he-- it existed. How do you want to do this?"
"Your idea wasn't bad. I think we can do it."
"But we can't walk or sneak in. It'll be a trap."
"The Demon King isn't he only one who can fly."
"You can still lure Mortaquor in."
"I can't carry you in."
"You don't need to. I'll sneak in. Do you know Hunter's architecture?"
"I'll draw you a map."
Finn rapidly draws a map of Hunter's kingdom.
"Enter here. Be careful, he has guards here, here and here but there are no guards located here, behind the cell he's keeping the rest of the team."
"What cell are the in?"
"The largest cell. It's all the way in the front so you'll have to fight off some guards or hide in the dark corners."
"Ok, ok. How do I get in?"
"Do you know how to climb a wall?"
"No but I know someone who can help me."
"Who?"
"Victoria's grave is full of cobwebs and if I could eat a good hand full wrapped around my hands I can scale the wall."
Finn nods. The duo find a crack in the wall of rocks. They scramble through it find an opening large enough to crawl through.
"She senses you. You have go, now!"
"Thank you and good luck."
"Bene fortuna, Frati." [Good luck, Brother.]
Seth nods then crawls out and tries to locate Victoria's grave.
"Finn! Finn, where is he?"
"Paige? Where's Morta-- How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. I need to find him."
"We have to go save the others."
"Yeah but we need to find him first."
"Paige, what's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
Finn looks into her eyes. Lita.
"This isn't you. Paige listen, you're being controlled. She poisoned you and now she controls you.
"No. That can't be I'm the most superior and--"
Finn knocks her out cold and tries to find the poison in her blood.
"I'm sorry, Paige but if this gets to your heart, there might never be a Paige, only a Mortaquor. A destructive Mortaquor."
Paige telepathically speaks to Finn.
"It's alright. I understand."
"Paige, you're still here?"
"Where else would I be?"
"I need you to tell me where you feel the most pain."
"My head but that was a courtesy call from you."
"Sorry but it was necessary. I meant where do you think the poison is?"
"My neck. The back of my neck. I think she injected something in me when she was experimenting with my powers."
"I think she wants to take over."
"You're right and for some reason, I can't stop her. She's too powerful."
"No, Paige. You can't give in."
"I don't think I can continue. My fight is over."
"SARAYA, NO!"
Paige's world fades to black.
"Saraya, I need you. Get up! Get up! Saraya?"
POV: Seth
Seth finds Victoria's grave covered in cobwebs. He wraps his palms with it and forms a good, solid grasp. He hears a voice behind him. A blonde woman runs his way.
"Hey, hey. Are you alright?"
"No, they're coming."
"Liv? Come here. You alright?"
Liv falls into his arms and buries her face into his chest.
"Liv, who's coming?"
"Them... the tall man and his cult in black. They... they want some girl and they think I know her but I don't. She happens to look like Paige. They call her Saraya."
"Saraya?"
Seth hesitated and looked around for any sign of the men.
Flashback:
"So... Seth?"
Seth looks up at Paige.
"Yeah?"
"I mean that's your name, right?"
Seth nods.
"What's wrong with it?"
"Seth... it's just really weird."
"And Paige isn't?"
"I know it is. That's why I chose it."
"What do you mean by chose it?"
"In Nexta, we choose new names. It symbolizes walking into a new life. Life after the eclipse."
"The eclipse?"
"The dark times in life."
"So who were you during the eclipse?"
"During... I was nobody but before the eclipse... I was Saraya."
"I like Saraya. I was Colby."
"Now, I don't know who I am."
"Neither do I but we'll find out."
"Together?"
"Together, stremble."
"Stremble."
Paige kisses Seth.
POV: Seth & Liv
"I need you to go. You need to run. Go to the nearest rock structure. You should see a small beam of light and there you'll find Finn. He'll help you. Go!"
"But the black cult men they're coming."
"Liv, go! I can't let you do this. I'll do what I can."
"Seth, please don't do this."
