“I know what you’re thinking.”

Xix looked down at her girlfriend. She asked with a smile, “What am I thinking?”

Iris returned the smile. “You’re thinking this can’t possibly last.” She rolled onto her stomach, trailing a brown hand up Xix’s side. “You’re wrong, you know. It can last forever.” A sly smile made her blue eyes glow. “If you want it to.”

Xix laughed. She brushed Iris’ short, pale pink hair from her face. “I do want this to last, Flower.” Her smile faltered as she looked toward the covered window of their small home. “But there are things I have to do.”

“I know,” Iris said. “It’s a big day. You have to be ready for it.”

“Yeah.” Xix pulled herself from Iris’ arms, rolling to the side of the bed. She padded across the carpet. She pulled back the grey curtains, flinching away from the light of the three suns. “Very big day,”

Iris hugged her from behind, resting her chin on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “Are you ready?” she asked, clearly concerned.

“I am.”

“What if they find out? About you, I mean.”

Xix turned, meeting those blue eyes again. “I have to go, Flower. I’ll be late.”

Iris sent her a soft smile, and they walked to the front door. Iris pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Be careful.”

“Always.”

Xix twisted the doorknob. She pulled the door open and stepped outside.

The dark stone of her front porch became cold and silver and covered in ice. Xix pulled her thick shawl around her shoulders for warmth as she walked across the snow. The suns gave off no heat today.

Xix glanced over her shoulder. Her home was so far away! She turned back to the sight before her. A layer of snow covered everything. Frozen and frost-covered ruins—those hadn’t been there before—towered over her. It looked old. Very old. Ancient.

Footsteps crunched on the snow behind her. Xix spun around, a deeper chill overtaking her. “It’s nothing,” she whispered. “There’s nothing there.”

She climbed the stairs to the entrance of the Castle, holding her arms out to keep her balance on the ice. She reached the top and carefully pushed open what remained of the wooden door. Light streamed inside from what used to be the ceiling, casting everything in a pale white light. Xix closed the door behind her. She chose a direction and walked in it.

Something crashed into the door. It begun knocking loudly. Then, the door came down. Xix spun at the noise. A shadow stood where it had been. Its red eyes, if those really were eyes, landed on Xix. She gasped and ran.

Hands grabbed her as she tumbled through one of the many doorways. Ema hailed her to her feet. “Did you see what it was?”

Xix shook her head. “I think it was a Shadow. I thought I saw one outside, too, but nothing was there.”

“Shadows,” the Fae murmured, pulling her blaster from its holster. “Stay close.”

The two women moved slowly through the Castle. Ema led the way, her blaster held high. She pointed it around every corner they turned before letting the unarmed Xix come, too.

“Why is it after me?” she asked.

Ema stopped and faced her. “Because it knows who you are.” She tilted her head curiously. “Did you really think you could keep it an answer?” When Xix didn’t answer, Ema sighed and took her hand. “It’s only a matter of time before everyone finds out. You might as well come clean.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Xix said slowly, removing her hand from Ema’s grip.

Ema sighed again. Then, she shoved Xix to the side, pointing her blaster at something that was behind. Xix dared a look. It was a Shadow.

“We can’t fight it,” Xix whispered to herself. “Not yet.”

The Shadow lowered itself onto four legs, moving faster than any humanoid ever could.

Ema yelled, “Run!”

Xix ran. She didn’t know if Ema was following. She didn’t know where she was going. She could only hope it was away from the Shadow.

The end of the corridor was coming up. There was no way out. She was trapped! Xix spun on the spot. Ema was gone. The Shadow stood at the end of the corridor, blocking her only way out. Her mind begun to panic. She had to escape, she had to! But there was nothing. She looked back at the Shadow. It was right in front of her! Xix gasped, stumbling back, pressing against the wall. Her hand grasped fabric. Without question, she stepped behind it. The Shadow vanished.

Xix took in her new surroundings. She was on a balcony overlooking that Lyriumian city. What was it called? Lapide! This was one of the Palace’s balconies. There were a few lounges and tables here, there, and everywhere. Only one of the lounges were in use.

Stolen story; please report.

Two women sat across from an empty table. Xix moved toward them. As one, they looked up.

Amneris smiled harshly. Slyly. “It figures you would come here.”

Naiu let out a knowing sigh, twirling a strand of hair around a finger. “Be nice. She was supposed to be my next chosen.”

“An Acheron with your power?” Amneris laughed sharply. “That would be the day the Beast awakened.”

Naiu merely sighed again. “Sometimes I wonder why he didn’t choose you.”

Amneris placed a mocking hand over her heart. “Insulted. Very insulted.” She turned her attention back to Xix. “You’re still here? Shouldn’t you be off destroying worlds? That is what your power’s for, isn’t it? No wonder no one could stop Naka.”

Xix ran past them. She pulled open the nearest door and dashed inside.

But it wasn’t the Palace. The world around her had turned dark. She was alone now, walking on dimly lit water glowing beneath her feet. A cave? A growl from somewhere nearby echoed around her. Xix ran, her wet footsteps echoing the whole way.

Something glittered in the distance. The way out? She ran toward it.

It wasn’t the way out,

Xix skidded to a stop. A large black polished stone wall reflected everything around her. A giant mirror. Xix cursed under her breath. There was no way out from this place, wherever it was.

There was something in the mirror. Xix stepped toward it. She sighed in relief. It was just her reflection. For some reason, she felt the need to look closer. There was something wrong with her reflection. It was . . . just wrong.

