Into The Lion&#x27;s Den

> There is absolutely no doubt that you’re having an entire ocean of second thoughts, but you can’t back down now. An unforgivable trespass was committed against you, and your disciple, and no amount of second thoughts in all the universes would allow you to stop yourself now, no matter how unfortunate it is that the fates didn’t allow the three of you to meet up under vastly differing circumstances.

“Very well.”

> Your wand arm comes up, eyes closed, the words of the spell dancing from your lips like verbal snowflakes, falling gently, quietly. They come out in such a manner that disguises their ultimate purpose, makes the end result seem benign and happy. Dancing about in the air, surrounding the two of you in a soft whirlwind as the majyk begins to build up. You can feel it in your chest, rumbling up like the drum of a bass beat through a sub-woofer, deep and powerful.

> Your hand remains on your face even as the spell’s effects take hold, though the breeze stirred up remains the only outward sign of anything happening, the barest whisper of an indication of the frenzy below the surface, a veritable tip of the iceberg. Slowly, bit by bit, you allow the majyk to take shape and form, worming its way microscopically, deep within her cells, down to the very atoms which hold her molecular structure together. You did promise her, long ago, that you would rend her form entirely from existence, after all.

> You can actually feel it when the structure begins to break down, splitting apart and being torn to shreds upon microscopic shreds, infinitely until no particle remains, both through the majyks binding the two of you and physically, her face still in your hand. You won’t let go until it’s finished, you feel you at least owe her that much. It’s exhausting work, keeping the flow of majyk powerful enough to make it to the finish yet steady enough to assure that the task is completed without any mistakes.

> After several seemingly endless moments, you detect the flow of the majyks slowly losing power, draining you of your personal energy as their own source beyond the universes closes off like a faucet. Your breathing grows ragged, sweat beading your brow. You rush the spell slightly. A mistake, you know, but you want to finish this thing before you unintentionally kill yourself. Perhaps you weren’t as ready for this as you thought.

> The ending is rushed, messy, nowhere near as beautiful as you had hoped for, as she deserved. The power arcs out and sparks out, dashing madly throughout the few cells remaining, the job half-assed at best. You finally open your eyes as the last of the majyks peters out, panting heavily. You’re alone now, no visible signs of her ever even having been there in the first place.

> Your resolve as lost as your energy, you manage to shed a few tears for her now, something else you promised her, simply because the self-discipline to hold them back is gone. You sink gracelessly to your knees, then onto your side, laying in the earth like a child having a pout. Eventually, you’ll manage to pick yourself back up and drag yourself back home, but you suppose you could look at what’s left of the sunset from down here until then.

"………"

> You’re going to think about the woman who called herself ‘Torture Anon’ for a long time after this.

> It's like slipping into a warm bath, as always, though much, much slower this time. You feel no pain, and soon you feel nothing at all as your entire physical existence is ripped apart cell by cell. This isn't so bad. Until they have to rush it.

> Still no pain, but you cringe slightly in discomfort, staying stock still even though the arcs and sparks make you want to flinch. Then, nothing.

> You're dead.

TA: Go To Your Death

> How does one respond to that. It’s another surprise, that’s for sure, but you have absolutely no idea what to say. Damn, both of you are horrible when it comes to social situations. Then again, you’re both awkward and try to avoid interaction as much as possible. And what they shared, while heartwarming and increasing your feeling of gratitude towards them, is hard to respond to tactfully.

"I see. You honour me once more with this information."

> Wow that was shit, but you tried. My God, do you try.

> Your ears are hot from embarrassment, not only at sharing the information itself with her, but because the presentation made you feel like an idiot. You smile ruefully to yourself, eyes downcast, shaking your head. Grateful, at least, that she didn’t make you feel like even more of an ass than you already did.

“We aren’t especially gifted when it comes to conversation, are we.”

> Was that a joke? Are you actually trying to lighten the mood right now?

“… Lord, that was tasteless. Do forgive me.”

> A third inhale to steady yourself, this one nervous and unsteady. Doubtless, she’ll pick up on it.

"… If you’re ready?"

"No, no we're not, and that's alright. There's nothing you've done that needs to be forgiven, darling."

> You hear the unease in their breath, and wonder if you've made a mistake asking them to do this. They did say they would destroy you though. Is it possible they're having second thoughts?

"Whenever you are."

TA: Go To Your Death

> You nod, not wanting to talk at the moment and risk breaking down even more. You open your eyes again, wanting to give the appearance of attentiveness. Few have trusted you with anything, even fewer anything about themselves, and you don’t want to mess it up. Even though you’ll take it to your grave. Ha.

