The Palace halls were anything but silent. Normally this was a place of composure and order - now chaos was all that remained.

The Witch strolled by frightened guards and servants, all departing from the destructive fire that ensued. Walls had blackened and ash filled the air, making it hard for anyone to breathe. However, she couldn't help but smirk thinking of all the stress Suliman was under. To watch her precious royal home disintegrate into nothing - Suliman's downfall was the Witch's triumph.

The flames had spread quickly. She hoped for more time to complete her next task, but time was a limited treasure. There was much to be done, lives at stake if she wasn't smart or quick in her decisions. Then again, her best work was always done under pressure.

It was simple returning her own magic to herself, since she felt the personal connection. Now, she needed to restore the magic of all those imprisoned by Suliman, which was a much more arduous task.

She remembered the room where she and Howl had found them before they attended to the commotion involving Calcifer, Gwenda, and her dear little sister. The lined shelves of golden orbs filled with a magic source only deserving to their owners. It was also the very room Suliman had used to strip their magic away in the first place.

How symbolic, she thought. Suliman had a knack for that.

The Witch locked herself in the room and added a spell for further protection. While the majority were preoccupied with the ongoing catastrophe, she still refused to let her guard down. She gleamed at the power that was held captive in the room. It was tempting, to say the least, how much she desired to give in to her old ways. Pull a Suliman, she thought, and keep them under her own control. The old Witch of the Wastes wouldn't have thought about it a second longer before acting on her greedy deeds.

Then Sophie happened.

The sweetest girl she never thought she'd ever truly befriend, Sophie had the ability to transform her from her old ways. It was a gift of hers, not only seen through the Witch's changed persona. If it worked on Howl, then maybe that girl did have some magic inside.

It never crossed her mind before - the joy of being good. Seeing the turmoil of others brought her a brief euphoria, which she desired over and over again. Being old gave her the time to reflect on herself, and there was much she had become ashamed of. Especially with her magic now restored, she had the opportunity to prove her change of heart. She was making right on her past.

While she in no way forced magicians to obey Suliman, she was responsible for what followed after. What made her actions worse was that she didn't care; whatever happened to the humans, whatever Suliman had planned for them, she was completely indifferent.

Sophie changed all of that.

She had become bored of turning people into doves; it had become a redundant task with no real reward. She wanted to test her abilities, see if Suliman would praise her for a merciless act, even if it wasn't specific to her schemes. Needless to say, her efforts failed. The Witch knew Suliman was crueler than she - but that didn't stop her from trying to be more wicked. It only fueled her drive to be more fearsome than the Royal Sorceress.

That drive still existed, but now for a different cause. She wanted to be better than Suliman. A better witch, a better spell caster - a better person.

She sat in the middle of the room, the orbs sitting on glass shelves all around. Most spots were missing - possibly for the warfront. Returning the remaining magic was one thing - returning their sense of mind was a whole other obstacle.

Howl thrust a ball of flames toward Noe, igniting the battle's commencement. Noe swept off into the air on her broomstick high above those on the ground to avoid Howl's attack. Howl lifted up to catch her, but was quickly forced downward by an electrical rope. He landed hard on the stone courtyard, a large dent underneath him.

Nade stood above him with a sly smirk. "Sucks to be on the bottom, doesn't it?"

Howl grunted from the pain. "You would know." Howl and Nade grabbed each other by the shoulder, restraining the other from attack. Their arms moved in slow motion due to their equal strength. Howl darkened his eyes until they matched the color of the thundering clouds. He wasn't afraid to show Nade his terror.

Xarx rushed for Kenta, impulsive behavior one thing Kenta could always count on with him. Kenta vanished into the ground and appeared behind the novice wizard, creating a whirlwind around him to hold him steady. In all honesty, Kenta was most disappointed in him out of everyone from their apprenticeship. It was understandable why Nade and Noe would join Suliman.

Xarx, on the other hand, was everything she despised.

Gwenda made sure Markl and Lona were safe from the main battleground - Markl because of his age and Lona because she may not have experienced a magicians' fight like this before. While Kenta and Xarx appeared in a brawl and Nade was distracted by Howl's horrific darkness, Noe swooped down from the sky toward Gwenda. She and Markl stood tall and prepared to retaliate. Their breaths were even with one another, and though both felt weaker compared to their wizard allies, neither once thought about backing down.

Rather than stopping with them, however, Noe flew directly toward Lona.

"No!" Gwenda reached back with one hand and caught her two thick pigtails in one grip. Noe jerked her head back and the broomstick continued forward. Before it could topple over Lona, Markl waved his hand and it disintegrated into falling stars.

"My broomstick!" Noe shouted. She shrieked as Gwenda yanked harder and Markl locked her hands to the ground. To think such a mastery level witch was taken down with ease by a child magician and an insolent human girl - Noe growled in defeat.

