Chapter VIII

Wiping the blood from his dagger with the sleeve of his overcoat, Quill Tyrus turned his body and regarded the three newcomers who had just busted down the stairwell door and were now facing him with expressions of ecstasy and determination that made it more than obvious they hadn’t merely stumbled across him by accident. When Quill reached the second floor after splitting up with Uma and Barron, he immediately rushed to the aid of the struggling Teeth, defeating each Korrei-Tarr that dared to face him without breaking much of a sweat, for despite his lack of powerful magic, they could not harm him. He struck them all down, but one had rushed deeper into the fortress, as if having realized who he was and wanting reinforcements. Quill had pondered trying to stop the runner, but he opted against it, for out of every member of the Kosah-Rei, he was the most fit to fight and kill a Master of Ijiria. He wanted that soldier to bring back a Master for him to cut open, and it seemed these three newcomers were the ones he had sought.

Though truthfully, I think I may have made a mistake, he internally remarked, his eyes rapidly shifting between the two women in the front. He had long since studied the appearances of the Masters so he would know them when he saw them, but he decided that may have been a needless task, for just one glimpse at these daunting individuals ensured him they couldn’t be any less than powerful. They say Sinna Cartus’s rock armor has never been broken. Her defense is as good as, if not better, than my own. And Nyx Rana, well… Quill snorted. If Sartella wasn’t exaggerating, then she can’t die. I may be a bit outmatched here, but I think I’ll engage them for a little while. I’m curious about something…

Among those the Korrei-Tarr sought out for aid was a young man Quill remembered quite well, for he had been a primary target of theirs at Stellareid and the one thing he failed to accomplish. It had always agitated him that he’d been unable to kill Rennigan Glaus despite having him at a severe disadvantage, and there he was, standing just behind Nyx and Sinna with such a complex look on his face that Quill got the impression he’d been haunting Rennigan ever since their last encounter. It was obvious that the water mage tagged along with the Masters for an opportunity to confront Quill yet again, so he decided he’d humor Rennigan for the moment. He was confident that killing Sinna and Nyx was beyond him, but if he could finish the three year task of eliminating Rennigan, then he might as well do so. If the young man wanted a rematch, Quill would gladly give it.

Spinning the dagger around in his hand, Quill gave a mild smirk before calling out, “It’s been a long time, Glaus! Wouldn’t have expected to find you beside them, but I suppose it’s a strange world, isn’t it? Come for another beating?”

Rennigan’s features turned pale as he was addressed first, but before the younger mage could open his mouth, the armored Sinna Cartus took a step to the side and blocked Rennigan from Quill’s view. He could not see her face, but the fury in her voice more than made up for it.

“You speak to him like you haven't yet noticed us, Tyrus. Quite bold of you to overlook the Masters before you,” she spat. “Or are you so cocky that you think you stand even a remote chance of surviving this? We know all about your durability, and I promise you, it’s nothing compared to mine.”

He narrowed his eyes, regarding Sinna curiously. It was a near certainty that she was right, for even in a battle of attrition that was one-on-one, he probably wouldn’t be able to take her down the way he could Nakoma, Koroha, or the Noctalus. In fact, as he thought that, he realized that this couldn’t be by chance. The Korrei-Tarr who gave her his location most likely didn’t stumble across the first Master he could find, rather he went after Sinna Cartus specifically to counteract Quill’s greatest asset. He absently wondered if this strategy was applied to all six of the leaders, leaving him momentarily fearing for the lives of his allies.

But no… I shouldn’t think that way… Lady Firrik has promised us—!

“Well, Quill, I think we’re seeing right now what Lady Firrik did that day she touched you.”

Uma’s words came back to him, cutting off his line of thought and causing a pang of concern to erupt in his chest as he gazed across the relatively small distance between him and his challengers. He felt scared even though he knew his inherited durability had never failed him in all his life, even when Fayela Rio exploded in his face and seared his body from top to bottom. That was the closest to death he had ever reached, and he still held his ground against Rennigan, as well as Ryokumo later on, so all things considered, he should have nothing to fear. In addition, the wall to his left was filled with windows from the waist up, giving a pretty view of one of the inner courtyards down below and the cloudy sky above. It was an escape route he could use should he need to, so even if he couldn't outmatch them, he could run.

There was nothing to be afraid of.

