If you had all the power in the world, what would you do with it? The question lingered in young Aurora Salem’s mind as the boar sizzled over the crackling campfire. Blair asked her that after every public brawl they started. It was one of the few things Aurora didn’t mind having repeated to her, so long as it meant she could continue to fight by Blair’s side. Despite her young age, Aurora quite enjoyed the life of petty crime. After all, the criminal exploits of magic wielders often attracted other magic wielders, even those on the side of the law. It didn’t matter if they had to steal, destroy public property, or pursue other magic wielders on the wanted list. So long as the pursuit resulted in a magical fight that could sharpen their skills.

 

Of course, Aurora knew the life of a wanted criminal was unorthodox for a witch of her age. Still, if that life meant having nights end like this, under the dazzling stars, roasting a wild boar over a warm campfire, she wouldn’t trade it for the world, or all the power it could offer.

​

A soft breeze rustled the leafy trees above, sending a light chill down the eight-year-old’s neck. She hardly registered it, since she kept bouncing up and down in her seat with excitement. They’d easily defeated thirty armed guards in their most recent bank heist, and Aurora was in full celebration mode.

​

They each tore off a leg of the roasted boar and raised them to the sky.

​

“To the Salem Sisters!” They chanted in unison.

​

Aurora wasted no time chopping away at the steaming boar meat, outright trying to ignore the near burning of her mouth, and failing. She slowed her chewing in an attempt to let her mouth cool before she continued eating. Blair chuckled, making Aurora blush.

​

“You gotta slow down, kiddo! The food ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Blair said mid-laugh.
 

After swallowing, Aurora stuck out her tongue in playful defiance. Still, she smiled all the same.

​

“Well, we hit another good lick, sis,” Blair said between bites. “Hot damn! I don’t know how we do it.”

​

“But we didn’t get any money, silly.” Aurora giggled before taking another bite.

​

“We whooped some ass though!” Blair shredded more of the juicy meat with her teeth. She looked like a predator from across the fire, light reflecting off the juices all over her face. “Especially you, kiddo! Seven guards by yourself, all with your elemental magic? Someone’s gettin’ stronger.”

​

“I didn’t even pass out this time!”

​

Blair stopped munching, staring at the witch blankly. She swallowed before clearing her throat and wiping the juices off her chin with a napkin she found in her pocket. “Ya know, you may surpass me one of these days. I was never that strong at your age.”

​

Blair showed her usual cheeky smile, and Aurora rolled her eyes at the compliment.

​

“Whaaat? Come on, Blair. You were in the Third Great War at eleven.”

​

Blair averted her gaze from the young redhead, her trademark smile morphing into something she didn’t recognize. Aurora bowed her head. How could she bring up such a sensitive topic when they should be celebrating?

​

“Don’t fret, kiddo.” Blair ran her hand through Aurora’s natural scarlet curls. “The war toughened me up. I wouldn’t be worth eighty million had I not.”

​

“Yeah, but your parents would still be here.” Aurora threw her hand over her mouth, but couldn’t catch the words in time.

​

She didn’t know why she’d said it, but Blair just blew air through her nose rather than seeming more upset.

​

“True. But they weren’t strong enough, so Medusa took 'em out. And then someone stronger than Medusa took her out. See where I’m goin’ with this?”

​

Aurora scrunched up her eyebrows. “I thought you said your parents were strong magic users like you.”

​

Blair stared into the fire intently, as if cycling through painful memories. “They were. But you’ll learn out here that there will always be someone stronger than you. The road to being the strongest ain’t easy for anyone. Even with rare magic like ours.”

​

Blair pressed an open palm on a patch of grass on the ground. A purple misty fixation known as aura engulfed her hand, as the ground beneath her suddenly caved in. A thick cluster of shiny purple crystals spawned in the palm-sized indentation. Blair then picked the small, crystallized structure from the ground and quickly tossed it to Aurora. The young witch’s emerald eyes sparkled.

​

“Amethyst! You live up to your name, Blair,” Aurora said with an enormous grin. She looked down at the gem again and then back up at her companion. “Please, please, please teach me how to use crystal magic!”

​

Blair chuckled at Aurora’s begging. “Honestly, I dunno if ya can, kiddo. Most elemental users manipulate forces around them using their aura and can only wield a single element. My earth magic is a…sort of mutation, since I can refine it to create crystal. Mutations like mine can’t be taught. You’re either born with it, or you’re not.”