Her reflection grinned. It wasn’t the way Xix normally did. This one was dark. Shadows streamed off her form like smoke. They surrounded her, covering her features. Nothing of her was left but red eyes glowing against the darkness. The Shadow. Xix recoiled from her reflection. She was the shadow.

Naka’s face appeared on the mirror, looking between Xix and her reflection. No, her dark self. Her future if she took on the power and lost.

“This is what you fear becoming.” It wasn’t a question.

“I’m not a bad guy,” Xix said, unable to resist, unsure of why she said anything. “But my family . . . It doesn’t have the best history. All of them took on your power and all of them became evil.”

“Evil is such a strong word,” Naka said nonchalantly.

“You know what I mean.” Xix reached forward, brushing her fingers over her reflection’s face. For a moment, the shadows parted. She stared at herself. “I don’t want to be like them.”

Naka’s face vanished, as did her reflection. A man stepped out from the mirror. For the first time, Xix found herself face to face with Naka’s physical form.

For a God of Evil, he was surprisingly handsome. She’d been expecting some evil cliché villainous look. A heavily scarred face, perhaps, or a lot of warts. Maybe one of those small boxy moustaches.

What she had not expected was this. A man who looked about her age, skin a few shades darker than her own and with deep brown eyes. He wore a black suit and well-polished shoes, and adjusted a blood-red tie. His shoulder-length wavy black hair was tied neatly at the end.

He must have noticed her surprise. Naka bowed deeply at the waist with a sideways, trouble-filled smile. “It’s your choice in the end.”

“What is?”

“Taking on my power.” He pushed his hands into his pockets with a shrug. “Same deal with your ancestors.”

“Until you became bored,” Xix said flatly.

Naka grinned. “Well, yeah. They went through the process but couldn’t handle the power.”

“So you controlled them.”

“Pretty much.”

Xix circled the God. “So, hypothetically speaking, assuming I can control your power, you won’t be able to control me.”

“Yes.” That smile came again. “Hypothetically, of course.”

“And if I can’t control it—”

“Then I overtake you and you end up like your predecessors.”

Xix shivered at the thought.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard someone calling her name. It sounded so far away. Xix closed her eyes, focusing on the voice. For a moment, she was back in the Chamber. White-blue light was trying to break through the shadows. The light’s voice cried out her name.

Xix opened her eyes. She was back in the cave. She knew what she had to do. She faced the God. “Let’s make a deal.”

Naka blinked, surprised. “No one has dared make one with me,” he said. “Not in person.”

“If I fail to control your power, you will overtake me and try to destroy the worlds,” Xix said, trying to get her thought together. “So, let’s say I can control your power. If I’m able to do so, you will let me use the power to do as I wish.”

Naka crossed his arms. “What do I get out of this?”

“Claiming your power not only means that I become a Balance Keeper, but that I become the next Terpolite Queen. Is that correct?”

He nodded.

“Well, not only will I allow you to join us on this mission, but I will also make you . . .” She trailed off, thinking hard. Xix clapped her hands together sharply. “I’ll make you my official main advisor while I’m on the throne for all matters involving your power.” She spread her arms. “You would get a say in what you do.”

Naka couldn’t hide his surprise. “You want to use my power to do what you want, but you want me to have a say in what you do?”

“Yes.”

The God begun to shake. Then, to Xix’s surprise, he tipped his head back and laughed. A proper, joyous laugh. “You really are something else.”

“One more thing,” Xix said. “I will probably never forgive you for what you have done to my family and many other innocents, including myself, but I may be willing to come to an understand. Perhaps, over time, we could . . . learn to help each other become better.”

Naka stepped forward, looking down at her. “You would like to be my . . . friend?”

“It might be on the table.”

“No one has ever asked that of me before.”

“Not right now, of course.”

“Oh, yeah. Not now, no.”

Xix held out her hand. “Do we have a deal?”

Naka stared at her hand for a moment, then shook. “Oh, we’re gonna have so much fun.” He winked. “Now, brace yourself.”

Naka’s form returned to shadows. They surrounded Xix, then shot into her body.

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It was quite the sight from the outside. Amneris and Naiu watched on in amazement and horror as the shadows they’d been trying to break through moments ago vanished inside the woman’s body. Every single one of them.

Her eyes shot open, entirely red.

Xix let out the most awful scream.

Amneris barely spoke loud enough. The Goddess at her side barely heard her say, “If this goes wrong, what will happened?”

“Naka will overtake her body, she will be lost to the darkness, and you will be in a situation very similar, possibly worse than when you faced the former host.”

“So, kill her before she leaves, yeah?”

Naiu’s head whipped around to her chosen. “Have some faith, Amneris. Xix is stronger than she knows.”

----------------------------------------

Xix stopped screaming. Her head lolled. She was light on her feet, swaying this way and that. She glanced down at her hands, daring to move them. They did. They were still her own. She took a step forward, hands out in front of her as they became wreathed in crimson fire. She clenched her fists. The power vanished.

Xix, her eyes back to normal, looked up and Amneris and Naiu. Then, she laughed. It was the most relieved laugh she’d ever heard. Her body was still her own. Her voice was still her own. Her soul was not trapped in eternal darkness.

Naka’s thoughts were in her mind. He felt approving, but surprised. She’d done it. In all honesty, Xix hadn’t thought she could. She never wanted to, never even considered that it could work. Yet here she was.

Xix was now Naka’Idis.