But if Lady Firrik truly saw something terrible that day she touched me…then I think Uma’s right… What if she saw my defeat at Sinna Cartus’s hands, and it keyed her into the oncoming attack from Ijiria? She declared to my face that she wouldn’t ever fight her visions, so she would have allowed Markreas and the Masters to march on Ankalla without opposition. She would do nothing to try and save us, so I might actually be in severe danger… Quill swallowed nervously, his hands beginning to sweat. I’m sorry, Sir Kristoff… I know you urged us to trust her, and I hate that I can’t, but if I want any hope of living through this, I need to fight like my life is on the line. I can’t rely on Firrik. I can’t rely on the Goddess… I must simply rely on myself!

Having steeled his resolve, he faced Sinna with confidence as he raised his dagger and snapped back, “Forgive me for not greeting you properly, Master Cartus, it’s just that Glaus and I have more of a history together. Take no offense by it. I know you’re a force to be reckoned with, and if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you can have. I’m not scared of you. Either of you, for that matter.”

His eyes flickered towards the silent Nyx standing beside Sinna, her right hand having removed a rapier from its sheath at her hip. It had never been confirmed or denied as to whether Nyx’s strange condition was well known or not, but at the very least, Nakoma Taurus seemed to be aware of it. If he was told, then Quill doubted he was the only one, but was Sinna included in all that? Or was Rennigan?

Cartus is likely… he concluded. Glaus, on the other hand, would surprise me…

“You’re a fool,” Sinna retorted, her legs bending as she turned her body and brought her fists up before her face.

Quill shrugged, then slowly tilted his head so that he could face the still-silent Master of Water, her eyes half-lidded and her expression wholly unreadable. “Maybe. Maybe not. Tell me, Master Rana, should I be afraid? Are you going to unleash that thing inside you once ag—?!”

The Master of Rock charging out of the blue prevented Quill from continuing his question, but the timing essentially confirmed that Sinna knew about Nyx and did not want Rennigan to be included. That was worth its weight in gold, so Quill chuckled to himself, swiftly sheathing his dagger at his hip and turning to meet Sinna head-on as she barreled down the hall towards him. He knew his weapon would be useless, so it would better serve him to shift into a brawling style that he knew was similar to hers. Yet even though he was a talented fighter in his own right, her significant size advantage would not be so easily overcome—something he was forced to accept almost instantly.

Sinna reached him, her right arm cocked back to throw a sharp jab straight for his nose. The armored fist was nearly as large as his head, yet even so, he intended to allow it to land, then use the backlash of her failed attack to press against her. Unfortunately, the second her hit landed, he felt his head violently snap backwards. There was no pain, but he was unable to perfectly retain his balance as he was sent stumbling backwards, only for a subsequent punch to land in his gut right before her opposite hand swung back up to strike his chin. Quill’s teeth probably would have shattered without his durability, but he was hardly able to be grateful for such a thing as his body flew into the air and landed a few feet away from the Master of Rock. But as rattled as he was, not feeling pain allowed him to quickly roll to the side and hop back to his feet as Sinna crossed the gap with one powerful leap.

Acknowledging that he would not be able to take Sinna’s attacks the way he normally did when combatting rock mages, Quill shifted his strategy into one primarily relying on rapid pivots and side-steps, allowing her next wave of blows to pass harmlessly over his right shoulder, the side of his skull, and his stomach respectively. All the while, he kept his senses attuned for the appearance of any water spells, knowing without question that Nyx and Rennigan would make their moves the second they deemed it necessary. For now, however, it seemed they were allowing Sinna to test the waters—a strategy that irked Quill since it meant he couldn’t turn his full attention to combating the Master of Rock.

Wanting to at least attempt offense, Quill dodged another blow for his head and took advantage of the opening Sinna provided him, sending his own fist flying towards her face. It landed, but did absolutely nothing of value. Her head didn’t move, her body wasn’t staggered, and instead, he simply found himself gazing into those silent yet terrifying yellow orbs embedded in her stone where her eyes would have been.

Well fuck me then, he thought a second before he took a blow to the side of his head and was slammed into the wall on his right with a resounding crash that cracked the black stone of Ankalla’s corridors. Yeah, offense definitely isn’t viable…

It was then he sensed the oncoming magic, but Sinna was on top of him before he could react, her hand grabbing his head and keeping his face pressed against the wall as a sheet of ice slid towards him from the direction Nyx and Rennigan should have still been. It froze over the fire lamps and the stone, charging towards where Quill was pinned before passing over him as ice engulfed his skull and stuck him to the wall without the need for Sinna’s efforts. He quickly removed his limbs so that they didn’t also get frozen over, but before he could try and shatter the ice, he felt Sinna’s fists begin to pound into the center of his back, repeatedly slamming him against the wall in an attempt to shatter his spine. He luckily had plenty of mana with which to keep his durability strong, but the last thing he needed was to be stuck there until it finally gave out.