​

Aurora didn’t even try to mask her frown. Blair reached over and rustled the frowning young witch’s hair.

​

“We need ya to focus on controllin’ ya own rare abilities,” Blair said quickly, her voice warm.

​

“Fine.” Aurora sighed and then returned to the boar meat in her hand. “Even if we go to war again, it won’t be like what you went through. We’ll beat everyone. Even the Demi-Gods!”

​

Aurora giggled at this, basking in their shared strength, but Blair’s face tightened as if made of solid stone. She lowered her head slightly, her violet curls obscuring her eyes momentarily. Aurora’s excitement wavered once again. Had she overstepped a second time?

​

“Unless we have all the power in the world, we’ll always be bottom feeders or targets,” Blair said softly, her eyes glued to the fire. “We’re powerful, but mortal. If war breaks out again between the Allied Nations and the Magic Nations, everyone will be at the Demi-Gods’ mercy. We’ll either be pawns or collateral.”

​

Dread settled in Aurora’s stomach. They hadn’t spoken this openly about war before, and hearing about its realities from Blair made her hair stand. What was it about the heist that had drawn this conversation out? Aurora stared at her feet.

 

“Are. . .they really that strong?”

​

Blair tugged the collar of her jacket and shirt down, revealing a gnarly scar streaking down the right side of her neck to the center of her chest. “Got caught up in The Pearl Kingdom, and it only took one shot for their queen to give me this. I’m real damn lucky to be alive. Between Euryale and her sister, the Gorgons are the nastiest bitches I’ve ever faced. They have us at their mercy, as painful as it is to admit.”

​

Aurora frowned. It couldn’t be that hopeless, could it?

​

Blair’s smile returned, along with that trademark dimple Aurora had grown to adore. Blair reached over and pinched Aurora’s cheek. “Aye now. You too young to be frownin’ like that, chile. Don’t wanna end up stuck with that face like auntie, do ya?”

​

Aurora stifled a laugh, blots of red fueling her brown cheeks. Blair continued.

​

“They’re strong or whatever, but not invincible,” she said. “Knockin’ them down a peg will be a hell of a lot easier if we get our hands on the Divine Sorcerer’s Stones. With those jewels, I mean, we’d be untouchable. We’d have infinite magic.”

​

“The jewels? Wait, I heard of those!” Aurora perked back up. “Are they really that powerful?”

​

“Infinite magic. Pay attention, kiddo.”

​

“Ooo! Have you ever seen one? Are they pretty? Do they glow in the dark? Do they look like your amethyst, or are they more dull? What do they do?” Aurora swayed back and forth, unable to sit still. Her imagination danced with images of multi-colored gems.

​

“Kiddo!” Blair chuckled, holding her hand outward to gesture for the young witch to settle down. “One question at a time!”

​

She took a breath, as Aurora giggled to a pause.

​

“The stones are powerful, but guarded,” Blair said with a gentle smile. “And usually, they’re guarded by the exact people we want to defeat with their power.”

​

Aurora’s smile vanished. That definitely wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

​

“As to your second question, I’ve come close to one. Found one guarded by that Euryale and, well. . .” Blair pointed back to her scar and laughed, high and pained.

​

Aurora’s eyes twinkled with wonder. Her god-sister had gone through so much and lived a full and adventurous life. She was truly the most amazing person in the world.

“So cool,” Aurora said before taking another bite of her meat. Aurora wanted nothing more than to be just like Blair one day.

​

Blair smiled gently, feeling the young girl’s admiration fill her. “But maybe things would’ve gone differently if I had you with me. You’re a one-of-a-kind witch.”

​

“I . . . I am?” Aurora’s eyes widened.

​

“Duh! You’re the only witch I know who doesn’t need to manipulate existing forces for your elemental magic,” Blair shrugged as if it was entirely obvious. “Yours seem to just come from nothin’! Plus, you can use all of 'em! In a few years, you should be strong enough to handle your own without passing out. Once you do, we’ll go after those stones together.”

​

Aurora beamed at the sound of that. “You really think I can? I mean…you think I can help you with all of that?”

​

“I know you can, kiddo. With your badass elemental magic and my crystal magic? We’ll steal one of those jewels of infinite magic and be at the top of the peckin’ order forever.”

​

Aurora nearly cheered, the excitement bubbling up through her whole body. “Why wait? I mean, I’m plenty strong now. We can take on anyone if I just–”

​

“Nah, kiddo.” Blair held up one hand to stop her. “You still can’t control your aura that well. You use way too much of it at once. I saw you grabbing at your chest again this last time.”

