Light and Darkness

Sir Zenith snapped out of sleep mode with a jolt.

Sitting upright, he checked his internal chronometer. 12:13 AM. Which surprised him, for it meant he had been in sleep mode for less than an hour, even though like always he had scheduled himself to wake at five AM.

Strictly speaking, he didn't need to put himself in sleep mode every evening, let alone lie down in a bed. Back in Tielos he often spent days without resting, and when he needed to he stowed himself upright in the skycraft's cargo hold so as to best economize their space.

However, Lady Meg complained about how "creepy" he looked standing up in sleep mode, and his liege had suggested, "When on Earth, do as humans do," so thus he held himself to an approximation of a human circadian rhythm.

Whatever the reason, he should not have awoken from sleep mode this early. He glanced around the small attic room for any external stimulus that might have disturbed him, but everything was in order. His phone was charging on the nightstand; Sir Dareo perched atop the bookshelf, wearing the paper crown Lodovico had folded for him.

Perhaps he ought to run an internal diagnostic, just to make certain. As Zenith turned his attention inward, he experienced a sudden strange surge in his core of Levia.

This was cause for concern. Zenith focused on the core, only to experience the surge again. The second time he was better prepared for it, and as it rippled through his body he realized that this was not his Levia.

Rather than the stark light that powered his systems, it was soft and subtle, like the pink glow of the dawn sky. A Levia he had come to know almost as well as his own and his liege's.

Theo? But this made little sense. Previously he had only ever sensed Theo's Levia in the midst of battle, when Theo cast spells on him.

When it happened a third time, Zenith had to concede he had not made a mistake. Moreover, Theo's Levia felt oddly unsteady, churning like a storming ocean.

With each violent jolt came something else, a sensation as if ice had filled Zenith's abdomen, leaving his mouth dry and throat tight. What was this....?

Panic?

Zenith stood up. He didn't understand the entire situation, but he knew enough. His contract was telling him one thing loud and clear: Theo was in danger.

He grabbed for the phone, but reconsidered when Theo's panic surged through him once more. Clearly, Theo was in immediate danger; calling to ascertain his location might waste valuable time. As would awakening and gathering the others, especially since a quick scan with his auditory sensors revealed they were all fast asleep.

He had no choice. He needed to get to Theo as quickly as possible. Perhaps it was not the wisest course of action, but the Levia churning within him and all of his training as a knight told him it was the only way.

Closing his eyes, Zenith concentrated on Theo's Levia. At the very least, he needed to pinpoint its general direction. Once satisfied, he opened the attic skylight and jumped onto the roof, taking off into the night at his top speed.

He could only hope he reached Theo in time.

~*~

Something was wrong.

The moment Theo's hand met Victor's, a chill descended upon the air. The reflections in the mirrors seemed to transform, rippling and distorting until he no longer saw himself and Victor in the studio, but an expanse of black marble, cold blue fires glowing in crystal sconces, a throne draped in roses.

What...? Was he dreaming?

Victor's grip clamped down tight, making Theo gasp. With a mighty yank, he hauled Theo to his feet.

"Wait," Theo choked out.

The chill deepened, stabbing at his bones. But he forgot all about it when the floor became even colder beneath him, as if it had transformed into ice. Horrified, Theo watched as a black diagram surged across the smooth wood.

An arena?

The instant he realized, he tried yanking his hand out of Victor's merciless grip. "You – you tricked me! This is a trap!"

A savage grin twisted Victor's face, making him unrecognizable. His grip only tightened.

"Let go!" Theo screamed.

"It's too late now." Theo had never seen Victor gloat before. "You've already agreed to come. So be a good boy and quit struggling."

Theo yanked harder, his arm burning all the way to his shoulder. But it was too late. His Levia thrashed in warning as a familiar crackle filled his head and darkness swallowed the studio.

When his vision cleared and the crackle faded, the studio had vanished. He was inside the space he had seen in the mirrors, standing atop a vast expanse of black marble. It was so cold his breath came out in icy puffs.

His Levia stormed and swirled, offering some slight protection from the chill. Not enough. And he couldn't do anything with it. Not when he was all by himself, Zenith nowhere nearby.

He'd been a complete idiot.

Victor tugged hard on his arm, drawing him close. No matter how Theo struggled, he couldn't fight his brother's strength. But was this really his brother anymore? Wearing that mad grin, black eyes shining with triumph, he barely seemed human.