The problem was that he was horrifically outnumbered. Fighting Sinna was only remotely feasible if she were alone, which meant that the first thing he needed to accomplish was removing Nyx and Rennigan from play.

Or…perhaps I could try something else? Cartus made it clear that Glaus doesn't know about Rana’s creature, so she’ll be desperate to keep that secret. And besides, while that monster wouldn’t necessarily be an ally of the Kosah-Rei, if its fight with Taurus is anything to go off of, it wouldn’t be an ally of the Masters either…

Weathering Sinna’s continuous assault, Quill Tyrus grinned to himself as a plan began to formulate in his mind that could potentially bail out not only him, but all of his allies fighting there in the fortress.

Alright then, let’s turn this thing around…

***

Rennigan Glaus let out a sharp curse under his breath as he watched Quill suddenly wrench his head free of the ice binding him, causing it to shatter to the ground as he darted to the right, allowing the next attack to slam into the frozen wall instead. He spun around, glancing first to Sinna then to Rennigan where he still waited at the entrance to the stairwell. However, he would have immediately noticed the fact that Nyx was not beside him, an assumption that was nearly proven when Quill sidestepped the barrage of icicles that flew at him from behind. They had been pretty confident that their opponent wouldn’t be defeated by something as simple as freezing him in place and attacking until his powers gave out, especially since Rennigan had personally bore witness to Quill’s ability to break free of ice bindings.

Instead, the idea had been to momentarily disorient him so that Rennigan and Nyx could use their powers to box him in. The entire hallway had been frozen over, walls, windows, and floor included, while a massive and thick wall of ice had been erected both in front of the stairway entrance and one roughly ten yards behind Quill that blockaded the passageway from ground to ceiling. They were thick enough that he shouldn’t be able to ram through, but water mages could fuse with ice, meaning Rennigan and Nyx would have a clean getaway should it be needed. Currently, Nyx was across the corridor from Rennigan while Sinna and Quill were roughly in the center.

We have him cornered… This should be enough, but after watching him get up from Faye’s explosion, I won’t be comfortable until he’s truly dead and gone.

For Rennigan, it was ridiculously surreal to be staring at this man again after all these years had passed, and especially now that he was no longer under the guise of biological magic. The man who murdered Jessi and Hiro, and who marked Faye to be killed by the combustions, was right there, facing off with Sinna and Nyx with the exact same durability that had mercilessly mocked Rennigan’s desperation back in the City of Starlight.

But this time is going to be different, he assured himself. Because I know how to kill him! If Master Cartus and Master Rana can get me an opening, I’ll finish this, once and for all! No matter what it takes! No matter if I’ve gotta sacrifice myself to do it, I’ll—!

“Kill Quill Tyrus, if that’s what you want to do, but don’t you dare let it be at the expense of your own life… Live, Rennigan. At all costs, make sure you get home safely. Otherwise, we died for nothing.”

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The words of a ghost cut off his conviction to fight with everything he had, leaving Rennigan standing stock still as the battle between Quill and the Masters was waged on. Nyx had told him to stand back and only intervene if it became absolutely necessary. They were hoping that Sinna, alone, would be enough to handle this, and in a drawn out fight, they were probably right. The problem was that Quill would never let it get to that point. If he began to lose, he would make his escape despite the precautions they set up to prevent it.

Should I just tell them then? I had hoped to keep Tyrus’s weakness a secret so that only I could finish him, but I’m not sure I can take advantage of such a thing without losing my life in the process. But if I shout out how to beat him, Tyrus will take his own precautions, so maybe I’ve missed my opportunity. Who knows at this point… I guess, I’ll just be ready for anything.

So there he stood, a mere observer to this final battle as Sinna repeatedly and aggressively battered Quill’s body with attacks he couldn’t quite dodge, while Quill himself didn’t show even a single broken bone or drop of blood despite being pummeled by magically hardened rock. Meanwhile, Nyx was sticking to a support role for her friend as she kept trying to freeze Quill’s feet to the ground, a plan that would occasionally succeed at holding him, but wasn’t effective enough to keep him there for longer than a second or two before he either broke free himself or was broken free by a strong punch from Sinna that sent him flying. Then he hit the ice, twisted back to his feet, and they returned to square one.