​

Aurora bowed her head, ashamed at not having that all figured out yet. “But I can do it . . . you said I could.”

​

“With trainin’. Just be patient. We’ll get there. And we’ve been doing just fine in the meantime. I mean, ain’t this great?”

Aurora nodded, but couldn’t lift her gaze from her feet.

​

Blair’s arm wrapped around Aurora and reeled her in. The young witch’s honey-beige cheeks flushed red as she leaned into her god-sister’s warmth. It felt good to have family to fight beside. It was a life Aurora wished would never end.

A faint rustling of leaves interrupted the calm, crackling of firewood.

 

One of Aurora’s pointy ears twitched, and she jerked her head around. “What was that?”

​

“Probably just a rabbit or a stray pixie,” Blair said as she leaned slightly away from the younger girl. “Hurry and finish your dinner. Tomorrow, we’re gonna work on your elements again. Speakin' of which, would you conjure up some water and put this fire out?”

​

Aurora nodded and then closed her eyes and focused on her aura. The energy quickly surrounded her body, appearing like a glowing emerald mist. A scorching heat radiated from the center of her chest, making her wince as her scorpion tattoo glowed. Energy flowed from the center of her chest, through her arms, to her hands. Keep the aura flow steady, like water. Convert the aura into magic. Then release!

​

The green aura circled her hands and then condensed into a sphere of water the size of a marble. Suddenly, a thin stream of water sprinkled from her hands, as if it were coming directly from a spigot. Aurora narrowed her eyes at the tiny water sprout. She was accustomed to her water magic being more like a fire hydrant than a water fountain.

​

Blair raised an eyebrow. “Are you slacking on me?”

​

“It’s been a long day, okay?”

​

Blair laughed at her. However, the campfire wasn’t dwindling from the water at all. Instead, the flame grew hotter, more intense. Blair stood and kicked dirt onto it. The fire expanded, flickering wildly, as though it were being fanned. Blair’s eyes widened, and Aurora’s did in turn.

​

“GET DOWN!” Blair leaped toward Aurora and tackled her, shielding the young half-witch with her whole body.

As if in response, the campfire quickly became a blue blaze and exploded. Aurora heard her godsister wince in pain. Blue flames danced on Blair’s back, burning a huge hole into her jacket.

​

“Blair!” Aurora yipped.

 

She scurried and quickly fired another water spigot to extinguish the flames.

Blair sprung to her feet and assumed a fighting stance, her fists raised high. Aurora quickly did the same.

Four men emerged from the bushes, each bearing large dragon wings, horns sprouting from their heads, and spotty scales upon their faces. The tallest of the group lashed his long orange tail and grinned, sporting jagged, pointy teeth. His orange, freckle-like scales gleamed from the dying flame’s light. Half-Dragons? Here? Aurora swallowed, her pupils shrinking at the mere sight of them.

​

“Can I help you?” Blair asked in mock-friendliness.

​

The orange-scaled half-dragon pulled out a wanted poster with Blair’s face on it from inside his black robe.

“Amethyst Witch,” the creature declared. “Says here you’re worth a small fortune. Thanks for the fire by the way. The smoke made you easy to track.”

​

“Half-dragons, eh? Don’t you reptiles belong on the other side of the Atalanta? What are you doing in Eden?” Blair asked.

​

“You could say we’re running errands. The name’s Shoto. We’re here to offer you a job.”

​

Blair folded her arms. “A job? What, you want me to be a Magic Nation slave like you? I’ll pass.”

​

Shoto slammed his heavy tail against the ground. “We don’t serve the Magic Nations’ Demi-Gods. We’re more freelance liberators, and we would like for you to be one of us.”

​

Blair wore a slight grin. “Liberators? What are you liberating people from exactly?”

​

Aurora struggled to quell her shiver. She had no idea how Blair stayed so cool in interactions like these.

​

Shoto and the other half-dragons laughed. “Isn’t it obvious, Amethyst? The very people you used to serve.”

​

Blair fell silent, and then narrowed her eyes. Aurora’s own eyes flicked back and forth between the two parties.

​

“You’ve built quite the name for yourself over the years, Blair Salem,” the creature continued. “A respected soldier of the United Military turned one of the world’s most wanted, all for serving your country? Isn’t fair, is it?”

​

Aurora tugged at Blair’s jacket. “What’s that ugly man talking about?”

