Helios stepped back. "Be reasonable," he hissed, silver eyes wide in terror. He's not getting away with this.

I laughed, holding the broken glass like a knife. "Reasonable left when you started burning my stuff." I stalked closer, readying my swing.

Helios struggled with his words, "Listen, things got heated...but we can let bygones be bygones." Stumbling back, he tripped over the metal tray, the contents spilled across the floor. He picked up a scalpel, pointing it at me. "Stay back!"

I kicked the cart aside, continuing forward. "You don't scare me, coward," I hissed.

Helios lunged off the ground, slashing his blade at me. I grabbed his arm, throwing him in the direction of his strike. Flying forward, he caught his balance. Silver eyes wide, they narrowed in resolve. He charged back at me. I sliced his arm, ducking around his swipe. He cried out, red colouring the shoulder of his lab coat.

"You're slow," I snickered, circling him "Your steps are clumsy."

He growled, gripping the red on his arm. "You'd be down if I had a gun."

"Lucky me." I grinned, swooping at him. I nicked his ribs. He recoiled, scurrying away like a wounded animal. Blood dripped from his arm, a wide eyed fear in his eyes.

The glass cut into my skin, the sting mimicked the pain in my heart. He had no right...no right...but what good does this do? I need to think. His eyes drifted to the door.

I pointed the piece of glass at him. "How do I get out of here?" I asked.

"What?" Helios spat, eyes frantic.

I glared at the star-painted walls. "Tell me how to get out of here and I'll let you go."

He laughed, "You sure think you're scary, don't you?" He keeled over in laughter, blood dripping down his arm. "You have no idea the giants you're dancing around."

I stepped closer, snarling at him. "You'd rather die than tell me?"

"What good will killing me do?" he said, the shine returning to his eyes. "Without your gifting you won't get far? They'll hunt you down before you even reach the grounds."

Nausea clawed at my stomach, I backed away. He's wrong, he has to be wrong.

Helios snickered, pacing around me. "That's a new feeling for you, isn't it? Being trapped. Welcome to reality, Phynley. There's always someone putting a gun to your head."

I shook my head. "No, I'm getting out of here!"

"Sure," Helios laughed. "Get used to being a pawn, a weapon, or some kind of experiment. That's all you'll ever be."

"You're wrong," I roared, my resolve shaking. Glass biting my fingers, I hung my head. Hope scattered like the ashes on the floor. I can't do this.

"Helios," Kismet hissed, leaning in the doorway. "What did I tell you?"

"I followed your instructions perfectly," he growled.

The red band over her eyes glared back at him. "Didn't I say that if she seemed agitated to take a softer approach?"

He crossed his arms, gripping the wound. "I didn't think it was necessary."

"Clearly you were wrong." She slipped her hands in her pockets, stepping around my emptied backpack. "I'm sorry, Phynley. I will make sure your clothes are cleaned and returned to your bag."

I narrowed my eyes, hands trembling. I snarled, "He burned something of mine."

Helios gave an evil laugh, "She stabbed me with the syringe."

"That's enough." Kismet pointed at both of us. "Helios, go get your cuts cleaned."

He whipped his head around. "But I can't leave you with her, she still has-"

"I won't say it again," Kismet said, her voice chilling. Helios lowered his head, walking past. Glaring at me as he slipped out the door.

Kisnet tiptoed closer. "Now." She peeled my fingers back, lifting the glass out. "This must hurt pretty bad."

I winced, pushing back at the nauseous feeling. "It’s alright."

Kismet pulled over to the corner sink. Fiddling for the facet, she ran the water, putting my hand under. "You've really caused quite a stir."

I shrugged, shivering. "Do you really expect me to cooperate?"

She opened a pack of badges. "I understand this is unsettling for you, but I need you to keep an open mind," she said. Wrapping it around, she fastened it.

I pulled my hand back. "You lied to me."

She took a breath, slipping the roll back in the box. "I figured it would be better to talk on even ground."

"Even ground?" I snorted, "A lie is the opposite of even ground."

She rested her hand on the wall, tracing her fingers over the stars. "I guess you're right..." She stepped back towards the door. "Come, we'll get you something to eat and I'll appraise you of the current situation."