> You take another deep breath, steadying yourself. You haven’t yet shared this with anyone, not even the disciple for whom you’re performing the task that’s brought the two of you together. Part of you feels like you’re betraying her trust. You resolve to make it up to her once you get back together again.

“… At my birth, I was equipped with female genitalia. I’ve never told another soul of this, and everyone who knew in my life is now dead.”

> How does one respond to that. It's another surprise, that's for sure, but you have absolutely no idea what to say. Damn, both of you are horrible when it comes to social situations. Then again, you're both awkward and try to avoid interaction as much as possible. And what they shared, while heartwarming and increasing your feeling of gratitude towards them, is hard to respond to tactfully.

"I see. You honour me once more with this information."

> Wow that was shit, but you tried. My God, do you try.

TA: Go To Your Death

> You flinch at the touch to your chin, any unexpected touch from anyone other than Die generally assumed to cause pain. But it’s gentle, and you let your head turn how they’d like against your better judgement. It’s a soothing feeling to have your tears wiped away. Only more tears are shed, however, the undeserved tenderness twisting something in your chest and forcing you to choke back a sob.

"Victoria."

> How ironic, your name to mean victorious, triumphant, when you are anything but. Your end will be your only victory, if it is successful. You have every hope it will be. Your arms uncross, slowly dropping to your sides, palms facing forward as your eyes slip shut to show you’re ready. You want to hold and be held, as you’ve wanted before all of your previous deaths, but you won’t let yourself ask. It wouldn’t be just.

"Thank you."

“It’s quite beautiful.”

> You bite your lip, slowly. Inhale and hold it. Close your eyes, exhale slowly through your nose. Then open them again, gazing up at her. Your hand remains on her face.

“I shouldn’t feel right without entrusting something unto you, as well. Would you care to hear it?”

> You nod, not wanting to talk at the moment and risk breaking down even more. You open your eyes again, wanting to give the appearance of attentiveness. Few have trusted you with anything, even fewer anything about themselves, and you don't want to mess it up. Even though you'll take it to your grave. Ha.

TA: Go To Your Death

> A genuine chuckle escapes you, a light smile playing on the corners of your lips.

"One shouldn’t waste years, or even days of their life on me, especially when they are as precious as yours. But do as you like. I’m truly honoured to die by your hand."

> You kind of hope it hurts anyway, your love of pain and just punishment stronger than ever. The next few moments are quiet, nothing but the sound of the river rushing by. You briefly wonder if they lost face and left undetected, if the energy and scent you’re detecting where they stood merely residual, but they speak again before you can bother checking.

> Oh. It’s not overly compassionate, nor anything anyone should really get worked up over, but it causes your first tears to fall. They wish things had turned out differently as well. They don’t blindly hate you as most others do, even after what you’ve done. The fact that they know what you’re capable of and have experienced it themselves only makes your heart ache more. You’re not worthy of this kindness, as far from kindness as it seems.

"I suppose we should hurry, I’d hate to waste more of your time. But I would like to afford you my name, if you should like it. I know the name of an abomination such as myself doesn’t mean much to you, but it’s all I have now."

> The smile slowly makes its way back onto your face, though less malicious this time. It’s softer around the edges, gentler, it makes you look closer to your actual age. Not your literal one, no, your true age. The one you trapped yourself in during a fit of bullheaded and reckless impulse.

“Trading secrets now, are we? If you’d like to share, I shan’t deny you…”

> You’re glad she suggested wrapping things up. Though your injuries were healed, your body is still weak, and you’re growing tired rather quickly. Your sweet reptiles, though faithful, are growing tired as you, settling about your neck to grant themselves a short reprieve. You find yourself wishing you had something to lean against.

> The summons of that same reckless bullheaded impulse that caused your greatest mistake, now draws you to close the distance between the two of you. You aren’t entirely sure what you’re doing until you find yourself reaching out a cautious hand, tilting her chin towards you with your fingers, thumb extending up to wipe the tears away.

“I’ll keep it close to me as a treasure, if you’ll afford it to me.”

> You flinch at the touch to your chin, any unexpected touch from anyone other than Die generally assumed to cause pain. But it's gentle, and you let your head turn how they'd like against your better judgement. It's a soothing feeling to have your tears wiped away. Only more tears are shed, however, the undeserved tenderness twisting something in your chest and forcing you to choke back a sob.

"Victoria."

