My fall through the strange mirror vortex wasn't as dreadful as I expected it to be. In fact, it was like tripping through an entryway. I literally almost smack face first into the ground because I didn't have enough time to properly break my fall. So yeah, my arms are kinda hurting right now, but my face thanks them because this cobblestone ground doesn't look friendly.

Collecting my bearings, I brush myself off as I get to my feet and look around. My new location is a lot more open than my previous one, that's for sure. I must be back in the palace because it's empty in here, though the vibe and appearance of the massive room are quite different from the oriental theme the rest of the palace flaunted- hell, there aren't even plants scattered around. It's more medieval with its soaring high, stone ceiling and dark, hostile vibes. Apparently the designer of this room had an argument about how many stone pillars were too many because there are rows of them as if they're all needed to support the heavy, stone ceiling. I will say, one thing that catches my eye is the colorful and intricate stain glass dome ceiling and windows that allow the light in- it reminds me of the stained glass in the Methodist church back at home, except on a grander scale, like something you'd see in the Vatican or whatever.

Since the room is so empty and big, my footsteps echo endlessly off the walls as I slowly begin to wander around the space. At first glance, there's nothing much to see or inspect except the bright, colorful windows. But I'm brought to attention by a booming voice, made even louder by the echo in the room.

"Look who has finally decided to join us."

This is it, this is the moment. My hand flies to the hilt of my sword as I grit my teeth and turn around in his direction.

Sitting on the only piece of furniture in the room- a rather unassuming throne- is none other than the white-haired snake himself, Tymos. Though he's kinda farther from the light brought in from the windows, the shadows shrouding him partly, I can still see a look of twisted pleasure on his face.

"You should be proud," He begins, not even having to yell since his voice travels through the room with ease. "You have gone through so many obstacles in the past few days, more than most would suffer through."

"Isn't this getting old for you?" I reply, starting to pull out my sword. "I got here, I won, now save the monolog for someone who cares."

He merely chuckles, but unlike his usual unbothered laughs, this one is laced with something more noticeably malicious.

I roll my eyes. "Where are the others?"

"Ah, yes. I'm sure you have missed their presence. I think now is the perfect time for a reunion."

As if a magical cloak has just been lifted off, three cages materialize around him, all of them hanging from the ceiling like birdcages.

"Joan!"

I'm relieved to see them all safe. But my attention immediately goes to the cage highest off the ground, whose lone occupant cried out to me.

"Brent." I breathe the biggest sigh of relief in my life. He looks unharmed, which is good. I feel like I haven't seen or heard his voice in ages.

The others look unharmed as well and as relieved to see me as I am to see them.

Alright, I'mma be honest, I don't know how I was expecting this to play out, but by now I have my sword out and am approaching him as if I know what I'm doing.

"Let them go," I demand boldly- perhaps too boldly for a girl without a plan and a dull sword in hand, but I'm tired of these games.

"It would bring me no greater pleasure," He coos, shifting casually on his throne. "But I don't feel you have properly...captured the moral of our little game."

As I cautiously approach him and the others, he puts his feet down, causing me to linger in hesitation for a second as his features harden.

"The moral?" I question, growing more suspicious the closer I get. "You mean to tell me you have morals? What a shocker."

I'm now only a few feet before the platform of his throne when he gets to his feet, causing me to freeze, becoming defensive.

At last, I can hear those cracks in his facade of composer.

"You are sorely mistaken if you believe everything you said you were. The truth is, you don't know who you are and what makes up your wretched family-"

"No," I cut back. "I think someone's projecting because they have no idea who they are because they let a tragedy overtake their life. I think someone's trying to forget their own screwed up childhood and family past because it's too painful and embarrassing to confront. But what do I know."

I've done it, I've succeeded. After all this time, I've finally pushed- and broken- his buttons. It feels oddly satisfying knowing that my ability to annoy and trouble someone to their breaking point has no limits. I dunno, it somewhat validates my existence.

What's not so satisfying is the unbelievably strong surge of energy that sends me flying back. I nearly hit one of the pillars on my way back, missing it by a few, miraculous inches. As I shake my head, trying to collect my bearings, I hear my name being called out in concern from the others. The blast managed to knock the sword out of my hand just beyond my reach.

"It seems you have no memory of the words I told you about your greatest strengths becoming your weaknesses because you have allowed them to be your downfall," He seethes, now starting to descend from the throne.

Without reply, I lunge for the sword, only to be knocked back with a flick of his wrist.

