A/N - Sorry for taking so long to update!

1 thing is for certain, I want to finish this before Multiverse of Madness which I am EXTRA HYPED about :D

I internally squeal every time I think about it!

A nice snowy pic will stay in this chapter if Wattpad lets it :)

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Marcus stumbled back into the cave system, limping, dragging, wheezing, heaving, clutching his chest as it felt tighter and tighter with every breath he took. But it was his head that hurt the most – it was like somebody had gripped his head in a cold, metal vice and had begun to crank it shut at an interminable speed. Staggering forwards, he braced himself against one of the stalagmites, letting out an almighty cry of sheer torture.

You are pathetic.

"Please," He begged, "Get - get out of my head."

It would have been much easier to do so had you been able to subdue the other. But no, you are too weak.

"Please, please, if you leave me, I will help you get - get Tessa - "

From the depths of his brain, he heard a malicious, deep, low laugh.

You would turn your back on her so quickly? The girl you once considered family? The girl you once considered a daughter?

It burned him more to silently agree. But he would do anything to escape the hellfire his body was experiencing. Another pang, another guttural yell and he slid down the uneven face of the stalagmite, running his hands through his hair and yanking at his scalp as though it would relieve some pressure.

This space is too small, too spent.

"Then go, please go."

You will not live long.

Marcus began to frantically hit his head against the stalagmite he sat against, hoping another pain would distract him from this unbearable suffering.

Not that you have anyone to turn to now in search of company, seeing as you: drove away the woman you loved, killed your fellow Master, lost your confidante, killed your only friend and lost your only family because of the lies you kept.

The master sobbed, blood beginning to trickle from the fresh wound he had opened on the back of his head, thinking about all the dastardly things he had done and for what? Where had it gotten him but here? Gritting his teeth together, he wailed as he heard the creature within him laugh again, clearly taking joy in his torment.

Not to worry, feeble beast, I am not one to waste so I will play with you 'til the very end.

"No, no..." He weeped.

I think I should like to hurt it more...

Screams of pure torture lingered in the cave system.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Tessa hurried through Kamar-Taj, not wanting to keep her tragic discovery only to herself for a second longer. She was a danger...no, together, she and the Entity were a danger. Guilty pangs ravaged her body with butterflies. She swallowed saliva that constantly accumulated in her mouth, causing her to wonder if she would actually be sick or not.

In the shadows near her room loitered a young student, dagger in hand. He had been waiting, watching, wondering. Distraught with the idea of living in the same place as one of the creatures that had barbarically killed his mother, his father had suggested to his eldest that they should leave the sanctum for their own safety.

But Ezra didn't want to leave.

This was the place where his parents had grown, where they had learnt sorcery and where he and his brother had started to learn sorcery too. He wouldn't give up the place he called home because of one monster. For the sake of his family's future, he would be the one to end the turmoil of many who resided here by ridding them of this stupid woman and the horrific creature that inhabited her.

When he saw her rush past the column he hid behind, he tensed up. He couldn't not do this though, not when he was right here and so, with a dark, determined look he crept after them.

Something is wrong...

Tessa sensed it too but begged, out of fear of the consequences of the Entity's reaction, to refrain from taking over without her say so. Her pace slowed as she heard a small shuffle that ended just as quickly as it had been sounded. Stopping, she shut her eyes for a moment.

"I know you're there."

Another shuffle.

"As I said earlier, we don't mean you any harm. I'm still me. The Entity, while intimidating, just wants to learn love and peace, just wants to be still."

I do not trust this.

"Say something because the Entity, like us, is a scared animal when threatened."

"It killed my mom."

She heard how young, how fearful his voice was, and for a moment, her heart stopped as she thought of Idha. Although, thankfully and yet mercilessly, the Ancient One's spell would have removed all memory of Idha from his memory if she was his mother.

"No. Not my Entity." She softly shook her head, "How old are you?"

"Old enough to do this - "

There was a sharp step, followed by an abrupt flow of defensive moves, which ended up with Tessa gripping the boy's arm, the dagger in his hand close to scratching her face. Looking the boy in the eyes, she communicated silently, through the use of her tightening grip, that this was not the way. Ezra strained against the woman, gritting his teeth.