"Maybe next time, get a haircut." Gwenda pulled tighter on her two braids, enjoying the witch's desperate cries. "Might save you from a lot of trouble."

Xarx calmed the storm Kenta had created and immediately turned offensive. He threw a lightning strike to Kenta's back, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground. As Xarx tried taking advantage of his downfall, Kenta froze the nearby raindrops into piercing icicles, aiming them for the wizard. The frozen daggers secured Xarx to the ground, pinning him to the rugged stone.

Kenta landed atop him, holding Xarx by his thick, greasy hair. "Haven't you had enough?"

Xarx shook his head. "Of course not. I'm not as weak as you all think I am."

Kenta narrowed his eyes. "I said you were weak because you gave in to Suliman. You, out of everyone, were the last person I thought would work for her."

"What's sad is you still think I'm on their side."

Kenta felt his strength wearing out, but was swift to regain control. He tightened his grip on Xarx. "I don't believe you."

Xarx let out a brief laugh. "How could you not? I'm a creature of light, remember? Suliman never wanted someone like me in her apprenticeship. She didn't even want her own son."

Kenta held his grip, wanting so badly to believe him. It made sense that he wasn't loyal to Suliman. Xarx's source made him an immediate enemy to her. Truthfully, Kenta just wanted to believe there was someone who could outsmart that woman.

He huffed and melted the ice prison that bound him. Kenta held his guard as Xarx stood up, a number of disabling spells running through his mind as a backup. "If you're really on our side, prove it."

Xarx straightened his vest, a curved smile in place of his usual timid visage. "I never said I was on your side. I believe I said I wasn't on theirs." In a quick second, Xarx thrust his arms forward, bolts of lighting releasing through his fingertips in a bright act of passion. The bolts were aimed directly at Nade, shocking his core before his next attack on Howl. The wizard seized for a moment before falling to the ground unconscious.

The exterior of the Palace was still, save for the crackling flames and thunderous rain. Howl breathed heavily, filling his lungs completely. He was appalled at how Nade was rendered immobile so immediately. For a moment, he believed the attack to come from Kenta; then, everyone stared at the changed wizard standing in camaraderie next to Kenta.

"Xarx!" Noe broke from Gwenda's grip and Markl's little prison hold, though her target had altered. She took large strides in his direction. "What the hell are you doing?"

Xarx winked at her. "Not even going to apologize." He moved his hands around in a circular motion as an oval of light grew in strength and size. Noe lunged for him, but Xarx's ball of fury was already in pursuit. As quickly as it formed, it disintegrated around the witch and she was just as debilitated as Nade.

Everyone stared shell shocked at the state of Noe - the fact that one attack had brought her down was impressive, but more so the fact that it was Xarx who had summoned the power.

The rainstorm did nothing to calm their nerves. The chilling drops caused a few to shiver, though Howl seemed unfazed. He and Xarx locked eyes, trying to read the other's thoughts. Howl hadn't believed he was a changed wizard until Kenta assured him.

"He's a light source."

Lon stepped in Kenta's direction. "What does that mean?"

"It means he's been playing Suliman," Howl said, his tone blank. "And us, for that matter."

"Geez, so dramatic. Some things haven't changed." Howl growled and Xarx rolled his eyes. "Like you were the most trusting guy in the apprenticeship. You would have done anything in order to become Suliman's successor."

Howl turned to Kenta. "How did you know this about him?"

"I saw him practicing in secret," Kenta replied. "He lied to Suliman during the final test of our skills, saying he hadn't found his source."

"I begged him not to tell anyone," Xarx said. "For obvious reasons. Madame Suliman never would have accepted me into her special forces had she known the truth."

Gwenda scoffed. "The all-knowing Royal Sorceress hasn't figured out your little secret? I don't buy it."

Xarx bowed his head. "One of my specialties. My source can be mistaken for others, such as electrokinesis or pyromancy. By using spells in those areas, Suliman was thrown off track."

Lona shivered from the rain and Kenta created a protective barrier around her. "I do have one concern." He said. "If you're not on their side but you're not on ours either-"

"When was the last time you heard of a light source actively partaking in any public affair?" Xarx said. "When was the last time you even heard of a light source?"

Markl took a step forward, but Howl raised his hand at him. Hearing what Xarx had to say highly piqued the boy's interest. When Kenta spoke of the rarity of light, Markl thought he would never meet a magician like himself. If there was anything Xarx could teach him, Markl would surely listen and learn.

Xarx nodded to the silent group. "Exactly. We find it best to work alone, keep to the shadows. The evil hate us for our purity, and the good don't share the same intentions as us. No one else understands this ability nor why we do the things we do."

A booming crash sounded from behind. They turned around to see the current status of the once luxurious Kingsbury Palace. Half of the building was falling to the ground, the tall towers plummeting into smoke and ash.