​

“Not now, kiddo,” Blair said sternly. Aurora’s face colored with embarrassment, but Blair gently touched the younger girl’s shoulder for comfort. Then, she redirected her attention to Shoto and his goons. “You want to challenge the Demi-Gods too then?”

​

“It’s a little bit more complicated than that. But rest assured, our organization’s goals and yours align.”

​

“You don’t know shit about me, fire-breather.”

​

Shoto grew impatient. “Come on, Salem. Your talents shouldn’t be wasted being on the run and sleeping on the streets. If you work for us, you can use your magic freely and never have to worry about the United Military hunting you down. Hell, with the work we do, you might be able to get payback on the Gorgon Queen one day. The entire Demi-God reign on the world could come crumbling down with your cooperation. This world order is much more tenuous than you might believe.”

​

Blair was silent momentarily, and her eyes lowered to the ground. “An end to the Demi-God reign, eh? Sounds too good to be true.”

​

“Don’t do it, Blair! Forget these losers! Let’s go back to fighting the police, c’mon!” Aurora pleaded.

​

Blair didn’t respond. She didn’t even look Aurora’s way. The little half-witch frowned.

​

“If you’re so confident in your organization’s plan, what do you need me for?”

​

Shoto wore a frown of his own, as though stunned she would even ask. “Your talent would greatly expedite our plans. Your responsibilities wouldn’t be too different from what you do already. The job may involve more. . .blood than you’re used to. Given your crystal prowess, mercenary work should be easy.”

​

Aurora’s stomach turned. Despite not understanding much of this conversation, she understood that aspect very well. She stared up at her godsister, unable to get a read on her blank expression. Her hands had even started to shiver.

“What about my sister?” Blair asked, catching Aurora off guard. “Say I join your organization. Do your dirty work. What happens to her?”

​

Shoto shot his eyes at Aurora, making her flinch. A gnarly smile stretched on his face, showing rows of sharp, jagged fangs. “I’ve heard rumors of a little tyke of a witch being your accomplice. If her magic has even a slither of potential to become as potent as yours, she might be useful. We could always use another monster like you.”

​

Heat shot through Aurora’s bloodstream. Her shivering finally stopped, and her brows furrowed. Blair looked over to her, the pair meeting eyes briefly.

​

“A monster like me, eh?” Blair said, her eyes not leaving Aurora’s.

​

Shoto offered his outstretched, scaly hand to Blair, reaching across the fire. “So, what will it be, Amethyst Witch? Will you join us in reshaping this world or continue to be hunted by it?”

​

Blair gave her godsister a tender smile, the same one that never failed to wash Aurora’s worries away. Aurora smiled back in kind, giving Blair a nod.

​

Blair set her sights back on Shoto, propping a hand on her right hip. “That’s really tempting! But the life of a terrorist or a murderer is not a life I want to bring my sister into. Sorry, chief.” She shrugged.

​

“Despite already being a domestic terrorist yourself and using that child as an accomplice?” Shoto pointed at Aurora, and Blair’s lip quickly curled upward in anger.

​

“We fight, we commit crimes, but we don’t kill.“ Blair fixed a hard glare at Shoto. “Besides, last time I was a part of a group that claimed to fight for peace, it didn’t end too well, as you know. So you’ll understand if I don’t quite trust organizations like yours.”

​

Shoto rested his scaly hand on the hilt of the sword tied to his waist. “Are you declining our offer? I’ll have you know that you don’t have the luxury of refusing now that you’ve seen our faces.”

​

“Yup. But look on the bright side. None of ya will have to worry about recruiting anymore.” She cracked her knuckles. “After I’m done with you peons, you’ll have to retire early. Hope your organization has disability.”

​

Shoto sucked on his teeth and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. “Fine. We can use the money for your head anyway.”

​

Aurora threw up her dukes and jumped in front of Blair. This was her chance. “Blair, I’ve got your back!”

​

“Stay out of this one, kiddo,” Blair whispered, grabbing the kid’s shoulder. “You’re too exhausted from earlier. I can handle it.”

​

“What? I’m plenty strong too! It’s four on two, and you need all the help you can get.”

​

“You’d do best to listen to your sister, child,” Shoto said with a grin and a step forward. “We have no real need for the kid, and I’m your only opponent. My boys are just here to watch. If she gets in the way though, I’ll happily cut the tyke down!” Shoto whipped his katana from its sheath, then flew at the witches in a blur.

​

Blair immediately shoved Aurora out of the way and evaded Shoto’s blinding strike. “Kiddo, just sit tight!”

