The entire city is burned down, large pieces of smoldering debris are everywhere. We fly up to the city limits.

“Search the area for any survivors and bring them to me.” I order the guards. Aidan also flies off to help them.

I fly in a different direction to search the city. I’m very close to vomiting because of all the dead bodies I see.

Raiden seemed like he had a little too much fun and it makes me sick.

I absolutely despise him.

I keep flying around trying to find any survivors. I do find a few, but they are severely injured. I try to help them, but some people end up dying from their injuries before I can finish healing them, causing me to cry and mourn them.

And what’s worse, some of them are pre-teens or young children. It hurts me deeply that I’m not able to save them in time.

I did manage to heal some people and inquired as to what happened. None of them respond. It’s obvious that they’re still traumatized about it or never want to speak of it and I respect that.

I keep looking for Roxy, frantically hoping that she’s still alive here and somewhere. I call her name, hoping to find her.

After a few minutes of finding and healing as many people as I can, which isn’t many unfortunately, I find Aidan. He’s trying to help a teenage girl up, but he ends up having to carry her. She has red hair and brown eyes. Her skin is light and her wings are sunset pink. I use my magic to heal her but the terror in her eyes doesn't leave.

I notice that she’s holding a note. She hands it to me.

“It's for you…” she whispers. I barely hear her. I gently take the note from her and read it. I recognize that semi-gothic handwriting.

I have your betrothed, Kallan. If you want her back, safe and unharmed, give me that pendant. We’ll do a little trade next friday, that gives you five days to think about it. Your beloved fiance for the pendant. Just be warned: If you don’t come by sunset next friday, Roxanne will be killed and I will destroy your kingdom with my bare hands and forcefully take the pendant from you. It's your choice.

One more important detail, I want you to come ALONE.

-Raiden

Ps, I heard about your father’s death, and how you’re the next king. I couldn’t stop laughing when I was informed. How I would’ve loved to see the look of pain on your face when you saw him die. You’re pathetically naïve and young. I’ll greatly enjoy torturing you.

Rage grows inside of me. If I thought he was a monster before, well, now he's an absolute demon.

“That demonic monster.” I growl in a low voice, “How did this happen?”

The girl whispers in Aidan's ear.

“Apparently Raiden led a rather large battalion of soldiers here. Very few people survived. He captured Roxy and, almost literally, dragged her to the Barren Lands,” Aidan explains. He’s extremely pissed off.

“Weren’t there soldiers here?” I ask.

The girl whispers into his ear again.

“More than enough to combat the battalion. But since Raiden was there, they had virtually zero chance of winning,” Aidan explains. ''He killed them all in a bloodthirsty and sadistic rampage while his soldiers attacked the city.”

That’s it. Raiden is going to be executed. My mind is firmly made up.

“I’m going to execute him,” I told Aidan. “He’s going to pay for his crimes against Fae kind..”

“Wait, what?” Aidan questions, rather surprised, “You’re going to… ya know?” The girl drags her index finger across her neck to prove Aidan’s point. Aidan would’ve done it himself but he’s still holding the girl.

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“My mind's made up Aidan,” I tell him, “he can’t live anymore. He’s already killed thousands, if not millions of innocent people without giving a care in the world, and he’s going to kill more if we don’t stop him.”

Aidan nods in agreement, he understands my point.

“But how am I going to get Roxy back without giving up the pendant? That pendant is full of dangerous power. Who knows what would happen if he got a hold of it.” I say, feeling defeated.

“We’ll figure something out.” he says reassuringly, “Raiden won't have her for very long.”

I only have five days to decide what to do. He has me stuck between a rock and a hard place. He knows how much I love Roxy, and he's manipulating it for his advantage.

If I trade the pendant for Roxy, he's going to make the world suffer and destroy us all. If I don't, he's going to kill her.

I have no idea what I should do. I only have five days. Five days.

This is going to be extremely hard.

After about five minutes the guards and Ryan come back with about ten or fifteen people. I heal all of them with my powers. They all beg me to bring Roxy back to them and I swear that I would.