Gwenda stared, her mouth agape. "There are still people inside."

Howl narrowed his eyes. "Hopefully just Suliman and the cursed Royal Family."

"No." Lona said nearly in a whisper. "All the others she held captive, all the innocent lives she locked away are still there."

If only they had fought back, Gwenda thought. George and Somer, Beth and Mari - Gwenda just couldn't leave them behind. She knew the feeling all too well.

"I'm going back." Gwenda didn't waste another moment before sprinting toward the Palace entrance. Lona rushed after her, though the sisters' pursuit ended shortly.

Lona shrieked as the unconscious wizard hastily stood up and locked his arm around Gwenda's neck. Gwenda gasped from the lack of oxygen, her heart beating as fast as the droplets fell from the sky. His muscular arms rendered her useless.

"Gwenda!" Lona shouted. Kenta rushed to her side, the others quickly following. Howl wanted to hit Nade with the worst dark curse he could summon, but with Gwenda in his clutches, Nade held all the cards. He thought back to Calcifer's final words and how he was already failing his friend.

His eyes were wide with lunacy. Xarx's shock had blackened both of his eyes and they twitched erratically. His arm pressed closer against Gwenda's throat, making her struggle much more harrowing to witness.

His twitching eyes turned to Xarx. "Well, then. Looks like I've underestimated you Xarx. Light." He spat next to Gwenda, her face cringing at the sound. "That just suits you perfectly, now doesn't it?"

Xarx was frozen in place. He had to think logically about the situation. The slightest change could be devastating for Gwenda. It wasn't like he had a connection to this human girl, save for her brief imprisonment by Noe, yet she was still a person. Had he relied on emotion to dictate his actions, Suliman would have caught onto him years ago.

"You did more than simply underestimate me." Xarx yelled over the thunder, "You belittled me in every single way you could."

Nade tapped his tongue to the roof of his mouth, letting out a high-pitched laugh. "Only to toughen you up. Though it looks like you learned that all on your own."

Howl took a step forward. "Let her go."

Nade pursed his lips. "I think not. She's way too pretty to give up that easily. And besides, I'm sure Madame Suliman would just love having more leverage over you."

Gwenda clenched her teeth. She kept her eyes focused on the falling rain, her mind painfully withholding any snide comments she might say for fear of Nade's reaction. She wasn't always quick to hold her tongue, but in a situation with a madman, Gwenda wasn't taking any chances.

"Nade." Xarx's tone was low and authoritative. "Let her go."

Nade tightened his grip, though his frightening eyes shot clear to Xarx. "Madame Suliman gave you everything and this is how you repay her? She turned you from one of her weakest students to being on top with masters like me and Noe. You should have run off from her apprenticeship the moment you found out you were a creature of light because there is no way in hell Suliman will ever accept you."

Xarx bowed his head, his dark hair just barely covering his eyes. Howl and Kenta stood ready to attack if need be. Lona and Gwenda breathed in unison, however feeling miles away from one another. Nothing could be said; nothing needed to be for the sisters to understand how the other felt at that moment. With every breath, with every clink of falling rain filling the vast silence, they all waited for a reply, a movement - anything to distract from the tension rising from uncertainty.

Xarx leveled his eyes to Nade. "I never needed her acceptance." His eyes glowed like golden blades on a sword as lightning pierced through the sky. Xarx used this moment to strike with a firm fist pressed forward, his attack precise and accurate. Nade jumped backward, though a thin white line crossed his right cheek. Gwenda was pushed forward and she stumbled to the ground, gasping for a full breath. Lona and Markl rushed to her side, helping her stand as the wizards all moved in for their common enemy.

Nade was surrounded by the three, Kenta and Howl to his sides. Xarx stood merely a few feet away from him. They decreased their distance from him, making short and careful steps toward the deranged wizard. Nade seethed through his teeth and flung himself into the air, his hands pressed together in a large fist. The three watched as he hurled himself to the ground, his fist slamming into the stone and causing an earth shatter.

As Kenta lunged on the ground to fill the cracks, Nade molded his hands and feet into the ground, watching as Kenta fell in like quicksand. "Nice try. I won't make this easy for you."

Howl formed wings out of his arms and flew toward Nade, only for the wizard to make himself into a two-dimensional figure and slide by untouched. He opened one of the cracks below deep enough for Howl to fall and then pushed the ground together, the core slowly trying to refill itself. There was no denying the wealth of knowledge he had through Suliman's training. Nade was quick on his feet when it came to the methods of battle and was noted for his ability in tricking his opponents. But Xarx was there during every moment of it - he knew Nade's weaknesses.