> How ironic, your name to mean victorious, triumphant, when you are anything but. Your end will be your only victory, if it is successful. You have every hope it will be. Your arms uncross, slowly dropping to your sides, palms facing forward as your eyes slip shut to show you're ready. You want to hold and be held, as you've wanted before all of your previous deaths, but you won't let yourself ask. It wouldn't be just.

"Thank you."

TA: Go To Your Death

> You’re surprised they share in kind. You’re not surprised by what they share, however. You are painfully alike, only serving to make your wish for friendship with them even stronger, and to make you even more sure about who you chose to end you. You’re on the same paths. But unlike you, they have the strength to carry on. And the opportunity to make the one who changed them so drastically pay for it.

"Unfortunately when I find the ground, I shall hit it with such force I shall shatter. I think it’s already happened. I am glad you found the ground so lightly. And I wish you all luck and strength to complete your quest."

> You shift your weight to the other hip, wincing slightly in pain.

"You have? Oh darling, I feel so special."

> You nod, despite the fact that the gesture is entirely lost on her sightless eyes, simply because it makes you feel more alert.

"It’s very powerful, very special. It will take a great deal, if not all of my skills as a wizard, along with a great span off of my life. At least a thousand years, possibly a few more."

> You avoid telling her, or even admitting to yourself, that you have no idea if you actually do indeed possess the skill to pull such a boast off.

"I’ve been saving it for my true enemy, however, it seems fitting to use on you, as well. It shouldn’t hurt at all."

> You shift your attention to the horizon for a few moments, visually drinking in the rich colors of the sunset. You’ve seen as many worlds as you have years, travelled all around time and space, and you still can’t say that you’ve ever witnessed anything as pure or breathtaking as the sight of a sunset. Regardless of the planet, or atmospheric conditions, or any other number of factors that may or may not influence the appearance. You sigh.

"I am sincerely sorry that your fall did not end as fortuitously as mine."

> The start of a second statement of regret dies on your lips with another soft sigh, a regret your pride won’t allow you to bring into the air between the two of you. The regret that you had to meet on such unfortunate terms, that you couldn’t have been friends. You can sense a kindred spirit in her, despite her unforgivable status of simply being an anonymous.

> A genuine chuckle escapes you, a light smile playing on the corners of your lips.

"One shouldn't waste years, or even days of their life on me, especially when they are as precious as yours. But do as you like. I'm truly honoured to die by your hand."

> You kind of hope it hurts anyway, your love of pain and just punishment stronger than ever. The next few moments are quiet, nothing but the sound of the river rushing by. You briefly wonder if they lost face and left undetected, if the energy and scent you're detecting where they stood merely residual, but they speak again before you can bother checking.

> Oh. It's not overly compassionate, nor anything anyone should really get worked up over, but it causes your first tears to fall. They wish things had turned out differently as well. They don't blindly hate you as most others do, even after what you've done. The fact that they know what you're capable of and have experienced it themselves only makes your heart ache more. You're not worthy of this kindness, as far from kindness as it seems.

"I suppose we should hurry, I'd hate to waste more of your time. But I would like to afford you my name, if you should like it. I know the name of an abomination such as myself doesn't mean much to you, but it's all I have now."

TA: Go To Your Death

> Your tongue flicks out again, once, twice, before your blank eyes settle on them and you’re satisfied that they’ve stopped moving outside of your bubble. At least you can be somewhat comfortable while you have to make conversation. It’s rather humiliating, but you don’t fight it. You deserve it. You deserve everything that’s coming to you.

> You cross your arms as well, cocking your hip to the side to get some weight off of your weak joints. It’s sad, any passersby would see two friends simply shooting the breeze, when nothing could be farther from the truth. You wish you could have been friends. Maybe in some other universe, you are. That thought consoles you the tiniest bit, making you more inclined to talk.

"I’m not a heartless monster, as everyone seems to think I am, as I was supposed to be. I suppose that is the root of the problem."

> You let out a soft chuckle, more hysteria than amusement, mouth contorting to a pained smile.

"You know, I never even wanted to be this. This isn’t even my original title. I was not born to harm. I was taught to. Now look at me."

> You can feel tears pricking your eyes for the first time in your life. It’s as wonderful as you imagined.

"I couldn’t even finish what I was forced to start. I suppose that’s better for humanity, but it’s… Finding out your whole purpose in life is was lie… You’re too far gone over the edge onto this platform that just disappears beneath you and you can’t get back to solid ground. So you fall. I suppose that describes it well enough."

> Your voice cracks through the distant and proper tone you always adopt, showing your age and your pain. You’re just a kid when it comes down to it. A scared, hurt kid.

