Chapter 162: Ava is waiting
~Raphael's POV~
I pushed myself up from the dirt, wiping blood from my mouth. My arm still hurt bad, but now I knew something important.
The creature had a weak spot, and so did I. I can be hurt, and I don't heal as fast as I used to. Why have I never noticed this? Maybe because you didn't have the time. I replied myself.
"Raphael!" Caleb shouted from behind me. "You're bleeding too much! We need to get out of here!"
I didn't turn around. I couldn't. If I looked away from this thing for even a second, it might attack the others. Isla was still frozen, staring at me with wide eyes. She looked scared. Why did she have to wake up now? She should be thankful, I need her help.
The guardian stood up straight, pulling the ice shard from its arm. Black blood dripped to the ground, but it didn't seem to care.
It smiled at me with my own face. Difficult face stealer. One minute, Caleb was Caleb, ' What was that?' the next second, we were fighting for our lives. And it seems these sets of monsters were uglier and stronger without a face.
"You're learning," the faceless monster said in my voice. "Good. This will be more fun."
I made another ice sword, this one smaller and lighter. My plan was simple. Make it think I was getting weaker. Make it get too close to me. Then strike at its left side when it wasn't ready.
"I'm not done with you," I said, trying to sound tired. It wasn't hard. I really was tired.
The creature laughed. "Neither am I."
It came at me again, but this time, I moved differently. I acted like I was slow. Like the blood loss was making me weak. I let it push me back. I let it think it was winning.
We fought across the forest floor. My fake weak moves made it bold. It swung harder. It moved closer. It stopped being careful.
Perfect.
Behind me, I could hear Isla moving. "Caleb," she whispered. "Get ready to run when I say."
"What about Raphael?" Caleb asked.
"He can take care of himself," she said haughtily. Wicked woman. She was planning on abandoning me.
The guardian hit me with the side of its sword. I flew back and hit a tree. The bark cut into my back. I groaned and slid down to sit on the ground.
"Is that all?" the creature asked, walking toward me. "I thought you would be..."
I kept my head down, breathing hard. But I was watching its feet. Waiting.
The faceless creature raised its sword high above its head, ready to end the fight.
I rolled to the left and jumped up fast. The creature's sword hit the tree where I had been sitting. Wood chips flew everywhere.
I spun around and drove my ice sword straight at its left side. But something went wrong.
The creature moved at the last second. My sword hit its arm instead of its weak spot. Ice and black blood splattered across the ground.
"Nice try," it said. Then it grabbed my throat with its free hand.
I couldn't breathe. Its fingers felt like iron around my neck. My feet left the ground. It has been a long time since I felt this powerless.
"You almost had me," it whispered. "Almost."
My vision started to go dark. I tried to make fire in my hands, but I was too weak. The ice sword fell from my fingers.
Then I heard something that made my heart stop.
Ava's voice.
"Raphael, help me!"
I looked around, but she wasn't there. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere.
"She's calling for you," the creature said. "But you're stuck here with me. Forever."
"No," I choked out.
"Yes," it said. "You can't save her. You can't save anyone."
Anger filled me again. Hot and bright. But this time, I didn't let it take over. I used it.
I grabbed the creature's wrist with both hands. Instead of trying to pull away, I pulled myself closer. Close enough to whisper in its ear.
"You're right," I said. "I can't save everyone."
It looked confused.
"But I can save her."
I headbutted it as hard as I could. Its grip loosened. I dropped to the ground and gasped for air. Blood ran from both our noses now.
The creature stumbled back, shaking its head. "Impossible. We are connected. When you hurt me, you hurt yourself."
"I know," I said, wiping blood from my face. "But pain doesn't scare me anymore." You threatened my mate so your little trick won't work on me.
I picked up a sharp piece of ice from my broken sword. Without thinking, I drove it into my own left side. Right, where I had seen the creature's weak spot.
Pain shot through my body. I screamed, overwhelmed by it. But I reveled in the pain of the creature as well.
It fell to its knees, clutching its left side. Black blood poured between its fingers.
"What... what did you do?" it gasped.
"I figured it out," I said, pulling out the ice. More pain, but I didn't care. "You copy everything I do. But you're not perfect. You have the same weak spots I do."
The creature tried to stand, but it couldn't. It was hurt worse than me.
"If I hurt myself," I continued, "you feel it too. But you feel it more because you're just a copy. A broken mirror."
I made one more ice sword. My hands shook, but I held it steady. "This ends now."
The creature looked up at me. For the first time, it looked afraid.
"Wait," it said. "If you kill me, you might die too. The connection..."
"Maybe," I said. "But staying here definitely means Ava dies. So I'll take the chance."
I raised the sword.
"Raphael, stop!"
Isla's voice. She was running toward me.
"Don't kill it!" she shouted. "I know what this place is now!"
I stopped the sword inches from the creature's neck.
"This is a test," Isla said, breathing hard. "The realm is testing you. If you kill it with anger, you fail. But if you show mercy..."
The creature looked between us. "She's lying. Kill me and be free."
"No," Isla said. "Look around you."
I looked. The dark forest was changing. The light was breaking through the trees. The air felt cleaner.
"The realm is responding to your choice," Isla said. "Choose mercy, and it will let us go."
I looked down at the creature. It had my face, but now I could see the fear in its eyes. Real fear.
"Please," it whispered.
I lowered my sword. The creature smiled. Not a mean smile this time. A grateful one.
"Thank you," it said.
Then it faded away like smoke.
The forest disappeared. We were standing in a bright clearing. In the distance, I could see a path leading home.
"Come on," I said to the others. "Ava is waiting." I will think of a way to get Drogon back once we return to my kingdom.
We started walking toward the light.
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