As she was speaking, the door blew open, and the face of King Diorite appeared. I barely even noticed him though.

“No! You can’t!” I cried out, slamming my hands on the door. “My soul…”

“My soul is supported by Gaia…” Terra responded, that gentle smile still on her face. “No one can compete when it comes to triggering this bomb.”

I didn’t know if what she was saying was the truth or not, but I didn’t care. I started banging on the door harder and harder, my mind seemingly going to mush. However, I could already see the bomb getting brighter and brighter. It had already stopped.

“I always knew I would one day die for Master,” Terra explained. “I love you, and I am happy that I was yours.”

“No! Just Stop! Listen to me, just stop!”

I started trying to make a portal, but as it formed, Alysia appeared, her blade moving through and chopping the magic in two.

“What are you doing!”

“It’s too late for that!” Alysia declared.

“You… you knew! You knew she was doing this… you would have been awake even when she knocked me unconscious.”

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Alysia looked away. “I knew she was trying to save you. I didn’t know her place was to give herself.”

I didn’t have time for that. I spun around, looking at the door again. The light was growing brighter. Mana was distorting around it. It was making it impossible to cast any more magic. The portal I was forming earlier probably would have failed too. It would have probably backlashed and hurt me if Alysia hadn’t cut it just then, but I didn’t care at that moment.

Terra had turned away and was no longer looking at me. She was facing off against King Diorite.

“So, ultimately it came to this,” Twilight spoke. “My avatar versus Gaia’s avatar.”

“You had to have known it was going to end this way.” Terra declared, green light starting to wrap around her body at the same time black miasma wrapped around Twilight.

Her voice no longer sounded like her own. It had taken on the multitoned voice of Gaia. As I banged against the glass desperately, I began to realize this was a fight between two soul worlds, and it wasn’t one I was strong enough to be in. Terra must have known from the beginning that she’d be the one who’d have to face off against Twilight. She didn’t say anything to me because she was afraid I’d order her to stop. Now, I could even send her a Slave Communication if I wanted to.

“I’d consider it a fair trade. The death of one avatar for another. You’re using Gaia herself to ignite this bomb. Once that bomb goes off, Gaia will be severely weakened. In a year, maybe two… I’ll reach the surface.”

“You’ll be hindered without your avatar.”

“So will you…” Twilight smirked. “But for me, I still have her. I now know she’s alive, and her other half is on the surface. Once we reunite, I will bring peace to this world for good.”

“I wonder if things will go the way you think…” Gaia turned back and looked at me, it was Terra’s face.

Our eyes met, and she gave one final smile. Her hand closed, and the bomb ignited.