Now even farther from my only weapon and with him bearing down on me, I scramble to get to my feet and hide behind a pillar. This is one of the only times that I'm glad I'm as stick-like as I am because these pillars aren't much to hide behind.

But just as I'm catching my breath, the illusion of protection is shattered by the explosion of stones flying everywhere. The pillar I once stood behind has been reduced to rubble.

Shit!

I've really pissed him off now.

I can't back down now, though, that shows weakness. As my eyes dart to my sword, I try to determine if I would be fast enough to at least get it again before he could react. Deep down, in the small logical department I do possess, I know it's futile but I have to do something, I can't just stand here as he gets menacingly closer.

And so, as he gets only a few feet from me, my instincts kick in and I act. Instead of going for my sword, I go straight at him, hoping to catch him off-guard. I might be a wild child when it comes to fighting, but I know the go-to spots for any opponent- it's practically instinctual at this point. 

My knee is quick to hit its mark in his groin before he has time to push me off.

Like I hoped for, he doubles over in pain, but what I wasn't expecting was such an instantaneous reaction.

With another power blast, I'm sent flying back, this time, not being so lucky in avoiding things. The numbing pain that results from my left hamstring slamming into the pillar nearly puts me in tears.

"Motherfu-"

Cradling my injured leg, I groan.

My words are cut short by a deeper, more raged filled groan from nearby. Tymos, even in his pain, tries to get to me. I see his hand move, but before the pillar behind me crumbles and crushes me, I suck up my own pain and leap out of the way.

Note to self: Keep away from the fucking pillars.

Now at a disadvantage with my bad leg and still no sword, I'm craving some backup, but the others are all locked up, only able to helplessly look on.

Wait a second!

In my frantic flurry of brain activity, the word "lock" triggers my recollection. They're in a cage and I have a key- I still have the key I've completed. Though, truth be told, it's not a given that it would work on the cages, I'm going to play the stakes and cross my fingers this was all part of the game.

But who do I free first?

I know, with Tymos hot with me, that I won't be able to free them all at once- I'm not even sure I'll be able to hobble over to them without interference- so I have to plan this out wisely. It ultimately comes down to if I were to chuck the key, who could I trust to properly catch it. 

Immediate first thought is, of course, Brent. Problem is he's the farthest one up, and between not knowing if I'll be able to toss it that high in a split second and him catching it, I'm not risking the gamble. Nimu and Dhisnaek are the second highest up, but I don't see them catching this small key, even with Nimu's feline instincts. Gotta keep it real, the second person I thought of was Chasan. His and Lan's cage is the lowest and closest, plus, Chasan just seems capable of catching something on a last second notice.

I have my plan, now I have to cross my fingers it goes through. I only have one shot at this. Gritting my teeth in spite of the pain, I drag myself up, discretely pull out the key, and take a breath. I'm going to have to be quick, which I know I can be, but I have to factor in this stupid injured leg.

It's now or never.

And so, I take off. In order to avoid Tymos and take him by surprise, I run in an arch, swerving between pillars. Yes, my leg feels like it's being torn off. Yes, I'm not as fast as I usually am. But I can't focus on that right now. All my effort has to go into getting this key to Chasan.

Behind me, I can hear another pillar collapse, but I don't stop. I want to get as close to the cages as possible, as close as I can risk it without being knocked away. Approaching the distance I know I can take the shot from, I simultaneously raise my hand with the key in it and call out to Chasan.

"Chasan! Head's up!"

And without any second of delay, I chuck the thing. It soars through the air, high and far, but I don't have time to watch its complete track before I'm yanked back by an invisible force.

Tymos didn't even have to chase me that entire time. Instead, all he had to do was yank me back like a toy on a string.

I'm cursing myself, though, because I should've picked up my sword along the way, but I wasn't thinking.

As I lie here on the ground- unable to get up due to some force keeping me pinned down- he stands over me, his look of sheer disdain coming through loud and clear even with his fake voice.

"You think you're invincible, don't you?"

I don't bother telling him that he's projecting again as I'm too busy trying, fruitlessly, to escape this invisible force. As I try harder to break free, I feel a scarily familiar force squeezing my throat. Panic levels on the rise, I thrash around, trying to draw in a good breath. I can see in his deranged eyes his true nature: sheer hatred.