"You're not going to bind me?" I blinked at her.

"No." She kicked the cart, setting it back upright. "You've shown yourself too much for binds."

"But-"

"Helios provoked you, I am confident we can get along just fine," she said, waving me on. "Please come."

"Alright," I muttered, following her graceful steps back into the hallway. Least no one's dragging me. There's something calming, yet terrifying about Kismet, like her gentleness could turn to devastating fury. I need to be careful. The light reflected off the floor tiles, a blurry image of us traveled over. I lifted my head, mulling over my words. "Who was on the phone?"

"Oh," Kismet snickered, "that was our esteemed leader, the fury of Vitriol, the great warlord and chief, Alaric."

"What did he want?" I asked, biting the inside of my cheek.

"You, of course. Eager to use you against Avarice, whether that's as a prisoner of war or a spy. He was ticked that I did this behind his back, not that I care much." She paused, drumming her fingers against the wall. "There are more important things than politics and people pleasing."

I frowned, following her through an archway. "Won't he retaliate though?"

"Of course, but there are advantages to you being here over the capital." She walked backwards into a large room, glass ceilings overhead. "He will come to understand that."

I dragged my heels, pushing down an uneasy feeling. "I'm guessing your goals and Alaric's don't quite align."

"Few people's goals that align with mine." She smiled, showing her perfect teeth. "The real question, Wanderer, is whether your goals align with mine?"

I shivered at the title. A long table stretched out beneath the glass ceiling, chairs all around it. "How can I answer if I don't know what your goals are?"

She motioned for me to sit. Trees twisting over the edges of the sky. "Let me grab you something to eat, and I'll delve into it."

Walking off to a side door, she left me alone in the room. Should I run? I stood frozen in front of the table, the sun shining down on me. Helios was right...she wouldn't leave me like this if she thought it was possible I could escape. I pulled out the chair, reluctantly sinking down. I took a deep breath, burying my head in my arms. I'll think of something.

Kismet poked her head out the door, carrying a plate and a glass of water. "Hopefully this is agreeable." Her shoes clicked against the tiles, setting the dish down in front of me. "It comes straight from our kitchens."

A dull brown paste over rice, I frowned at it. "Ya, it...should be fine." I grabbed my fork, taking a bite, weird floral notes in the flavour. I wrinkled my nose, putting my fork down. "You gonna elaborate?"

She sighed, leaning on the table. The surface of the table was covered in carvings, delicate little designs. "My goal is a simple one, to reverse the trajectory," her voice hit a solemn note.

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"The trajectory?" I blinked at her.

"You sense it, don't you?" She leaned closer. "The choke hold of death, the world's failing strength, the diminishing of life power itself." She gripped the edge of the table. "It will only grow. The lack of people like you, people with natural giftings is only a symptom of the disease." She raised her chin, voice quivering, "It will extent to all life."

I shivered, folding my hands on the table. Can that be right? "What do you mean by disease?"

"The world wasn't always this way." She lifted her head, a slight smile curving across her lips. "Have you heard of the life waters? The fountain that contained life power itself?"

That sounds like something Luca told me about... "Is it real?" I asked.

"It was." Kismet shrugged. "And in one sense it still is. You've even seen it."

"What do you mean?"

Kismet got to her feet, standing up on the table. "The looking glass, the gate of death, the cursed mirror that lacks your reflection. That alone is what's left of the fountain."

"What?" I blinked at her. "How is that even possible-"

"I'll show you." She held out her hand, motioning for me to take it. "Do you want to stay ignorant?"

I scowled at her, lifting my hand. She pulled me up onto the table, traversing the surface. The carvings twisted around each other, images melding together. Cities, and armies, forests; they fell in sequence...telling a story.

"The city was called Omen," Kismet said, stopping at the end of the table. "A center of a bustling new world, it grew up on the outskirts of the fountain, fueled from the power that flowed from it." She walked around the image, a grand palace decorated in twisted vines. I've seen this before…

Kismet followed the current to a waterfall. Water swirled, twisting throughout the pictures. "Lush forests, abundant produce, Omen was an unrivaled paradise. It was here that the first giftings emerged. A mix of fate and persistence, some who drank from its waters developed extraordinary powers."