​

Blair dug her fists into the ground, and her aura–shimmering lavender–spiked around her. Soil and pebbles engulfed her fists and began hardening to solid rock. Aurora watched in awe as they liquified to appear magma-like and cooled again to form crystals. She ripped her hands from the dirt, and spiky amethyst crystal clusters surrounded them.

​

Aurora dusted herself off just in time to see her godsister blitz the half-dragon. She loved watching Blair use her crystal-style fists. It was mesmerizing every time she witnessed it. Blair dodged Shoto’s swipes gracefully, moving like the wind but striking like lightning. Shoto put some distance between them and fired flames from his mouth, but Blair evaded the inferno with ease. She dove and dug her crystallized hands into the ground again. In mere moments, the ground beneath her caved in, this time around her entire body. Crystal shards extended up her arms and covered most of her body, appearing like sharp armor. Her aura flared as she jumped from the hole in the ground and raised her fists again.

​

Shoto scoffed. “The infamous crystal armor. They don’t call you the Amethyst Witch for nothing.”

​

Aurora’s grin grew, and her eyes sparkled. She knew that no one could touch her once Blair surrounded herself in the crystal armor. As expected, she put the pounding on Shoto, tearing through his clothes and cutting him up with her crystal fists. Despite being dense and bulky, the armor didn’t compromise her speed. She was still a blur as she rocked the dragon. Shoto couldn’t keep up or land a blow.

​

Yet, something was off. Shoto’s onlookers were still smiling, even though he was getting beaten to a pulp. A few of them even laughed. Aurora also noticed a weird, black snake-like tattoo that made itself visible on Shoto’s chest, with his clothing being torn from the beatdown.

​

Blair decked him with a devastating left hook, making him stumble backward. Aurora pumped her fist. One more shot to the chin would be enough to put Shoto down, or so she thought. Shoto quickly regained his composure, wiping his blue-colored blood from his face. He flew a few feet backward, catching his breath and clutching the hilt of his sword tight. He was covered in deep gashes, blood streaming down his face, and yet he still wore that confident smirk. What was his deal? He should’ve been on the verge of passing out after a beating like that.

​

“You’re as strong as your price implies.” His voice was rugged, and he spat out blood. “That ability of yours, creating diamond-hard crystals from soil, must take a lot of aura. You’d have been better off not using it against me.”

​

Blair caught her breath and wiped a coating of sweat from her forehead. Despite looking winded, she smiled and raised her fists once more. “Talk is cheap comin’ from a half-dead lizard. Let’s get this ova’ with!”

​

Blair charged at full speed. Before anyone could understand what was happening, Shoto swiped his katana through Blair’s armor and cut her in the shoulder.

​

A chill shot down Aurora’s spine. Crimson blood dripped down the edge of Shoto’s blade. The blade itself glowed, as though it had an aura of its own. Swords can’t do that, right?

​

Her godsister stumbled backward, wincing from the cut and eyes wide. Shoto smirked at her as his scales spread out enough to cover his entire body but his neck and abdomen. His face stretched out into a beastly snout. His claws sharpened, and his wings extended, as his orange aura erupted around him like a raging flame. Shoto zipped at Blair like a bullet, slicing off another large chunk of Blair’s armor, baring her shoulder to the air.

​

Aurora’s jaw dropped. No sword, blade, or strong magic had ever been able to penetrate Blair’s armor before, yet Shoto’s sword cut through it as if it were paper. Blair lost ground quickly, only able to dodge and try to defend herself in the face of such surprising power. Each slash from Shoto left a bigger gash in Blair’s armor. Even his punches left cracks in the amethyst. Blair flailed, her counters and strikes missing. She got sloppy, and it was clear she had no answers to Shoto’s revitalized assault.

​

Soon, all of her armor was torn off. Before she came up with a new defense strategy, Shoto pierced Blair’s shoulder, pinning the witch to a tree. Shoto slowly rotated the blade in her flesh. Blair staggered with teeth gritted against the pain, unable to move, as her jacket quickly dyed red.

​

“As I said, you’d have been better off without it. Tsk, tsk. To think Minerva hasn’t caught you yet!” Shoto remarked.

Blair’s aura dissipated, and Shoto’s katana shone brighter red than before. Her face lost color. Her breaths shortened.

 

Aurora quaked, her anger boiling at the sight of her godsister’s blood. Aurora charged at Shoto without a second thought.

