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Tanner watched as Maxine ran back towards him. "You got everything now?"

Hera

Wait...Did he just say yes? He said yes...didn't he? Yes, he most certainly said yes. Perhaps...perhaps there's hope for me after all...Wait, no. Gotta pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

"Anywhere but here," Hera replied with a slight grin.

Jack entered with a bottle of wine asking if everything was okay. "Everything's fine," Hera replied.

Hera

What?

Hera felt it, but she couldn't believe it. This...This mana...It can't be... She raced towards the lab and tried to open the door. Locked. No, sealed.

It's up to Cody now...

Hera sat outside the door. The others had sensed the remaining key's power and came as well. All had reached the same conclusion. Come on, Cody. You can do this!

The Clubs sat outside the door for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly, the mana signature of the key dwindled into nothingness. All of the remaining mages looked at each other hesitantly.

"Should we...?" Anne looked at the door. Henri slowly walked towards the entry to the lab. His hand trembling as he turned the handle, fearing that which he might find behind the door. It swung open. All gazed at the scene before them.

Cody sat on the floor crying. Madeline and the key were no where to be seen. The cycle has been broken. The war has officially reached it's end.

---

Hera stood in the lab. Everyone and everything seemed different somehow. Anne, the cheery girl she had once known, was uncharacteristically solemn. Caster who normally always had a witty remark to lighten the mood remained silent. Henri was more grim than she had ever seen him before. Cody, the cowardly guy who always had a smile ready, was wiping away tears.

Kirin... Hera's heart broke at just the thought of his name. ...Damn heart. Makin' me fall in love with the one guy who could never love me back. She dared to cast one glance at him. Kirin sat there surrounded in gloom. His pain evident from the look on on his face. The pain of uncertainty...I know it well. If I...Maybe if I just... Hera looked away. Fool that I am, I offer myself a feeble hope. A glimpse at the future I will never have. Perhaps...I will talk to him. But what would I say? "Hi, I've had a crush on you for a while"?

Hera slowly walked over to Kirin. She let out a sigh. "What are you going to do now that the war is over?" F***.

Hera

...Death haunts me. Hera looked down upon Robin's dead body. As soon as she'd seen him fall to the ground bleeding, she'd known it was over for him. She heard footsteps behind her as she knelt beside the non master's bleeding body. Moving her hand over his face, she closed his eyes.

"You have done your part. You will not have died in vain. I promise."

Raena, 2 years ago

“You must be mad!” Raena exclaimed in shock. “This plan is a setup for failure!”

“Raena, love, this is our chance to show our true power. By the end of today, all will know our names!” Josh exclaimed.

“Raena is right,” began a red-blue mage by the name of Andrea. “This is essentially a suicide mission!”

“Consider the glory! The power!” a blue-black mage exclaimed from the corner.

“What glory? We’ll all be dead!” exclaimed a blue-white mage from his perch on a desk.

“Come now! Have heart! If we are able to do this, we will be recognized throughout Yezin!”

Raena crossed her arms as she glared at the fearless pure-blue that was the leader of the group. “So, let me get this straight. You want to take over the school and kill Lord Senlevon?”

“…That’s the basics of it, yes.”

“I’m out,” The blue-white mage stood up to leave.

“Cody, you are making a mistake,” began Josh.

“No. I refuse to be apart of this.”

“If he’s leaving, so am I!” Andrea exclaimed passionately.

“Ann…Very well then. I expect to never see your faces again. Anyone else care to leave?”

Silently, two other mages left the room. Josh surveyed the meager number of mages that remained, mentally taking note of each one. Talbinlen, blue-black. Maria, blue-black-white. Darthemius, blue-black-red. His eyes rested on the final remaining mage at which they widened in surprise. …Raena, blue-green.

---

An explosion shattered the silence of the noble’s study, as Lord Senlevon countered Darthemius’s shower of lightning.

“I’ve been expecting you.”

“Darth, Duck!” Maria shouted as she cast her specialized spell Orderly Chaos. All objects and furniture in the room flew towards the powerful lord with but one objective: Destroy Lord Yori Senlevon.

Senlevon deflected each item with ease. “Maria, you really need to use different spells. If you use the same spell each time you attack someone you become highly predictable.”

“Cut her some slack, she is only a distraction after all,” hissed a voice behind him. Senlevon’s quick attack spell was cut short as his arms were quickly bound behind his back and a spell dampener was cast. “Raena, now!”

Raena slowly emerged from the shadows. She took in the room before letting her eyes rest on Josh. A sigh came from the girl as she mentally prepared a spell. “I’m sorry, Josh.”

Josh’s eyebrows raised, “What do you-?” He cut short as vines wrapped around him pulling him up into the air. His concentration broken, the spell damper he had previously cast dissolved. Senlevon uttered a single word and his bonds fell away. Raena quickly countered an attack from Maria as Senlevon disposed of Darth. In the end they both stood before the leader of the Blue Dragons.

“Damn you,” Josh said with a smile. “I should’ve known you were up to something, Raena. You will regret this.”

Raena raised a single eyebrow, “How so?”

A devious smile played across the defeated man’s lips. “Heimgesucht.” Before the two victors could react, Josh had vanished into thin air.

Senlevon let out a sigh, “We’ll worry about him later. Thank you for the warning.”

“Well, I couldn’t just let them kill you while I stood idly by,” the girl responded quietly. “After all, my father has supported you for years.”

“We’ll find him wherever he is. I can assure you. For now, go home where you’ll be safe. I will send my butler with you for protection.”

“Thanks,” Raena replied as she took her leave of the battlefield.

Now

Raena knocked slowly on the door to Lord Senlevon’s office. Tal was right to say Josh would haunt me. Though, I’m sure he didn’t mean it in this way.

Hera

Hera rolled her eyes as she slowly maneuvered herself into a sitting position. "Of course I am, as you can see from my bleeding shoulder and bandaged leg."

Hera

This power… I can do so much with this mana. Hera shook her head, No! I must destroy this key and end the cycle!

Hera…Think of all you could change…Think of all you want in the world…You can have it now that you have me.

…I could become a powerful mage.

You could do more than that.

Could I…bring someone back to life?

Most certainly...You could even make someone fall in love.

Hera looked up at Kirin who had placed a hand on her shoulder. I…could?

With that dead girl out of your way, it would be simple enough.

Dead girl? Suddenly, all the memories of the past few hours returned. Riza…

So that’s what her name was.

Riza died for this war to end.

She was in between you and him. Now she’s gone, and you have him all to yourself.

…I’m afraid you don’t understand. She will not have died in vain. Hera ignored the tear that rolled down her cheek. She pulled the dagger out of her shoulder without so much as a word.

What are you doing?

Ending this war. Hera let the key fall to the ground. The flames fought against the white snow, beating it back. Hera lifted the dagger above her head, preparing to strike.

What about your mother?

Hera’s grip on the dagger loosened.

You will never win her approval.

Hera’s grip tightened once more around the hilt of the dagger. With tears streaming down her face, the female stabbed the key. Even with your power, I doubt I ever could.

Hera

Hera dodged out of the way of the deadly downpour of noble phantasms raining from the sky. Shit, shit, shit, shit. A glimpse at the sky told her of a phoenix raining fire upon those below as a lance nearly hit her already injured leg. Shit, shit, shit. She hurriedly limped away from the battle, praying that the slaughter wouldn't follow. Her prays weren't answered. A dagger flew from the sky and hit her right shoulder. FUCK.