His free arm circled Theo's waist, caging him in. Theo could barely breathe through his panic.

"Now," Victor whispered, bending down so his face filled Theo's vision, "you're within my grasp. Come to me, and be enthralled."

Enthralled? This was wrong, all wrong....

Suddenly his Levia flared like a bonfire. No, this wasn't just his soft pink light; it had a hard, crystalline edge.

Theo's heart leaped into his throat.

Crackling filled his ears again, then he heard a loud ripping sound from behind. With it came a ray of light, slicing through the darkness like a sword.

Victor stumbled, his grip loosening. Theo took the chance and shoved away from him.

A blue sky descended into his vision, illuminated by a golden sun. No – a cape emblazoned with a familiar symbol.

Roaring, Zenith swung his sword at Victor. Victor lurched, ashen-faced.

A scream tore out of Theo's throat. Yes, Victor had tricked and kidnapped him, but he was still Theo's brother.

'Clang.' Zenith stumbled back, his surprise reverberating through Theo's chest, when his sword locked with another blade. A blade as black as night, with a wickedly serrated edge.

Holding it was a man in spiked armor, dreadfully familiar. But – but that didn't make any sense, because Victor was still standing there behind him, looking oddly small in just his casual clothes.

As the armored Victor ground his blade against Zenith's, the normal Victor stumbled back, wearing a stunned expression that didn't seem to belong on his stoic face. Except it wasn't Victor's face anymore, was it? No, the skin was paling, the chin and cheekbones narrowing, the eyes turning from black to gold....

Until it was no longer Victor fleeing the scene, but Michel Rose – no, Captain Mirage. Dressed in a fancy uniform, his ears pointed and long red horns twisting from his head.

'What? What's happening?' Everything was all mixed up, swirling back and forth inside Theo's head, and he didn't know if he could ever put it right again.

And he didn't have time to. Victor broke his blade away from Zenith's with a shower of sparks, only to come charging back at him.

Zenith lifted his shield, barely managing to block. The blow glanced off, sending Victor stumbling, but he recovered quickly and dove in again.

He attacked relentlessly, one vicious slash after another, giving Zenith almost no time to parry. Terror choked Theo's throat when he realized Zenith was being driven back.

He had to help him, use a spell. The Levia buzzed in his veins but he couldn't gather it through the fog clouding his head.

A diagram spread beneath Victor, throwing harsh purple highlights across the marble floor. In response, his blade lit up with purple flames. When Zenith blocked with his shield, Victor's sword sliced a gouge across its crystal surface.

Zenith's legs buckled. 'Help him!' Sucking in a deep breath, fighting a flood of nausea, Theo finally managed to grab hold of his Levia. To his relief, the diagram erupted beneath his feet, bathing him in its soft warmth. A basic speed spell.

Just in time. Victor rounded on Zenith again, but augmented by the speed spell, Zenith threw himself beneath the arc of the swinging blade. With that, he closed the distance between the two of them.

Zenith stabbed forward –

Only for a violent clang to echo through the chamber. Theo's heart stopped: Victor had blocked Zenith's sword with his own. Zenith's arms trembled as he pushed against Victor, but Victor remained solidly in place, like a stone wall.

The sight of his face made Theo's breath freeze. Bathed in the hellish glow of the purple flames, his snarl seemed more like that of a cornered animal than a human.

A jerk of his sword sent Zenith staggering backward. Victor seized the opening and lunged.

Though Zenith lifted his shield, the force of Victor's blow sent it spinning out of his grip. Bile slicked Theo's throat as the shield crashed onto the marble floor.

Zenith didn't have time to dive for his shield, not with Victor charging in for a new attack. He met it with his sword; above their crossed blades they glowered eye-to-eye, pushing against each other with all their might. They broke apart, sparks flashing, only to meet again with a furious clash of metal.

Their blades whipped back and forth, a flurry of slashes too fast to follow. All Theo could see were streaks of light and darkness.

'Don't just stand there.' He had to help Zenith. Once again, he strained to gather his Levia. The light danced in fitful sparks. He couldn't – he couldn't -

What was the point of fighting? It wouldn't change anything, certainly wouldn't save Victor. Not when his reasons were selfish to the core.

Tears stinging his eyes, he fell to his knees. Maybe it hadn't really been Victor saying those things, but fake or not, his words struck true.

All this time, Theo had never been thinking about Victor. Only himself.