"God, you can't be more than fourteen..."

The boy tried to force the weapon into her still but she remained steadfast in preventing him from doing so.

"If you kill me, you can't take it back - it won't bring your mom back."

"But everyone would feel a lot more safer and we wouldn't have to leave because of you!" He snapped tearfully.

"Drop it."

"No!"

With a sympathetic sigh, Tessa suddenly beat the boy's arm with the palm of her free hand. The weapon clattered onto the floor. Out of panic, the boy began to yell:

"Hel - "

But Tessa panicked herself and covered his mouth, instantly shaking her head as she looked at him, "Don't. I never hurt you, the Entity didn't hurt you, don't make something out of nothing." She pleaded in whispers to the boy, "I know you're scared but please listen: I'm sorry about your mom but - I lost my dad too, not in the same way, but I know how you feel, but trying to kill us or get us killed isn't going to - mmph!"

Adrenaline spiked in her body, alerting the Entity that they were under attack. Their assailant dragged them away from the boy and he moved sprightly from Tessa's grasp. All the while this happened, the Entity insisted it should help yet Tessa intensely resisted its desire to take over and refused to surrender her control this time. The hand that covered her mouth and the arm that gripped her waist didn't tighten or harm her.

"Ezra," The man who held her spoke sternly, "Bring me that knife."

With pure fear in his eyes, the boy dropped to scoop up the knife and handed it to her assailant. For a second, the boy's gaze lingered with Tessa's own frightened gaze but he backed away, waiting for it to be over.

"Now, get back to your room."

"But dad - "

"Go. Back. Now." He hissed.

The young boy fearfully glared at Tessa once more before he turned to leave. When the boy had left, the man removed his hand from her mouth, yet did not release her.

"Thank you." She opted to be polite about it.

"Don't thank me. He wasn't doing anything I hadn't already thought of doing myself." The man paused, his breath heavy, "You listen to me, Tessa - I don't care that you are a 'valued member' of our sanctums, I don't care about your family's tragedy, I don't care about you. All I care about is my family and keeping them safe. I can't do that do that with a walking disgrace like yourself carelessly waltzing around Kamar-Taj and the sanctums." He paused, "If you can't see the danger that you and this other Entity are to us then I have no hope in you."

Tessa listened to him in a sickened silence. When she felt cool metal on her neck, she became rigid.

Let me end this.

"No..."

"No?" He laughed lowly, bitterly, pressing the blade a little harder against her neck, "I could never."

"Let her go." Stephen commanded from behind them, further down the hall.

The man obeyed and did what he had always intended to do with a scoff, watching her move away from him like a fearful feline cornered by a hungry mutt. Shaking his head, he leant in close to her.

"I could never." He waved the knife at her before pocketing it. "But that thing could and would given the chance. I'm not blind, I acknowledge what you did. Resisting it is wise but it," He tapped her forehead, "Also has a mind of its own."

As Strange neared, he called out to the other Master, "Noah - "

Tessa watched the father carefully, successfully unnerved by his words but the Master wasn't yet done as he turned to Stephen, his finger pointed accusingly at sorcerer.

"She might look like a hen but you have a let a fox into a henhouse and a fox may grow grey but never good."

"Yeah, well, we'll see about that." He shrugged off the comment arrogantly, "Go to bed, Noah."

"No. I'm leaving, with my family, before that thing in her decides its had enough of the so-called peace its always wanted."

Pivoting, Noah left in a huff, the concealed rage somewhat visible in his gait.

He is w -

"He's wrong." Stephen said.

"Is he?"

Stephen was taken aback by her sudden distrust of the creature that lived alongside her, "Has something happened?"

On the verge of tears as she thought about the reason she had come in search of Stephen, she moved to embrace him. Although perplexed, he accepted, reassuringly rubbing his one hand across her back. Shutting her eyes, she hugged him that little bit tighter, dreading what she was about to reveal to the sorcerer.

Tessa, please, trust me.

"We can fix the shit that's happened today."