Xarx absorbed power from the ongoing flames and the bursts of light from the thundering clouds. He made casual steps toward Nade, as if the battle was already decided. "I'm surprised you haven't figured out Madame Suliman's real plan for why she brainwashed our fellow magicians. After all, I thought you were practically one of her top students."

Nade smirked. He pursued Xarx as well. "You don't know anything about the Madame. How dare you speak of her in such a vile tongue."

A white light outlined Xarx's figure as they were nearly inches away, encompassing him like a bright shadow. "She's a crook and liar. I cringe at how you and Noe haven't figured that out yet. She's only using you for her own personal gain."

They paused their steps, now close enough to feel the exhaled breath of the other. Nade raised an eyebrow with a low smirk. "You're just as foolish as you were the day I met you."

Xarx narrowed his eyes. "As are you." The two drew back fists and propelled them forward, an explosion of light knocking each other in opposite directions. Xarx balanced his landing near the sisters and Markl, Nade falling back on the steps of the Palace. The fire hadn't reached that far, but Nade wasn't taking any chances.

He sprinted toward Xarx at top speed, his rage quickening his pace and losing sight of his surroundings and strategies. Nade roared as he neared his target with full force and a prepared ending for his former cohort. Xarx mirrored his action, preparing for the same.

As they were close enough to touch, a dark figure appeared in-between the two, seemingly growing from a dark pool in the ground with outstretched arms. They acted as barriers against the wizards' attacks, and both were sent flying back toward the ground.

The witch let her long hair cover her face, her gaze directed to the ground where she had come from. Her arms moved like the wind as she focused her energy on Nade, the spell she repeated flowing off her tongue as if she had been there from the beginning and seen the melee played out.

Nade hardly had a moment to think about his next move before she cast her curse. His mind became numb to her abilities and he fell unconscious. His body morphed and twisted, the witch's shaking arm a clear sign of the power she wielded. At the last word she spoke, Nade burst into stardust, falling and glowing with a devastating explosion.

Xarx didn't waste a moment. He crumbled the rock that restrained Kenta and released Howl from his tightening prison. Kenta acted fast in sealing their platform, keeping them safely grounded. He rushed toward Lona, thankful that their battle hadn't ended drastically.

The witch who appeared out of nothing stared at the Nade's final resting place, her words filled with vengeful malice. "That's for my sister."

The sky thundered as the commotion on the ground ceased. Howl was eager to reach their savior, though quite taken by her revelation. "Martha?"

She lifted her chin, revealing tearstained eyes. "I couldn't protect her, Howl. I couldn't save her. I'm so sorry."

Howl rested his hands on her shoulders, the words he wished to speak to her refusing to be spoken. All the hate he felt, the anger at her betrayal - he knew where her intentions were. She already appeared to be paying a worse price than the one he might have given.

The little white and tan dog wheezed from inside her cloak, rubbing his snout out of the fold and breathing in the earthy scent. Heen jumped out from her constraints, rushing toward Gwenda and Markl the moment he noticed them. Kenta stood next to Howl, wanting to hear what Martha had to say as much as his counterpart.

"Martha, what happened?"

She cringed at such a question, her teeth chattering and eyes swollen. "Suliman came to our hiding place and took her. I couldn't attack; I couldn't use my magic to harm another person." Her breaths were shaky as she tried to conceal the oncoming tears, though not even the rain could fool those around her. "I was too weak to do anything."

Howl dropped his arms. "Where is she now?"

Martha turned to the burning Palace, the bursting flames glistening in her eyes. Her visions were, if anything, highly accurate. She had seen this child's birth; she knew Suliman's plan; the scattered pieces fit together in a catastrophically perfect way.

Howl turned back, watching the same sight and begging that it wasn't true.

"She's in the Palace. I know it." Martha whispered. "You have to go right now, Howl."

His legs were cemented to the ground. Of all the places, of all the difficulties and trials they had had, this was the epitome of their misfortunes. Violent, ruthless, deceptive - all things that could name the Royal Sorceress and all things evil in the world starting with her. Howl could hardly breathe, let alone think about where to begin trying to find his beloved Sophie and bring her to safety. No doubt Suliman was attempting to reach their child.

Howl turned to the flames, only to find a swarm floating above in a horrifically familiar way.

Screeches and cries floated down to the courtyard as dozens upon dozens of magicians in their natural state joined the feeble group on the ground floor. They were separated; half standing by Howl and his comrades, the other half standing by the fallen Noe and trying to revitalize her. Two familiar magicians - Damascus with the good, Exie with the evil - stood face to face with rage aimed toward one another.

However, Howl was most impressed with how all the magicians formerly under Suliman's control were of free and sound mind.

Exie sneered at the wizard. "Madame Suliman is our leader. We will protect the Royal Family until our death."

Damascus stood tall before her. "Then we will fight to keep our freedom."

And the wage of war began for the two sides of magic.