MCSM: A World Unwound [OLD]

~Chapter Fourteen~

Remember when I used to update once a week?

And felt really guilty when I updated a day late?

Me neither.

And good god this entire chapter is one enormous fight scene

I hate fight scenes

Or I hate writing them, at the very least.

Argh.

Also, this is semi-edited

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No.

No, no, no, no, NO.

Minty whispered the word to herself over and over, shaking her head. Her body had gone numb. Nothing existed, nothing was real except for herself and the traitor standing in front of her.

The world slowly came back into focus as the shock wore off, and Minty became aware of Aranna shaking her shoulder.

"Minty. Minty! Are you in there? Is everything okay? I mean I know it's not, but-you know."

Minty shook her head, barely comprehending what the other girl was saying. On her other side, Megan gave her a sideways glance. "That's...not who I think it is, right?"

"It is...it's Aaron. He...he lied. He betrayed us. Betrayed me." Minty said breathlessly. She had trusted him. He had said he was on their side. And yet here he was, standing beside the enemy.

"Oh, this is not good. We are totally about to die." Star murmured grimly.

Salem was gazing at the diverse group with a slight smile. She hadn't known what the Author boy had been talking about when he mentioned having to betray someone, but it was all coming together now. Then her eyes landed on her old comrade.

"Soren. We meet once more."

The former Old Builder gritted his teeth. This was not going to be a pleasant exchange. "Hello again, Salem, Jacky. I must say you're looking a bit more...murderous than you used to."

Salem threw back her head and laughed, a spiteful noise without the faintest trace of true humor. Jacky snickered goonishly, sounding much more amused than her companion.

"Eloquent as always, Soren. Good to know that not everything has to change."

"Unlike our allegiances, apparently." Soren said, all hints of warmth gone from his tone. The condescending smile vanished from the brown-haired woman's face.

"So you've told them our story." She hissed in a deadly voice.

"It's not a story; it's history." Soren snapped back. Salem was about to deliver a comeback when Jacky interrupted angrily.

"As if that makes a whit of difference! Do you not remember what we did before you left? Have you forgotten the BLOOD PROMISE?! Where we all SWORE TO NEVER REVEAL OUR PAST?!" the blonde woman snarled.

"I haven't forgotten, trust me. I just felt that the end of our worlds is more important than a silly vow." Soren said staunchly. Jacky made an ominous growling noise in her throat, fingering her daggers dangerously and looking very much like a snake about to strike. Salem held her arm out to the side, gently reminding Jacky not to attack yet.

Olivia made eye contact with Soren. "You never mentioned a promise." She informed him in a low voice.

"It wasn't relevant. Despite my initial hesitations to telling the story, I knew it had to happen. The blood oath was nothing more than us being paranoid about that information being told to the wrong people." Soren replied softly. Salem cleared her throat, her patience quickly wearing thin.