Somehow, I'll get her back. But even if I plan an assault on him, Raiden will just have his guards stall us while he goes and kills Roxy.

“We can't plan an attack. He'll kill her as soon as he finds out,” I say.

“But we can't just give in to his demands. We don't know if he's going to keep his word.” Aidan cautions.

He's right. Raiden could backstab us and kill Roxy as soon as he gets his hands on the pendant. He's untrustworthy. Completely untrustworthy.

We decide to discuss this once we get the refugees situated into a nearby town, and properly bury the dead. Then we leave to discuss this with mom and Adair. They will probably know what to do, because I sure as hell don't. I need help.

I whisper a silent prayer for wisdom on how to handle the situation. The fate of Fae depends on this decision. Unfortunately, both ways don't end very well unless some miracle happens.

Aidan and I fly home, horrified, confused, and angry about Raiden and what he has done.

**********

Raiden drags Roxy into the chamber where the Spirit of Darkness is. Once he opens the doors to the chamber, The shadow of the Spirit of Darkness appears from his statue and sits on the throne. Raiden forces Roxy to kneel before the dark being.

“Quite a lovely specimen we have here,” the evil being starts. “You must be Roxanne, the little saviour’s beloved fiance.” he says, mockingly.

Roxy doesn't respond.

“Raiden, is the town in ruins?”

“Yes my lord,” he says, bowing. “Utterly destroyed.”

“Marvelous,” The Spirit of Darkness purrs. “And I would assume the death toll is high?”

“You slaughtered nearly everyone, including my parents!!!” Roxy shouts, sitting up, eyes brimming with tears. Raiden kicks her, causing her to fall to her face in pain.

“Do NOT shout at the great Spirit of Darkness!” he yells at her. Roxy cries in pain. The Spirit of Darkness laughs sadistically.

“The suffering of those inferior to me is highly amusing. I can’t wait to do this to both worlds,” he starts. He laughs a cold, pure evil laugh that defies all known logic of cruelty. “Your Mother Goddess will be a powerless prisoner, the Spirit of Death will be permanently banished, your beloved savior will be dead, and both worlds will have a thick blanket of complete blackness enveloping them for all eternity. The Dark Fairies will reign supreme across both worlds, and I will rule as the ultimate god of all.”

Raiden smiles cruelly at his master’s vision.

“It will be a glorious world, oh great darkness,” he says, bowing low.

“That’s absolutely horrible!!” Roxy says crying. “Why would you do something like that!?”

The Spirit of Darkness gets up from his throne and grabs Roxy's chin, forcing her to stand up.

“Because I can. I want to bring both worlds to its knees and watch every living thing squirm and grovel at my feet. My days of being shunned and ignored are over. The time has come for me to be the only deity in both worlds!” the Spirit of Darkness exclaims excitedly. “Everyone will worship and fear me, Onyx, the supreme Spirit of Darkness!!”

Roxy is horrified at what she’s hearing. She desperately makes a silent prayer that Kallan will rescue her. Onyx, the Spirit of Darkness, uses what little power he currently has to make a cage to keep Roxy in.

“Take her to the cage, Raiden. She will remain there until friday when the trade will happen. Oh, and don't leave a mark on her body, we promised Kallan that she will be safe and unharmed.”

“My lord, you actually intend to spare her?”

“I am many things, but a deal breaker is not one of them. Even I have some morals that I expect you to uphold, Raiden,” Onyx spits at him. “I always uphold my end of the deal.”

“Even the threat of killing me?” Roxy asks, while being forced into the cage.

“Especially that. And I can assure you, your death will be painful if he refuses,” Onyx says with an evil smile.

“My great master always gets what he wants. So no matter what happens, I will still get that pendant for him and free my glorious and all-powerful ruler,” Raiden declares, while locking the cage.

“You will never win!” Roxy says crying.

“We’ll see about that honey,” Onyx says, going back to his throne. “We’ll see about that.”

Roxy looks down at the ground, afraid of what will happen to both her and the realm. She silently weeps, putting an amused smile on Onyx’s face.