> As she speaks, the smile slides from your face like black paint over a painting of a clown. You bite at the inside of your cheek, slicing into flesh between sharp canines, the flavor of your blood grounding you, reminding you of why you’re here, who you’re here for. This is no time to empathize with the enemy, regardless of how she reminds you of yourself, of how young you both are. Little kids trying to play grown-up in mommy and daddy’s closet.

"… Ah."

> You spend several long moments simply studying her. You try telling yourself it’s because you want to remember everything about her, and not because you’re just plain interested in watching her.

"… I understand completely…"

> You’re treading in unstable territory. You choose your next words with caution.

"… I, too, am painfully familiar with the experience. The bitter flavor of betrayal. I was led astray by someone I once trusted. The mistake was his, not mine. The thing about falling, though, is that eventually, one finds the ground. Afterward, it is merely a matter of determining how strong of a foundation one has to build up from. He will pay, one day, for his unforgivable errors. I know this for a fact."

> However much you’d like to stand around and chew the fat, the two of you are here for a reason. You shake your head, attempting to clear it of the thoughts drifting around in your cranium like moths playing in a dusty beam of light. One hand comes up and your eyes close, fingers massaging the eyelids, attempting to rub away the exhaustion.

"I’ve been saving a spell for you."

> You're surprised they share in kind. You're not surprised by what they share, however. You are painfully alike, only serving to make your wish for friendship with them even stronger, and to make you even more sure about who you chose to end you. You're on the same paths. But unlike you, they have the strength to carry on. And the opportunity to make the one who changed them so drastically pay for it.

"Unfortunately when I find the ground, I shall hit it with such force I shall shatter. I think it's already happened. I am glad you found the ground so lightly. And I wish you all luck and strength to complete your quest."

> You shift your weight to the other hip, wincing slightly in pain.

"You have? Oh darling, I feel so special."

TA: Go To Your Death

> You feel them circle around you, thought not through the vibrations of sound or those made from their steps -they really ought to take better care how they walk around a foe. If you had any fight left in you, it would be so easy to locate and strike-. You feel it in your very soul, a criminal being examined before the jury, crimes laid bare to the world to decide what the proper punishment should be. You and they both know it is death everlasting, and their hyena laugh only makes it worse. But even now, though you’re at death’s door waiting to be pushed through, you hold your head high, unflinching beneath their gaze. You will not falter.

"Indeed I have. That’s why we’re here."

> It’s a sadly delicious feeling, to know this moment has finally come. You certainly hadn’t expected it to happen so fast, but you know if not now, then never.

> You can’t get the smile off of your face, one you weren’t even aware was present until you spoke. Not that you’d care to anyway. The hyena laugh comes again, this time of dark mirth rather than malice.

"Tell me, darling, what happened to bring you to such a low state?"

> You stop in front of her, leaning your weight back on your left leg, crossing your arms over your chest. You’re very relaxed this moment, though all of your attention remains on her. You’re confident she has no plans to attack you, although, just on the off-chance that this confidence were to be shattered, you’ve placed yourself at enough of a distance away to give yourself what you believe to be a reasonable amount of time to react.

"I do so want to know."

> You genuinely do. Not as such that you honestly care, but you want to gather as much information as you possibly can, to go over and over in your mind later on in the future. You also want to prolong this event, if only for a bit. It’d be a shame to come here and get it over with within mere minutes.

> Your tongue flicks out again, once, twice, before your blank eyes settle on them and you're satisfied that they've stopped moving outside of your bubble. At least you can be somewhat comfortable while you have to make conversation. It's rather humiliating, but you don't fight it. You deserve it. You deserve everything that's coming to you.

> You cross your arms as well, cocking your hip to the side to get some weight off of your weak joints. It's sad, any passersby would see two friends simply shooting the breeze, when nothing could be farther from the truth. You wish you could have been friends. Maybe in some other universe, you are. That thought consoles you the tiniest bit, making you more inclined to talk.

"I'm not a heartless monster, as everyone seems to think I am, as I was supposed to be. I suppose that is the root of the problem."

> You let out a soft chuckle, more hysteria than amusement, mouth contorting to a pained smile.

"You know, I never even wanted to be this. This isn't even my original title. I was not born to harm. I was taught to. Now look at me."

> You can feel tears pricking your eyes for the first time in your life. It's as wonderful as you imagined.

"I couldn't even finish what I was forced to start. I suppose that's better for humanity, but it's... Finding out your whole purpose in life is lie... You're too far gone over the edge onto this platform that just disappears beneath you and you can't get back to solid ground. So you fall. I suppose that describes it well enough."

