𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"Stiles and Kira said it was the Nemeton that kept it trapped" Scott tells Deaton as we walk into the animal clinic, Lydia stuck to my side like glue.

"The problem is, this isn't even a person you're fighting. It just looks like one. It's a spirit that's taken the shape of a human" Deaton explains and while I am listening, I feel so numb.

"The shape of my best friend" Scott states.

"Someone caught it once. Someone can do it again, right?" Lydia points out.

"I don't know...This thing was trapped a long time ago, before the Nemeton was cut down. It doesn't have the same power anymore" Deaton shakes his head.

"Is there anything that does?" Scott questions.

"Possibly..." Deaton answers "When the tree was whole, its wood was sometimes used to contain powerful objects. But those objects are very rare"

"Wait a second- Powerful objects? Like an Alpha's claws?" Lydia wonders aloud.

"Which Alpha?" Deaton asks curiously.

"Talia Hale. Peter had them in this wooden box with a triskele carved on the lid. What if it was made from the Nemeton?" Lydia suggests.

"It was" Deaton confirms her suspicions.

"How do you know?" Scott frowns in confusion.

"Because I made it" Deaton admits.

"I'll call Derek" Scott offers steps out of the room to take the call.

"Nat, are you okay?" I hear Lydia's voice but my throat feels sore from screaming "Natalia?"

"I'll give you two a minute" Deaton speaks up and I feel him pat my good shoulder as he passes to leave.

"Do you wanna sit down? Here, take a seat" Lydia tells me, tugging me over to the plastic chair and sitting me down in it.

"Tell me what you're thinking about" The strawberry blonde haired girl pleads, crouching down in front of me.

"Yesterday Allison gave me a ride to the station and she followed me out the car telling me that I'd left something behind. She kissed me, Lydia" I choke out, the pain heavy on my chest "Yesterday Allison kissed me and today she's dead"

"Did you love her?" My friend asks me, tears welling up in her own eyes as she takes a hold of my hands.

"I don't think I could ever have let myself fall for her knowing what she had with Scott" I admit, wiping my tears away "But now I'll never know. Now it'll forever be a 'what if?'"

"We're gonna be okay. You hear me? I know that we're gonna make it through this. You know why?" Lydia assures me through tear filled eyes and I shake my head "Because we've got each other. I got you and you got me, yeah?"

"Yeah" I rasp out, nodding and pulling the girl into a tight hug "You got me and I got you"

We pull apart and wipe away each other's tears, smiling at each other warmly. Deaton and Scott enter the room as Lydia and I pull ourselves to our feet.

"You okay?" My brother asks us.

"We're okay" I smile softly and he nods with a half smile.

"Derek's got the triskele box. He's gonna meet us" Scott informs us.

Lydia abruptly knocks into me and I steady her as she shakes her head, her eyes wide with worry.

"What's wrong?" Deaton questions in concern.

"Something's happening..." She breathes out "I had this sudden rushing feeling, like we're running out of time"

"Yeah..." Stiles voice enters the room and I turn my head to see him leaning on Kira for support "Yeah, I kind of got that feeling, too"

❦     ❦     ❦

Scott, Stiles, Kira, Lydia and I all climb out of the Jeep as it stops outside Beacon Hills high school and I don't hesitate to wrap Stiles' arm around my shoulders, helping to keep his weak body steady until we reach the school.

"Scott, hold on" Stiles stops us before we can open the doors "I know what you're all thinking- if this works, it might kill me, too. But even if it does, you have to go through with it. Stick with the plan, okay?"

"The plan is to save you. That's the plan i'm going with" Scott retorts.

My brother pushes open the doors to the school and the five of us are met are surprised to be met with a snow covered garden instead of the hallway.

We walk straight into the snowing landscape in confusion and a bang behind us causes us all to turn to see that the door has shut behind us.

"Oh, this is definitely not part of the plan..." Stiles mutters.

A hand grabs onto mine and I turn my head to see the scared face of Lydia Martin as she looks around in worry that I can practically smell off of her. I squeeze her hand and she looks to me gratefully, taking a step closer to me.

I hear Kira's katana being unsheathed and we spin around to see Void in Rhys' bandaged and disfigured body.

"Like I promised, Stiles...We're going to kill all of them, one by one" Void declares and an Oni appears, their blade clashing with Kira's.

All four remaining Oni cage us in, placing themselves around us so that we have no way out.

"What the hell is this? Where are we?" Scott demands to know.

"Between life and death" Void answers.

"Bardo..." Lydia breathes out from next to me.

"But, there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia" Void tells the strawberry blonde before looking to the Stilinski boy "You're dying, Stiles. And now, everyone you care about is dying, too"

"What? What do you mean?" Stiles questions in confusion.

"I've captured almost all of the territories on the board, Stiles" Void reveals "The hospital, the sheriff's station, and now the animal clinic"

"Do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?" Void asks the boy.

"No... And I don't want to" Stiles replies, placing himself right next to me in a defensive manner and I grab a hold of his arm as Lydia shares a concerned look with Scott.

"When a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain his honor. But that's not the cut that kills him. The killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, who beheads the samurai with his own katana" Void explains and my gut twists in worry, clinging onto the boy in fear.

"Scott... Scott is your kaishakunin" Void reveals and I look at my brother in horror "I'm going to make your best friend kill you, Stiles. And you're going to let him. Because, just like you, they're all going to die. Everyone touched by an Oni's blade...Unless Scott kills you, first"

The nogitsune makes his way right up to us, getting face to face with Stiles and my heart hammers against my chest in anxiety as I try to tug the boy back with me, but he doesn't budge as he looks straight at Void.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Stiles snaps.

"To win the game!" Void snarls.

The Oni all unsheathe their blades and we all defensively respond, Kira lifting her katana while Scott growls and my eyes burn a bright pink.