I traced her steps. "Only some?"

She nodded. "The fountain chooses who it wills...which is why the problem started." The image shifting as I stepped, the pool consumed in flame and fire. "No matter how much power you have, it is never enough."

A silhouette of a man standing before it, arms wide. "Who is this?" I leaned closer.

Kismet crossed her arms. "That must be the Mage of Omen you're looking at." She traced back. "Both he and the King of Omen became obsessed with bending the water's power to their will. He formulated a way to concentrate the power so it could be more instrumental. Thus the Looking Glass was born."

"How would someone even do that?" The image of the flames, so lifelike, they seemed to move. "Create...something like that out of the fountain," I muttered.

Kismet shrugged. "Such methods died with the Mage. A lost art, darker than the kinds that outlived it."

Darker than blood magic? I shivered, following Kismet's pull. The great circle was carried away on a cart. A man played a lute, following behind the Mage. Kismet kicked the image. "Now, what do you think is happening here?"

I squinted at it. "They're bringing the mirror back to the city?"

Kismet grinned. "In great procession, but that joy was short lived..." She stopped in the center of the table. The same city, all the plants dead, leafless branches curled around it. Grim...

Kismet dropped her smile. "Cheers turned to screams, the fountain that used to give life, now took it all. A ring of dead vegetation formed around the city. Livestock died in droves, the city crumbling. Last, a plague ripped through Omen, killing the majority of its citizens," Kismet said.

"Wait...did you say a ring around the city?" I asked, tensing up. It couldn't be.

She nodded. "Yes, is that important?" Head tilted, waiting.

Is Omen the cursed city? I held my breath, my mouth staying stuck. I can't trust her with anything...even my questions. I cleared my throat. "No, just sounds strange. How does the story end?"

"The life draining pull of the mirror was stopped, but not before most of the citizens died. An anchor was forged from the stone that once held the waters, this was able to contain its power." The last image showed a giant chain wrapped around the mirror, fastened shut. A key swinging in the hands of the lute player. Kismet nodded her head. "As long as the mirror is sealed, the world is safe from it."

I frowned. "But it isn't chained now…"

Kismet laughed, "It is, but not so much in a physical sense. Magic has come a long way, new methods, creative solutions."

"Then isn't the crisis averted?" I muttered, staring at the pictures. "If the mirror is no longer taking life power-"

"Without the fountain the world will eventually wither away. This only gives us time," she sighed, sitting cross legged on the table.

"Time for what?" I asked. "...What do you want from me?"

"I want you to stay and help me." She lifted her head, leaning her chin on her arm. "If you can tell me everything about how you became like this...maybe there's hope for this world."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, guilt crawling back up. She doesn't know I'm from the past…. I hopped off of the table, wringing my hands in my hair. "You're on a fool's errand," I said. There is no solution to this.

She crawled off the table, walking after me. "Phynley, come on. I know you want to be more….you want to be a hero, this is your chance."

"Wanted to be a hero." I turned back, my voice breaking, "I don't know what I want anymore."

She followed, right at my heels. "It’s in your power to save the world, actually save it. How can you stand by?"

"Stand by? You think I'm standing by?" I shut my eyes, laughing. "You don't even have a real plan." I tightened my fists, stepping around her. "I'm not falling for any crap about heroic glory. I've already picked my fight, it's time I get back to it." Stomping away, I slipped out the door. I need to find a way out of here, figure out what happened to others. I don't need to pick impossible fights.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kismet growled, her tone building with fury.

"I don't owe you anything," I called back. "I don't want to be here."

"Don't forget your fate is in my hands." She crossed her arms, leaning in the doorway.

I stopped in my tracks. Is that a threat? I turned my head back. "Your friendliness wears off fast."

Kismet laughed, "If I have no excuse to keep you here, Alaric will take you to the capital. I have no control over that."

"I don't like being blackmailed," I spat.

She took a breath, stepping closer. "I'm merely suggesting you should think before you act. You have slim options."

I glared back at her. "I'm not a solution to your problem, trust me."

"You haven't even given it a chance," Kismet hissed, raising her hands.

