There was a crash, throwing door splinters and hourglass all around. The explosion threw me against the wall and dust washed over me. Nothing could be seen. The silence after the explosion was broken by a slight creak of the door. Yes, it opened, letting in a breach of light from the other side.
“I got it!!!”
I could hardly believe I had made it in time, I did my part and would rescue my father. A smile appeared on my face. I wasn't as useless as I thought. I got up and lurched to the door, pushed it slowly, calling for my father. We were back in the throne room, where Elof was waiting for me.
“You surprise me more and more, you know that? Your time is up and you made it here, you almost saved them. By the way, do you really care about this Lumen’s people, or this father? You just met those prisms, you don't even know who they are, if they like you, or if they laugh behind your back. They made you a puppet at Lumen and you're here, worried about them! And your father? This drunk, who treats the woman who raised you scornfully, never cares about her happiness at all, denies your brother. Or do you think I don't know that when your brother Rodrigo was born, your father didn't want him, he said he already had too many expenses.”
It took a bite when I heard that. Elof was somewhat right making these statements to me. These were themes that I was never sure to consider. I believe Zyba and Dakota wouldn't be able to slander me in the back, would they?
My mom Jessica never admitted it, but I know my dad didn't like it at all when she became pregnant with Rodrigo. One night, I listened to the two of them arguing, still in Gothenburg, where my father threw in her face that he already had ‘too many expenses.’
He confused me with all these questions. But it didn't matter at the time, I needed to leave with everyone safe. How difficult it was to stay focused, my thoughts fled quite easily.
“Stop, Elof. I met your goal, I came on time! If you care about me, let them go.”
He signaled with his right hand, Dakota and my father appeared in the back of the room, still trapped. I saw his look of disappointment. He was sure I could understand his reasons and support him in this madness. I know deep down there was a broken heart that didn't know how to deal with feelings and wounds not understood. He undid the bubble that kept my father and was about to release Dakota, but something hit him like an arrow. Elof put his hands on his heart that seemed to be crushed like paper. While moaning already on his knees, I ran towards to help him, but he shouted something.
“DON’T TOUCH ME! THIS... this... AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH”
His body was thrown forward as if he was pushed. When he resumed his posture, he was different. His gaze was stone. His big brown eyes were now the color of fire, sparkling like lamps, his voice no longer the same.
“I lured you into here, the only place no spell protects you. Did you really think you were going to convince me? Using my weapon against myself?”
A new Elof made Dakota and my father vanish once more, disappearing with them from the hall.
“Elof? Bring them back, please,” I called for him, but he wasn't the same as a few seconds ago.
“You won't be able to fool me with those good-girl ways. You're here to die, it's about time for me to dominate Lumen once and for all! Let's start NOW!”
Like a whip, lightning bolts coming from the possessed Elof's hands began to lick the room. Trying to defend myself, I kept my ax in my fist and rolled behind the pillars, shivering till the hair. At least something in Professor Cyperus's classes I learned.
My last option was to hide behind the thickest pillar, close to the way out. But a lightning bolt destroyed the pillar into ring-sized pieces, leaving me exposed. Still down, I opened my eyes and saw Elof in the middle of the room, a few feet away looking at me with a coldness that was not there before.
“No wonder I built Leike. Love and kindness are weaknesses that do not help anyone. I hope you learned that in your short life.”
On the impulse to defend myself, I covered my face with my arms and shouted as he clasped his hands in a red lightning bolt toward me. An explosion happened. A very bright purple light threw me against the wall, as it did with him. It was as if two race cars collided head-on. My whole body hurt. A voice came into the room.
“Lola…”
The little girl showed up again calling me, in a somewhat cynical tone. I didn't know if I would help her or myself first.
“Be careful!” I said.
“Be careful!” She repeated the warning, cynical again.
Looking me in the eye, she angrily scratched her right wrist sprouting blood on the skin while laughing out of my face. That little twerp.
On the same time, my family mark (the lotus blossom on my forearm), burned like hell and a smoke was coming out. I was just marked like a bull for the slaughter, the burnt sign soon disappeared. Only two petals kept my skin raw, one parallel to another, forming the design of an unfriendly look. Elof, who was also recovering from the thud on the floor, stared at my mark with wide eyes. He blinked hard, that was impossible. The “little me” disappeared again.
“But, how? What mark is this?!?” Elof seemed to have seen a ghost.
As he tried to get up to strike again, I dashed into a hall where there were few pieces of furniture. In the background, on some sort of stage, were my unconscious dad and Dakota, still trapped and gagged, inside a giant cage, this time without a surprise shock. I managed to reach them. Dakota stretched to the edge, and I managed to get the gag out of her mouth.
“WATCH OUT!!!”
Thank Dakota, I bent down in time. The Cinamomo vulture was flying low and ready to attack me, but it came face to face with the cage, falling half stunned.
“The ax’s power, use it!”
“Elof said nothing works here.”
“And you still believe him? Use it!”
As if I was a regular passenger trying to land a plane, I had no idea how to use my ax's amethyst. Professor Cyperus taught me how to use it as a white gun, not as a machine-gun. He said the stone only worked for my grandfather. How would I know if it work with me? Elof caught up with me in the living room, throwing his whips out of control everywhere. With the ax in hand, I pointed it forward and could hear my heart saying, ‘Mentalize, shoot now!’
I closed my eyes and mentalized the lightning with such force that I let out a scream!
“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!” With that, the ax blew a purple light from its stone and began firing strong and dangerous rays like Elof’s. It was lightning beam sent to the whole room, but it was too strong, I couldn't control the power of the ax.
Dakota was struck, a lightning bolt slammed into her leg and made a large burn above her knee. She screamed in pain and fell. Cinamomo and Helga deflected it easily, but at least I managed to burn the vulture's wingtip. Elof beat back my rays with his. Dakota screamed with pain in the cage. I was doing everything wrong! I was going to end up killing everyone instead of saving them, I was a disaster!
This was my end. And, with my good moves, I would kill all of my friends. I was turning into a great ally for this monster! But thanks to a rebound of lightning, the ax escaped from my hand, falling near a rack of skulls and a broken mirror, too far out of reach. Elof ceased, I was trapped, there was nowhere to escape.
“No more playing, I'm tired of being nice to you. DIE YOU BASTARD!!”