"Okay..." Stephen played around with that thought, "That doesn't sound like anything to be upset over though so what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is the way my life has been surrounded in lies, some still being told to me by the creature I so graciously share my body with."

I omitted a traumatic event for your benefit. I did not lie.

"Then why did you show me?" She muttered.

"Show you what?" Stephen prompted, "What did the Entity show you?"

Tessa -

Pulling away, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand hurriedly, "I killed someone. I was eleven."

It was my fault. You killed no one...

"But it was still me, it was still my body, these hands, our power." She looked at Stephen and explained quickly, "When I was eleven, the Ancient One wished to test me or more specifically my combat skills. She - she wanted to know where to draw the line, how much was too much and so she put me up against seven sorcerers. I was winning, it was going well, and then the others used their sorcery. I panicked. And like an instant defense when it all got too much, myself and the Entity let out a destructive wave like a few months ago, knocking everyone off their feet but one of them...when Idha was knocked back she...she hit her head...hard...and the Ancient One made everyone else forget about the incident and Idha. The Entity 'took care' of me."

It was an accident.

"But someone is dead and forgotten because of us!" She snapped at the Entity, digging her fingers accusingly into her chest.

"Tessa, Tessa," Stephen moved to grab her upper arms, squeezing them gently, "If we are gonna be brutally honest, if you want someone to blame, blame the Ancient One."

"No, she - "

"Should never have put you in that situation." Stephen looked at her with all the sympathy and understanding in the world, "I am sorry events like this have been kept from you. I'm sorry it's only just coming out now but - someone as experienced as herself, should have known better than to put her students in harms way, especially when your power - or at least, the Entity's control over you - was so unpredictable."

The sorcerer is right. The Ancient One also regretted her actions that day.

Seeing the resignation in Tessa's eyes encouraged him to move the conversation on, "Tell me more about how she made everyone forget."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

The two stood in the centre of the library. Stephen flicked through the pages of one of the many volumes of mystical accounts for the location of Gargorra's Box that he had found and set it on the table before them, all the while carefully considering Tessa's words.

"So there's a memory spell?"

"Yes. A lot can go wrong if not done properly though."

"Are you suggesting I'm not skilled enough?"

Tessa's eyes widened, "I wasn't even suggesting that you attempt it at all."

"Well, why not?"

"Stephen, I know you like to push yourself but this spell isn't a game."

"I didn't say it was but I - "

"Honestly, you're no where near the same level of skill as the Ancient One."

"Ouch."

"I mean that in the nicest way possible but I'm not going to let you do that."

"Yet I'm Master of the New York sanctum..." He muttered, flicking through the last few pages.

"Don't be like that with me now, Stephen. I just found out I killed someone when I was eleven and, ironically, was almost killed by a child myself - I'm not in the mood for your arrogant ass."

The ex-surgeon looked at her grave expression and then looked back down at the book. Sighing, he murmured, "Sorry..."

Tessa didn't respond.

The location...

"What about the box?" She prompted bitterly.

"Box is in Russia, hidden in their tundra region."

"Can we be more specific?"

"In the...North..."

"Oh for God's sake."

I apologise. I thought the sorcerer would be more efficient at this.

"So did we all..." Tessa muttered, glaring at Stephen, "Well come on then, Mr I'm-Master-Of-The-Sanctum, get locating."

"But the books - "

Tessa shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Are you a sorcerer or a bookworm?"

"Oh! Right, right." Stephen nodded quickly.

He couldn't help his slowness. It had been a long day and a difficult one at that given he was almost assassinated by a new Entity, had to deal with an angry mob of sorcerers and just had to defuse a situation in which Tessa was almost assassinated.

As he got ready to perform the locating spell, he paused, "It's probably guarded right?"

"Let's just hope it isn't."

With a resigned shrug and sigh, he continued with the spell, visualising the box and the environment it was described as being in before making circular motions with his one hand. A searing line of crackling orange energy opened up a portal into an area with a heavy blizzard. Some of the cold crept into the room and Tessa and Stephen looked at the environment with disdain.

"Couldn't have been found in Hawaii, could it?" Tessa exhaled.

"If only..."