Tyrus is a one trick pony, Rennigan mused. His durability keeps him alive, but otherwise, he’s a terrible mage. From what I can tell, most of his mana supply is dedicated to his defense, meaning he can only attack non-magically, and while that’s quite effective against most, if he can’t so much as glimpse Master Cartus’s flesh, then his fists and dagger are pointless. Though… The water mage narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He clearly had enough power to create a small pocket realm, so if he were to disperse the Hall of Mirrors, he would have more offensive capabilities than back in Stellareid. The fact that he’s still fighting without magic when up against Master Cartus indicates two possibilities. One, the Hall of Mirrors is still erected somewhere, possibly even in Ankalla, or two, he’s pumping every ounce of mana into his body to try and outpace Master Cartus.

Rennigan glanced around, hoping to reach out and sense for the entrance to the pocket realm, but the insane levels of mana in that fortress at the moment would make it nearly impossible to identify it.

After all, we could barely sense it when we were two feet in front of it, he added bitterly. I’ll keep my senses open, just in case…

Returning to the present moment, he watched Nyx gracefully hop up onto the nearest windowsill before crouching to perch as she summoned a few more barrages of icicles to hurl at Quill. Naturally, the Master of Water knew that they wouldn’t harm him, but the idea was to keep the battle chaotic enough that he had trouble focusing on everything. Even if the icicles didn’t hurt, taking a few to the back of the head while trying to dodge and counter Sinna would still serve as an effective enough distraction. And it seemed that’s what they were accomplishing, for whenever Nyx did briefly shift to offense, Quill was more likely to be struck.

Sinna’s fist slammed into his nose, snapping his head back once again before sending a rapid-fire punch to the gut, chest, and right shoulder in the span of a second—a flurry that would have shattered anybody else’s ribcage. Quill, however, weathered that assault and remained standing.

“Does this not feel like a waste of time?” he drawled, as if growing disinterested in the fight despite facing two Masters of Ijiria. He backed up, turning his body so that his back faced the wall across from the windows, which kept all three of his opponents within his line of sight. “I suppose Glaus didn’t tell you, but you can’t kill me, Cartus. We’re cut from the same damn cloth, you and I… Punch me and freeze me all you like, but it’s completely pointless. Your attacks won’t hurt me in the same way mine won’t hurt you.”

“Perhaps,” Sinna spat. “But if you don’t crack my armor, then I don’t expend mana to fix it. You’ll run out first.”

Quill snorted. “But how long will that take? How much time will be wasted on me while others are slaughtered, hmm?”

“It won’t be a waste if it ends in your death,” the Master of Rock growled. “And besides, the only people in this fortress being slaughtered are on your side. Today marks the end of the Kosah-Rei’s rebellion, and I think you can already tell that.”

Rennigan took note of the fact that, despite humoring Quill’s conversation, Sinna was very light on her feet, as if ready to charge at a moment’s notice like she did earlier when Quill addressed Nyx. Despite himself, Rennigan couldn’t help wondering what it was that he had been about to say, for he hadn’t realized that the Kosah-Rei knew some secret of the Masters. He couldn’t deny his curiosity, but he also knew that he wasn't of high enough status to be told certain things, so he couldn’t quite complain if Sinna didn’t want him hearing the rest of that question.

Quill’s eyes flickered between Sinna and the silent Nyx before he titled his head and regarded Rennigan. “And are you just gonna stand there? I expected more from you, Glaus, but it seems you’re just here to watch. I’m admittedly disappointed. I was looking forward to finally finishing off the rest of your team.”

A spasm of anger shot through Rennigan, but before he could say or do anything, Nyx called out,

“Don’t let him antagonize you! He’s losing and he knows it, so he’s just trying to slip his fingers anywhere he can get them! He wants you riled up!”

Nyx’s voice prevented Rennigan from doing anything, but he couldn’t deny the powerful desire to ignore her and jump into the fray anyway. Quill was clearly cocky and did not believe they had the means to kill him, so taking him by surprise was quite possible.

Quill sighed as he twisted his head towards Nyx and opened his mouth to speak, but just like last time, it was obvious that Sinna did not want him addressing the Master of Water, so before he got out even a sound, a fist was jammed into his mouth, slamming his head into the ice wall with such force that Rennigan half-expected Quill to go through it.

“Nyx, freeze him!” Sinna snarled.