"I know you hate being alone but I--"
Liv looks up at him and kisses him. Seth pushes her off and looks at her.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Seth, I long for you. I've always wanted you."
"This isn't you, Liv. This isn't you."
Lita fully takes over Liv's body and uses the possessed girl.
"Are you scared, Colby? What do you fear most? Losing Paige or losing your soul? Do you fear me? Do you fear fear itself. Why aren't you answering me? Ti unfind dis archun (you lost this fight)."
"I don't fear you."
"Lies, you tell nothing but lies. Riddle me this, guiltless death or loveless death?"
"You're ridiculous."
"And you're running out of time."
"Your choices aren't too fair."
"Foolish boy. You choose guiltless death, innocence, and the blonde girl lives but if you choose a loveless death and Paige dies. The countdown begins."
"You can't be serious."
"Choose quickly."
Seth strategically uses the cobwebs to bind and lock Liv's hands together and carries her over to the cave.
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"I'll warn you again. You're running out of time, Colby."
"Don't use that name."
"Why not? Do you not favor it? Or do you fear you'll return to who you once were... or who you truly are?"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!"
"If only it was that easy. Admit it, Seth, Colby. You will NEVER change."
"Lita, leave me the hell alone!"
"You fear him. You fear the true you."
"Rot in Hades."
"Hades? The underworld? Aren't you silly? This is Hades. This failure of a kingdom is Hades. This kingdom will soon decay and when it does, the truth will be diverged. The true, hidden version of yourself will be displayed for all to see."
Seth drops Liv's body but looks straight into her eyes, Lita's presence.
"This kingdom will soon decay? That's absurd. This kingdom is already decayed. Stephanie's gone mad, Hunter or Paul is possessed with a bipolar condition, Shane and Aurora's presence are delayed, Sasha is battling an aggressive addiction, Roman can't express his true feelings towards the woman he loves, Finn's stuck between hunt or be hunted, Bliss is overcoming an emotional miscarriage and somehow nursing Neville back to health and Paige... Paige is gone and the only memory I have of her is her telling me to leave so I don't turn into Mortaquor's supper. Oh yeah, and I, I don't even know who I am anymore. So if you want to end my life in sacrifice to Liv and Paige, do it. There's nothing more I have to live for."
Seth falls to his knees.
"I will only accept one life. I see that you're a new man. You've changed. You're now thinking of other before yourself. Congratulations, Seth, you and Paige will live to see another day."
Seth sighs in relief and slowly rises, looking at Liv's soulless body.
"Come on, Liv. Let's go get you some help."
"Not so quick, Seth. I'm not done using her body. I spared your life. You owe me something now."
"I never asked you to spare my life."
"Fine then. I have you my sympathy but now you have to feel my wrath. Necrofad armriis le umpty un!"
"What the hell are you doing?"
Lita leaves Liv's body as Liv begins to choke and spit out a night tinted blood.
"Liv? Liv!"
"Colby."
A man with a structured height placed his hand on Seth's shoulder. Seth sat still. He wasn't startled but felt fear. He lifted Liv and turned to the man.
"Can you help her?"
The man in a long, matte black trench coat and hat nodded. He blew a black mist into her face and she instantly stopped choking.
"That Lita b-tch did a heavy job but it was just a scare. The blonde girl... She'll be fine in the morning."
"Thank you. Who are you?"
"I am The Undertaker, head of the Ministry of Darkness."
Seth becomes enraged.
"You're the-- You're here to take Paige away from me?"
"Paige is not my mission. Mortaquor is."
"What are your intentions?"
"She needs to know how to control Mortaquor before it controls her."
"It already has."
"No, it hasn't. If it did, we'd be dead."
"I'll show you to her whereabouts."
"No need. I sense her. She's close."
POV: The Team (Bliss, Roman and Sasha)
Bliss sits beside the entrance of their cell.
"So this is how it all ends?"
"Bliss, we'll find a way out. Hunter will come to his senses and together... we'll find a way out. We always do."