Because there is no chance. I dragged my feet back, lifting my eyes. "I can't save the world, so go ahead and send me to Alaric."

Kismet frowned. "You still have time to change your mind, for the sake of the world...for the sake of yourself-"

A short sneeze turned our heads, the sound muffled. Kismet stomped towards the corner. "Reed," she hissed, dragging the boy out by his arm. "If you're curious enough to eavesdrop, why don't you do something useful. Take Phynley to her room."

Reed fidgeted, his eyes wide. "I'm...sorry." He hung his head. "It won't happen again," he mumbled, fear creeping in his tone.

"It's alright, just take her to the eastren wing. There should be a guest room prepared there." She pointed down the hall. "She needs time to think."

Reed blinked at her. "You don't want her back in the cell? She attacked Helios."

"Yes, your point?" She put her hands on her hips. "Are you in charge?"

"That's not what I meant..." Reed muttered. "I'll take her." He stepped in the direction, waving to me. "Follow me."

Kismet grinned, crossing her arms. I walked after him, turning a wary glance. She echoed one last threat, "Don't think I'm letting you off the hook. You will work towards my plan."

Shivers running down my neck, I tiptoed after Reed. Head fixed forward, I lowered my voice. "Thank you, for not listening to Helios," I said.

"I didn't do it for you," he grumbled. Guess we're still not friends.

I nodded. "I know, but I'm still thankful. I'm glad not all of you are heartless."

Reed darted his eyes back. "Kismet has been very gracious to you."

"She's kind, but there's no heart in it." I pulled my arms close, glancing over my shoulder. Her red pantsuit disappeared around the corner. "Once I'm no longer useful to her, she'll chew me up and spit me out."

"You don't sound scared by that," Reed whispered.

"I'm used to being scared...in a sense it's comfortable. At least I know where the danger is coming from." My steps faltered, sneakers catching the ground. "What are you afraid of, Reed?"

He swallowed a lump in his throat, hunching his shoulders. "...I don't know."

"You don't have to tell me." I stared up the ceiling, wringing my fingers on my hair. "I'm afraid of Bird-wizards."

He turned back, his eyes wide. "What?"

I laughed,"Ya, disfigured bird-like creatures, with time-paralyzing abilities, and an unrelenting bloodlust. You know anyone like that, and I'll be running scared."

"You're weird," he grumbled, frowning at the hall ahead. Ya, maybe. I kept after him, stalking staircases. The valley below a vivid mix of greens and blues. We turned away from the window, traveling down a shorter hall.

He stopped at a door, turning the key. "This should be it," he said, resting his hand on the frame.

I stepped inside, the door slamming shut behind me. "Wait!" I turned back, pulling at the handle. The key clicked the lock shut. I hissed in frustration. "Reed, what is this?"

"You're still a prisoner…" his voice unsure, muffled through the door. "I have to lock it."

Footsteps walking off, I shook my head. "Reed, come back," I growled, silence coming back. He's gone. I buried my hands in my head, sliding down the door. I'm never getting out of here.

A quilt on the bed, and an old wooden dresser. Cream coloured walls, illuminated by the glow of a stain-glass window. Least this place looked less like a prison. "Just a pretty prison," I muttered, rubbing my eyes with my hands. I need a plan…I need something. I can't let them beat me.

A tear trekked down my cheek, I wiped it away. My picture burnt to ashes, fueling the rage in my gut. I'm not done, they haven't won. I tightened my fists, something rattling against the window. But something always weighs me down. An annoying raptap, I rested my head on my knees. It's time I admit I'm never going back. A chill in my bones, I fought a shiver. Stop living in the past and actually fight for a future...that's what I have to do.

A click broke through the silence. I lifted my head, the window swung open. I froze, a shadow stepped through, falling straight to the floor. I jumped to my feet, moving closer.

"Ow…" a mop of brown hair and a pair of grey cargo pants muttered. She struggled to stand, brushing the hair out of her face. She rubbed her forehead, grumbling, "You're a difficult woman to track down."

"Raine?" I spat, backing away.

She gave a little bow, cracking a grin. "Funny thing, magic girl….I'm starting to believe your time-travel theory."