​

One of Shoto’s comrades jumped in her way, but Aurora quickly left the ground and slammed her foot into his jaw, knocking him out cold in a single shot.

​

“Strong for a child. What a waste . . .” Shoto mumbled.

​

“Aurora! Stay back!” Blair yelled, her eyes flicking quickly between her godsister and her enemy.

​

Aurora weaved through the other dragons before reaching Shoto himself. Just as she cocked back her fist, Shoto yanked the blade out of Blair’s shoulder and drove it through Aurora's stomach. A searing pain permeated from her abdomen. Her jaw dropped, blood erupting from her throat. She watched her glistening blood seep down the sharp edge of the katana, which glowed once again. Just as her body temperature dropped like a stone in water, her aura drained, quickly.

​

“Masamune is a hell of a sword, isn’t it, kid?” Shoto said, even though Aurora could hardly focus on his cruel smile. “You should take some pride in dying to a celestial weapon. Don’t worry, your sister will be next.”

​

Blair screamed out for her sister, but only white noise filled Aurora's ears. Gradually, her vision blurred, before all around her disappeared.

​

​

***

​

​

Aurora sat up and rubbed her eyes, groaning from delirium.

​

“Wh . . . what happened?” she mumbled to herself. The world around her was spinning rapidly. She couldn’t figure out which way was up. “Blair, did I pass out again?”

​

It all came rushing back. Her stomach. The blood. The blade. She reached down to feel for her wound, but she was met with nothing. No wound. She looked down. It looked like she hadn’t been stabbed at all, save for the fact that her hands were wet and red. Aurora flinched at the sight.

​

Who’s…This isn’t my blood, is it? Aurora struggled to stand, but her legs were so weak that it took her a few tries to find balance. Everything hurt, a dull ache. When she could finally stand and take in her surroundings, her eyes widened with terror.

​

The surrounding trees were ravaged, as though a tornado had torn through it. Small fires crackled through piles of fallen trees and severed wood. And there, amidst the destruction, Aurora spotted the half-dragons. All of them, including Shoto, were dead and bloody, scattered around the forest floor. Her stomach turned, as she approached their blue-blooded corpses.

​

“Blair. . .you couldn’t have…” She took a closer look at the half-dragon’s bodies. “Wait.”

​

All of them shared wounds that looked to be a result of a mauling by a wild beast. Aurora shielded her mouth with her forearm and nearly fell to her knees at the sight. The torn skin. The massive gashes and bruises. Some of them even had their entrails ripped out. Blair didn’t do this! That’s not her! As she stood over Shoto’s lifeless, bloody body, Aurora witnessed Shoto’s snake tattoo in full, curling into an ‘S’ shape for just a moment before vanishing.

​

Aurora trembled even more. Wait, where even is Blair?

​

She didn’t have to search very hard at all. Her heart sank within moments when she found Blair in the same bloody condition as the dragons, lying against the stump of a tree that had been snapped in half. Aurora cried out, all caution gone, and rushed to her godsister’s side. Blair’s eyes had lost all their color and were halfway shut. Aurora tried to shake her awake.

​

“Blair, wake up! Please, Blair!” Aurora cried out.

​

Blair slowly turned her head towards Aurora. Despite her numerous deep wounds, she wore a small smile. “Y–you’re okay? I’m . . . so glad. My Aurora.”

​

“Wh-who did this to you, Blair? I fainted again, I didn’t see anything after . . . after he stabbed me. Who did this?”

​

“You . . . don’t remember? That . . . ma–makes me happy.”

​

“Blair, what are you talking abou—” Aurora suddenly caught a glimpse of her hands, pressed against her godsister’s face. Her bloody fingers featured the sharp claws of a feral beast, sharp enough to shatter flesh easily. It only took a moment for her to realize who the blood on her hands belonged to. As though afraid of her realization, those sharp claws slowly retracted back into normal fingernails. “What . . . what the–?”

​

“I couldn’t stop you this time,” Blair said gently, no malice or hurt in her voice. “I . . . wasn’t strong enough. Aurora, please, don’t die weak like . . . like I did. T–take care of Aunt Ria. Make sure everyone remembers the name I gave you. Never stop fighting . . .”

​

“But I . . . did I . . .?” Aurora’s bloody hands quaked. Her scorpion tattoo glowed. Her head thumped, and her entire body felt as if it was scorching from the inside out. “No. No! You can’t die! You’re the strongest! Blair!”

​

Blair’s head fell to the side, and her god-sister, now alone, wailed to the heavens.