"Really, Sasha, will we? Hunter just turned the entire Kingdom on us and you think he's just going to reverse his oh-so powerful decision."
"We have to at least hope he will."
"Hope? You're pathetic. Hope is what got us in his forbidden hell."
"Are you still angry about the Neville situation thing? Bliss, Rome tried to protect him. He tried! We're all trying. Can't you see that? I'm so tired of your complaining. You're such a child."
"Oh? I'm a child? I'm a child? Look who's halos finally fell off. Wow, coming from the girl who ran off to a whore house and got addicted to hallucinogens. As I said before, you're pathetic."
"That's a new low. Even for you Bliss. I always knew you hated me. You were always jealous."
Alexa scoffs as Sasha continues her demanding lecture.
"I have everything. You have nothing. Look at you. You're the pathetic one. I bet Neville let himself get shot with that arrow so he wouldn't have to spend another moment with y--"
Alexa launches and aims for Sasha's face. Sasha fights backs
"Ladies! Ladies!" Roman attempts to separate the bickering women.
"Get off of me! Get your hands off of me!"
Bliss tries to push Roman off of her but instead bounces off of him. Sasha stands and stares at Bliss.
"Look away, b***h."
Sasha steps forward but Roman steps between the women.
"What's the meaning of this?  You two were the best of friends, what happened? You guys really going to let them win. The worlds already against us, we don't need to be against each other."
"Nice speech, Roman but it'll never change the fact that I really do hate Sasha."
"No surprise there."
Sasha rolls her eyes and sits at the opposite corner. Hunter and his two guards walk down to the team's cell.
"Get them out."
Hunter continues walking as the two guardsmen lead the team into an elongated blood stained hall. Bliss reads the sign above the door at the end of the hall: Execution Room.
"What's going on? Where are you talking us?"
Bliss runs off as Roman fights off the guards. Sasha follows Bliss.
"So you're just going leave?! Hypocritical b***h."
"Leave me alone, Sasha!"
Bliss reaches the end on the hall attempts to open the door but it's too stiff.
"Let me help you."
Bliss rolls her eyes and moves leftward. Sasha pulls on the right side and tries to make an opening. Roman runs towards them.
"Hurry up, girls! I can't hold them off any longer!"
Sasha and Bliss struggle to open the door but finally do. The duo falls onto the ground as the door opens and a bright white light illuminates the bloody hall.  A tall woman's figure is seen. Sasha focuses on the woman.
"Charlotte?"
"Queen Charlotte to you, peasant. Guards! Let him go! I need to have a talk with them. Get up, girls."
Sasha and Bliss look at each other then follow the Queen's orders. Charlotte struts into her throne room.
Sasha whispers to Bliss.
"Isn't that Lita over there?"
"Yeah. You don't think they're working together, do you?"
"I think they are."
Bliss groans in disgust.
Charlotte situates herself into her high chair and looks down at the trio.
"So I bet you're wondering why you're here, huh?"
They nod slowly, synchronized.
"Well, this is now my kingdom. With the help of my good friend Lita, I got my kingdom back. It's in the right hands now."
"Your kingdom?"
"Yes, Sasha! MY QUEENDOM!  This was stolen from us Flairs. Now bow down to the queen, your queen."
"I rather be executed."
Charlotte tilts her head.
"What did you say, Bliss?"
"Does the queen not have ears? I RATHER BE EXECUTED, B***H!"
Charlotte vindictively smiles.
"So be it. Guards, take her away. Let her have her death wish."
"You're insane!"
Sasha and Roman look at Bliss and Charlotte.
"Char--- Queen Charlotte, you aren't really going to do this, are you?"
"It's already done, Sasha."
A tear falls from Sasha's face as the guards restraint the trio and bring Bliss into the execution room. Bliss struggles but the guards prop her head into the guillotine. Sasha and Roman manage to escape and attempt to save Bliss. Bliss looks at Sasha as the blade comes down.