Deception

The Dark Road That Crumbled With Time

"I would say it's been a while but I did just see you minutes ago, so..." Stiles said, his smile turning into a smirk.

"I-I don't understand. We saw the Grand Master! You can't be him" Boyd said, in a more state of shock than anything else.

Stiles glanced at him, smiled broadly and then clicked his fingers. There was a flash of light then suddenly another Stiles appeared before them.

"That was actually quite simple. It's easy for all sorcerous to create another version of themselves. I learnt it almost right after I became a Sorcerer"

The pack gaped at him. Another click of his fingers and the double disappeared.

"But-but the Nemeton!" Scott spluttered.

This couldn't really be happening, could it?!

Stiles looked more serious as he replied "I connected the Nemeton to the portal, the day after we had that meeting with Deaton. I mean, what did you think I was going for the past two days you didn't have any contact with me? All I needed to do was touch it. Very easy"

Stiles shrugged as he added "After that I just came to the Nemeton everyday waiting for you all to show up"

Issac stepped forward. He was in disbelief, just like all the pack was "So-so all of that? All of this was just some kind of trick?"

Certain things started to grind in Issac's mind. Stiles behaviour when they met him. He had known they were coming. How when his temper started to rise, the ground itself started to shake. Things started to add up...

"But shouldn't have the shadow beings recognised who you are?"

"Ah, well about that..."

Stiles slowly lifted his cloak to reveal both of his arms, scrawled in ruins but what was more fascinating was that when they saw the back of his arms there where two identical ruins.

One they had already seen.

The deception ruin but... he had another, in the exact same spot on his other arm.

Completely identical.

"This one deceived other beings into thinking I am elite. When tampered with it allows some of my power be seen. Enough of it that only a Lord could hold. And the other one? Deceives beings into thinking I am a Lord, when tampered with, it fully reveals who I am, what I am"

"Why? If-if this was all to see if we were really sorry, then why not just use that ruin only once?" Boyd asked hesitantly.

"I didn't want you to suspicious. An elite seemed the safer option but I used another deception ruin because if you realised I was a little to powerful to be an elite. Then Lord was the next best option" Stiles replied, his words so simple yet the pack all had trouble understanding them.

Derek couldn't believe his eyes. Stiles couldn't be... couldn't be the Grand Master.

But his eyes did not deceive him.

Stiles stood there in a dark cloak. Hood down and he would almost look completely normal. Almost. Accept that the cloak looked elegant and made out of the finest material on earth, it almost seemed to shine in the darkness. They also could now they could all see the ruin, every now and again it would glow, reminding them that Stiles was right now hiding his true power away from them.