Sintra lowers her staff slightly, just enough to make me think she might actually surrender. “Wait.”

I pause. “What do you mean, ‘wait’? You can’t wait. That’s my thing.”

“Why not?” Sintra asks, all mock-innocent as she taps her chin. “It worked for you, didn’t it? Oh no! Look at me! Stalling for time with conveniently dramatic flair!” Her voice is dripping with sarcasm, but her staff glows like it’s ready to vaporize me at any moment.

I lower the amulet slightly. “You’re not allowed to steal my moves. That’s against the rules.”

“Rules?” Sintra’s eyes widen. “Please, Greg. The only rule of combat is to win.”

Aggie chimes in. “And to look good doing it.”

“Exactly!” Sintra says, pointing her staff at Aggie. “See? The sword gets it.”

“The sword doesn’t get anything,” I snap. “She just likes to hear herself talk.”

“Rude,” Aggie huffs.

Bob, who has been dangling in the background this entire time, chooses this exact moment to yell. “Greg, use the Amulet of Slightly Above Average Power!”

Sintra and I both freeze.

“Oh, for the love of…” Sintra groans, massaging her forehead. “Bob, did you read the inscription?”

“Of course!” Bob protests. “It said something about… uh… ‘skies will burn’?”

“And that,” I cut in, holding up the glowing amulet, “doesn’t strike you as… I don’t know… more than slightly above average?”

Bob blinks. “I mean… it’s impressive. But slightly above average can be pretty impressive, right? Like, better than average but not overwhelming?”

“Overwhelming?” Sintra’s voice goes higher. “Bob, it literally says, ‘Kingdoms shall fall’ in big, glowing letters! How did you miss that?”

“I thought it was metaphorical!” Bob squeaks. “You know, like an oracle thing.”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“No,” Sintra snaps. “It’s not metaphorical. It’s the Amulet of Total Destruction. How is this even up for debate?”

“Honestly,” I say, turning the amulet over in my hands, “the lettering is a little over-the-top. Makes it look like one of those trinkets they sell to tourists.”

“A tourist trinket?!” Sintra’s face turns red with anger. “Greg, that amulet is capable of destroying kingdoms!”

Bob interrupts again. “Wait… does this mean we’re all going to die?”

“Not if I win.” Sintra grips her staff tighter.

I squint at her. “How?”

Her smirk grows. “The prophecy.”

“Oh, here we go,” Aggie says. “Prophecy nonsense incoming.”

Sintra tosses her hair over her shoulder. “The prophecy clearly states that the Chosen One will defeat the villain and bring peace to the land.”

“And?” I ask.

“And,” Sintra says, poking me in the chest with her staff, “you’ve already defeated me.”

“What? No, I haven’t.” I gesture to her standing right there, very much undefeated. “You’re still here. I haven’t even finished the job.”

Sintra sighs like she’s explaining calculus to a toddler. “Greg, you destroyed my castle. You’ve ruined my plans. You’ve embarrassed me in front of my minions. Technically, you’ve fulfilled the prophecy. Congratulations. Now you can go home.”

I blink. “That’s it?”

“Yes,” she snaps. “You win. Go away.”

Bob, ever the cheerleader, chimes in again. “Greg! You did it! You’re a hero!”

“Hold on,” I say, raising a hand. “If I’ve already won, why not finish the job here? You know, tie up loose ends? Maybe take you out for good?”

Sintra’s cheeks flush pink. “Excuse me?! Are you suggesting murder?! How very noble of you, hero.”

“I’m not a hero. I’m just Greg,” I point out. “And if you’re the villain, wouldn’t it be cleaner to… you know, deal with you now?”

Her eyes narrow. “Cleaner?”

“Yeah. Less risk of a sequel.”

Sintra sputters. “A sequel?! What do you think this is, a bard’s epic tale?”

Aggie, always helpful, hums thoughtfully. “He has a point. Villains do tend to pop back up when you leave them alive.”

Sintra’s staff crackles with energy. “I’ll have you know that I have no intention of returning for some silly sequel. Unlike you bumbling fools, I have standards.”

“Sure,” I say, smirking. “That’s what they all say.”

Her face flushes deeper, and she glances away. “You… you’re so annoying.”

“And you’re stalling,” I counter. “What’s the play here, Sintra?”

Her lips curve into a sharp smile. “Oh, wouldn’t you like to know.”

Before I can reply, her staff glows brighter. The air around us shifts. A deep hum fills the space, and a cold shiver runs down my spine.

Aggie groans. “Oh no. She’s doing the thing.”

“What thing?” I ask.

Sintra grins, raising her staff high. “The thing where I learn your deepest fears.”

My heart skips a beat. “Wait, what?”

“Oh, yes,” she purrs, her voice dripping with confidence now. “I’ll dig into the depths of your pathetic mind, and expose the things that terrify you most.”

“I don’t like this,” Aggie says.

“Neither do I!” I snap. “Sintra, can we not?”

She laughs, a wicked sound. “Oh, Greg. You started this. Now, let’s see what secrets you’ve been hiding.”

Her staff flares, and the light becomes blinding. The hum turns into a roar, and I feel the weight of her magic pressing against me.

She leans in close, her smirk pure triumph. “I win.”