Leaping from the windowsill, Nyx placed her palms against the icy floor and sent mana flowing through it, passing under Sinna before exploding upwards to freeze Quill’s legs from the thighs down while simultaneously using ice on the wall to bind his torso. His head was the only thing left unfrozen, so Sinna put every ounce of strength she could into cracking his skull. She punched him again and again as Rennigan prayed they would see even a drop of blood, but no matter how many times he was struck, Quill endured. Meanwhile, Nyx extended her hands towards their enemy and shouted out,

“Akuan!”

Water burst from her fingers like a controlled geyser as it crossed the hall before defying gravity and turning midair to dodge around Sinna’s large frame. It was a spell that did to water what many wind spells did to the air, for these two ribbons of liquid would take on a blunt or sharp form like Perkari, and would have sliced Quill apart without his protection. Yet, being weaker than Sinna’s physical assaults, they also wouldn’t be enough. Even in tandem, as Quill was pummeled and sliced, he could not be beaten.

It was agonizing and frustrating, leaving Rennigan wondering if he should call out right that moment and reveal what Ms Jellia had told him, for Nyx was in a perfect position to kill him before he could react. Cursing himself, Rennigan opened his mouth, went to shout, but his voice caught in his throat.

The attacks had shattered the ice binding Quill, but at some point while his body was concealed by water, he had gone limp. So when he was no longer stuck, he fell forward and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The hall fell silent as Rennigan, Sinna, and Nyx all gaped at the unmoving man, and for a moment, Rennigan wondered if the Master of Water had accidentally killed him through Ms. Jellia’s methods. Wordlessly, Sinna stalked over and grabbed him by the back of his collar, lifting his body up so that they could get a better look at his face. His eyes were closed, and even when Sinna aggressively shook him, he didn’t react, though they could see by the movement of his chest that he was still breathing.

Sinna snorted, dropped him back to the ground, then stomped on his head so hard that the ice beneath him cracked into a web-like pattern. When his skull remained in one piece, she did it again, then again, then again, until there were only fragments of ice around his head and the stone underneath was cracking.

“Glaus, what happened?” Sinna inquired sharply, turning her head to face the stunned Rennigan. “His durability is clearly still active, but he’s out cold. Did this ever happen in Stellareid?”

“E-er, no, it didn’t,” he stammered. “As far as I know, nothing should have happened to him without his body running out of mana… Unless he passed out from the shock of your attacks, but…no, then I feel like the explosion in Stellareid would have done that, too. I honestly don’t know…”

He was at a loss, but at the same time, he didn’t particularly care what the reason was. If Quill couldn’t even resist, then that made killing him all the easier. Anticipation surged through Rennigan as he began to cross the distance between himself and the others, his eyes locked on Quill still form laying just within his reach.

“Glaus, stay back,” Sinna barked, but he ignored her, knowing that this was a perfect chance to take his revenge.

“I think I can kill him,” he explained. “I have, uh, a hypothesis in mind that might be able to bypass his durability. It didn’t seem realistic in combat, but now that he’s unconscious, I want to at least try it.”

As he walked, Nyx slowly approached from behind Quill and Sinna, her brow furrowing in curiosity, as if sensing the deceit within his tone. Sinna might have noticed as well, for she stepped to the side and placed herself between Rennigan and Quill, her expression hidden from him but her tone tinged with anger he had expected to hear.

“What are you talking about?” she demanded. “What hypothesis? I thought you told us everything you knew about him?”

Rennigan paused, her large body now the only thing between him and his revenge. Frustration seeped into his tone even though he knew he was bringing such a reaction upon himself by not sharing Ms Jellia’s information to begin with. The problem was that if he admitted to knowing Quill’s weakness all this time, he could find himself in legal trouble for lying to a Master, so he had to keep up the facade that he was just guessing.

Rennigan fiercely shook his head. “I-I’m just testing something, Master Cartus. Now please, if he wakes up then I won’t have any shot of trying, so just let me—!”

“What is it?” she inquired again, making him wish he could forcefully move her out of his way.

But it has to be me! If I tell her the truth, she might let Nyx do it, or she might kill him herself! Master Cartus won’t listen to me! She hardly likes me! But if she’s going to put up this much resistance, then I might not have a choice! I’d rather Tyrus die by someone else’s hand than not die at all!

Damn it…

Silently cursing Sinna’s name, Rennigan clenched his fists and finally answered her. “I’m just wondering if perhaps he’s only durable on the outside of his body! Maybe it’s similar to a shell, and if we can harm his insides, he might then die! So if I load his body full of water and pull it outwards, it might—!”