"And this," He emphasizes by adding more pressure to my throat. "Is the moral of our little game. That tyrants always die and no matter what twisted, demented lie you tell yourself, you will always, always be the dirty daughter of a bloody-"

In my lightheaded daze, I couldn't hear the whiz of the flying pair of bolas, but I'm immediately gratefully for the air that's finally able to fill my lungs again. As I sputter and cough, I hear Tymos' cry of surprise as the hand that was once applying the invisible pressure to my throat is knocked back by the bolas.

Knowing that my relief might be short-lived, I quickly sit up just as I hear Chasan call out-

"Get away from her!"

My heart just about flips out my damn chest in relief as I see Chasan standing free, with Lan right behind him.

Though I'm hoping for them to cause a distracted- at least, long enough for me to get to my sword- Tymos is having none of it; he is hellbent on me.

He doesn't even glance their way as he flicks his hand, causing them to fly back. He's lasered-focus on me, which means I don't have any easy route to my sword. As I feared, the invisible force takes hold around my neck again. At that moment, my eyes dart away from his face briefly and before my brain even has time to process my next thought, I act.

With him standing so close, I'm able to swing my long legs and knock him down. He's not even expecting it.

Already getting up, I limp run over to where my sword lies, but just as I go to grab it, I'm unexpectedly pull back.

"Shit!"

Tymos is quicker than I originally gave him credit for- he's able to recover unlike anyone I've ever met.

He's still on the ground, his hand pulling the invisible string which yanked me back.

My goal is to not give him enough time to start choking me again because once he starts, it's nearly impossible to stop him. So as he drags me toward him, I send my foot into his face, hoping to give him a swift, powerful kick.

But my foot never meets his face, instead being suspended in mid-air. He caught onto me. I don't know what it is, but he's too damn good today.

Like I dreaded, my delay allows for the strong force of pressure to begin choking me again. There's nothing to thrash at, nothing to kick, nobody to knock off because my assailant is literally air.

Unfortunately, Tymos took my advice about monologing because he's getting down to business suffocating the hell out of me. As my lungs burn and blotches of blurry, colorful orbs swim in the growing dark corners of my eyes, I try to remain calm and conscious, but it's hard to when you can literally feel the life leaving your body.

But just as the rush of panic overwhelms me, the pressure abruptly lifts. I'm not as fast this time in sitting up, instead lying there and taking huge gulps of air into my burning lungs. When I do sit up, though, I hear Nimu's voice right behind me.

"Joan," She kneels next to me, one of her sais in hand. "Are you okay?"

Still hoarse, I nod, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Once glance over shows me where the other, now bloody, sai lies next to a crouched, groaning Tymos who covers the side of his face.

Nimu quickly starts to help me up, but as I begin to stand, my leg decides to remind me of its injury and I collapse again.

"Shit." I hope this isn't long-term.

"What's wrong?"

I glance back at Dhisnaek who's come over, concern written all over his face.

"Joan's hurt," Nimu explains as if I've lost my voice rather than use of my leg.

Before he can respond, Chasan comes over, his hard glare trained on Tymos who is still out of commission.

"What should we do?" He asks, turning his attention momentarily to me.

"We need to get Joan away from here," Dhisnaek begins. "If he is this determined to end her then it's best-"

"Joan!"

I perk up like a sunflower. Trying to look beyond the others, I crane my head every which way to see him. My heart could just about explode with relief to finally see him again.

"Bre-"

The words can barely come out of my mouth before karma decides it's still not done with me yet.

Seems Tymos has recovered, and with another flick of his hand, the others are tossed back in surprise. I don't even have time to react before I'm dragged back.

Now standing up again, he doesn't bother covering his face even though there's a minor gash across his cheek from Nimu's sai. He offers me an unsettling, Cheshire grin, the kind a madman escaped from an asylum would.

"I never thought I would say such a thing, but you are an anomaly, Joan Domshov," From hot to cold, his grin dies. "I am finally tired of our little game."

My eyes dart to the reed around his neck. So far, my instincts have been keeping me alive, I might just have to rely on them one last time.

Blocking out the searing pain in my leg, I bolt straight at him- only several feet away.

But suddenly, I'm suspended in the air. Before I know it, I'm soaring over him, the room upside as my brain frantically tries to figure out what's going on. In the next second, I feel my body slam against something as the clear cut sound of shattered glass follows. In the blink of an eye, the room is right side up. It's a long enough pause for me to look back into the room I was once in, staring back at a wickedly satisfied Tymos and past him at the others who look on in shock. It's the last scene I see before I begin to fall.