> Your voice cracks through the distant and proper tone you always adopt, showing your age and your pain. You're just a kid when it comes down to it. A scared, hurt kid.

TA: Go To Your Death

> That you do, though not quite gladly. You handed off your beloved children to someone you’re quite sure is less capable of taking care of them than you, someone who tried to kill them while you saved them. You couldn’t say goodbye to Die in person, lest you lost your nerve. Your whole life has been a living hell, mostly in the hopes that you would have purpose and succeed, but you failed that. And the man you had thought to be your saviour so long ago turned out to be nothing but a lying kidnapper who banked off coincidence. You feel so stupid for believing in him, for letting him mould you into the monster you are today. Maybe if you hadn’t been so naive, you might have been able to have a chance at being who you had wanted to be.

> Part of you wishes you could change, but the rest of you knows you can’t. You’re too far gone, too ingrained in your ways, too tired to keep going on as you are. What’s sad is, you’re still a kid. You certainly feel that nowadays, almost all the time, and it wears you down even more. Everything does. It’s a struggle to get out of bed in the morning, even when you don’t sleep. It’s a struggle to think, especially after coping for the last month with more drugs than you’d like to consider consuming. It’s a struggle to exist, playing the part of the villain when you never even really felt it in the first place. Your life is a lie. You need peace.

> It’s a good thing you managed to piss off someone strong enough to kill you permanently. Even better that they’ve agreed to end you. You take a long look at the river you’ve been sitting by for the past few hours, committing it to memory before unplugging your glasses and magicking them back to the house. The water is the last thing you’ll ever see. You wish it had been Die and your babies. But they’re not your babies anymore, are they, and Die deserves better than you, doesn’t he. You’re honestly surprised you’ve made it even this far. You finally managed to achieve some sort of happiness. And now it’s gone, dragging your will to be right along with it.

> You give yourself a pair of eyes before you go to grab your executioner, the opportunity to shed tears as your life ends too good to pass up. They shine dully in the light of the sunset, too opaque to properly reflect, or see. You’re tempted to fix that little problem, but the thought of going out of this world the way you came into it sounds better. A little less on your own terms, but when has anything ever truly been on your terms? You let out a sigh and flick out your reptilian tongue, tasting for Calmasis’s magic signature, dragging them to this place when you finally track it down.

> You let go of them quickly, stepping back and flicking your tongue out a few more times so you can tell just where they are and where an acceptable distance away is.

"Hello, darling. You have my utmost gratitude for this."

> To say you’re still suspicious of her motives would be an understatement. You don’t trust her, nor any anonymous at all for that matter, as far as your fourteen-year-old frame could throw one.

> Ignoring the urge to claw relentlessly at your skin in order to rid it of the crawling sensation left by the thick metaphysical residue of her foul magic, you return her greeting with a soft, predatory growl, already on edge, moving to circle her almost before your feet even meet the soil. Pupil-less, solid white eyes flicker around, though it’s impossible to tell exactly where you’re looking from strict observation, taking in your surroundings quickly, processing everything from potential escape routes to potential attack points in mere milliseconds, attention drawn back to your prey almost before it was off of her in the first place.

> The chilling laugh of the hyena bubbles up through your vocal chords, another unmistakably clear sign of aggression. The two serpents draped around your arm and neck keep their attention pinned to the target as well, prepared to strike if necessary in order to buy you whatever precious time they could manage should the need to flee come up.

> You continue to circle, drinking in the details of the moment. Everything about this moment you want to commit to memory, from the scenery to the location to the weather to her physical appearance to the emotions you’re both feeling, yours known and hers speculated. You take note of the discrepancies between her current form and the one plastered so freshly within your memory, a still-open wound on your psyche. You moisten your lips and inhale.

"You’ve changed."

> You feel them circle around you, thought not through the vibrations of sound or those made from their steps -they really ought to take better care how they walk around a foe. If you had any fight left in you, it would be so easy to locate and strike-. You feel it in your very soul, a criminal being examined before the jury, crimes laid bare to the world to decide what the proper punishment should be. You and they both know it is death everlasting, and their hyena laugh only makes it worse. But even now, though you're at death's door waiting to be pushed through, you hold your head high, unflinching beneath their gaze. You will not falter.

"Indeed I have. That's why we're here."

> It's a sadly delicious feeling, to know this moment has finally come. You certainly hadn't expected it to happen so fast, but you know if not now, then never.