“...ri.”

In the midst of his desperate explanation, Rennigan heard a soft mutter that was instantly followed by a subtle and barely noticeable surge of mana. Sinna spun around, moving her body and allowing Rennigan to see what had happened, only for the both of them to freeze in horror as they watched Nyx’s head topple from her shoulders before landing on the frozen ground beneath her in a small splatter of blood, her body collapsing right after it.

Quill bolted to his feet, pushing past Nyx’s body as he charged towards the wall of ice across from the stairs, shouting, “CORSIKEI!” The subsequent shockwave shattered a hole in the center that he moved to jump through.

“Geldai!” Rennigan frantically rattled off, his first instinct to send nearly a dozen icicles soaring after him, but the man disappeared through the hole before they landed, resulting in all of them shattering harmless against the ice.

No… This can’t be… Master Rana…?

Rennigan had no idea what to do, torn between his utter bafflement at the fact that Nyx Rana had just been murdered right before his eyes and his wild desperation to pursue Quill Tyrus before he escaped once again. He was panicked, for it happened so suddenly and so fast that he wasn’t even completely certain how Quill got the jump on them, especially since he shouldn’t have had enough mana to cast a spell. And as his eyes flickered between that hole and the headless body laying not far from it, the genuine concern Nyx showed for him that morning returned to his thoughts.

“You needed soothing, so shouldn’t I give it? You’ve been through a lot, Rennigan Glaus, and I’m sorry that you’ve put yourself through even more. That being said… The Elixir of Sweet Dreams can become addictive very quickly. One night is okay, I suppose, but please do not drink it ever again, lest you sever yourself from reality. It also amplifies whatever depression you’re experiencing once its effects wear off. It’s terribly unhealthy for one’s mental health.”

It happened again… He killed someone important to me…again… What the hell? I should have—

“Glaus, pursue him, now!” Sinna shrieked, snapping him out of his thoughts and causing him to stumble away from her, startled by how loud her scream was. “Do not let Tyrus get away, you hear me! Go after him!”

His eyes went wide, but in the vulnerable state he now found himself, Rennigan didn’t have the capacity to argue, so his body obeyed the Master of Rock as he spun and sprinted in the direction Quill had fled. However, just before he jumped through the hole, he spared one last glance over his shoulder to find a very strange sight.

Sinna had scooped up Nyx’s body and head then barreled through the windowed wall, shattering stone and ice before disappearing over the side.

What…is she doing? Is she not coming with me? Why did she take the body? Am I doing this alone?

Yet, as he asked himself that, a vicious and accusatory voice grated through his head.

Is this not what you wanted? Did you not want to face him by yourself when you hid the truth Ms Jellia told you—when you withheld information that left Quill Tyrus alive long enough to murder Master Rana? You got what you wanted at the expense of a Master of Ijiria, so don’t you dare complain about Master Cartus abandoning you.

Rennigan let out a weak breath and faced forward as he moved through the hole and into the corridor beyond Nyx’s wall, his legs moving faster than he’d gone in a long time as he desperately tried to reach out for any signature left by Quill. He couldn’t possibly have gotten far, and given that there was chaos on the second and first levels, it was likely he’d try to ascend higher into the fortress. Rennigan had to reach him before he rendezvoused with any other leaders, for if that happened, then he wouldn’t have the strength to finish him.

And if he wasn’t really unconscious, then he heard me reveal his secret. I’ve lost the element of surprise… Good job, Rennigan, you fucking idiot…

He rounded the first corner he came across, and to his utter shock, he just barely caught sight of Quill darting through a door on the left-hand side, around twenty yards ahead. Increasing his pace, Rennigan rushed towards it, noting that the sign on the wall referred to it as a library, but before he could even begin to wonder why Quill had fled to a library of all places, the world changed.

It happened the second he passed through the doorway.

One moment, he was gazing at a dimly lit, bookshelf-filled room and the next, he was in a long corridor with its walls and ceiling completely constructed by mirrors. Rennigan skidded to a halt, his eyes going wide and his body turning cold as death as the scene from his nightmares appeared before him, and at the end of the hall, spinning a dagger around in his hand with a smug smile on his face, was Quill Tyrus himself.

“Now then,” the man began with a laugh. “Since we’ve finally removed those pesky extras, why don’t you and I finish what we started where we started it, eh, Rennigan Glaus?”

With that, Rennigan prepared himself, having a sudden understanding that no matter what, only one of them would leave this pocket realm alive.