SHATTERED REFLECTIONS

1 hour ago

Antoine's mirror magic sent a barrage of shattered glass shards hurtling towards Adriana. She raised her hands, summoning a wave of water to deflect the attack, but Antoine was relentless. With a snarl, he conjured a mirror image of himself, which appeared behind her and blasted her with reflected light .Adriana made a frozen disk which she threw slicing the clone then directed it back at Antoine.

He made an image of the disk and the two collided shattering to the ground.

Adriana charged at Him attacking with a combination of water and lightning.Antoine kept her at bay,reflecting her lightning bolts and sending them harmlessly into the surrounding environment.

With a swift motion, Adriana summoned a vortex of swirling water around the apostle,converged it into a ball and lit it up with lightning hoping to take him out. A series of tiny, intricate mirrors hovered in the air, each one reflecting a different aspect of the surroundings. The mirrors created a dizzying maze of reflections,

All Shine

The world around Adriana went white and she put her hand over her eyes.

Seizing the opportunity, Antoine launched a devastating counterattack. He reflected Adriana's attack back at her, trapping her inside the waterbubble then sending lightning through it. The attack knocked her away. She wanted heavily as she eyes the apostle who made his way toward her. Large mirror shards floating around him.The earth trembled and she heard a series of explosions. Jack and the others were fighting Sid and the golems elsewhere in the city. She needed to act fast.

Her eyes darted wildly as she searched for an opening. She spotted a faint glimmer of light on the edge of a shard next to Antoine's head mirror and made a split-second decision. With a burst of lightning magic, she struck the mirror's edge, shattering the glass and sending the shards flying one of the cut Antoine and he took a step back. Adrian tried to charge him but he blasted her through a building with light.

His eyes narrowed, his face twisted in a snarl. "You think you're clever, don't you?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

"But you're just a foolish little girl, playing with forces you don't understand."

Adriana's face set in a determined expression. "I understand enough," she said, her voice steady. "I understand that you're using your magic to try to destroy my home. As a Listowell,I cannot allow that."

With a fierce cry, Adriana unleashed a torrent of water and lightning, striking Antoine with a blast of energy that sent him stumbling backward. The mirror mage's eyes widened in surprise as Adriana pressed her advantage, her magic surging forward in a relentless tide.

But Antoine's mirror magic was far from defeated. With a cunning smile, he conjured a final, desperate trick – a mirror that seemed to reflect not just the physical world but realms beyond it. He reflected her attacks from different times which flowed out of the mirror absorbing her attacks and washing over her.

"You should have stayed out of this." Antoine said, his words echoing through the distorted air. "Now, you'll never escape the reflections of your own fears,the destruction of this city."

The wave that Antoine had conjured froze then broke apart evaporating into the air and leaving Adriana like nothing had happened.

Antoine frowned.

" How is it that someone so unattractive is able to do that. I don't like it,I don't like it! I don't like it!!!" H began to rave pulling out his hair and stomping on the ground. Adrian remained composed.

" Someone who was truly elegant would never show such an unsightly display."

Antoine glared at her.

More mirrors appeared around him.

" I'll show you elegance. Reflection Requiem!" He yelled. Several large mirror appeared all around him with each showing a different image of either places or elements some that were completely out of this world.

" I'll show you true elegance. My Reflection Requiem allows me to reflect not only myself or your flimsy attacks but I can reflect reality itself and all that goes on in it. Now let's see how your manners save you from this" he said releasing a torrent of attacks on her.

Adriana stumbled backward, as the air was filled with a dizzying array of reflections, each one a perfect replica of a different place or event from around the world. Adriana deflected lava from a volcano freezing it with Thermal Reversal while she avoided large boulders that were directed at her. gaint sandwyrms and sized limbed obsidian wolves also manifested,the worms firing acid at her while the wolves tried to attack with claws and fangs,thier tough exterior hard to deal with

Each reflection was as vivid, as real, as the original itself but Adriana knew that they were just images, mere illusions created by Antoine's magic. She gritted her teeth, determination burning within her. She would not be overwhelmed by these reflections. As she fought,she thought hard about a way way to cancel them out.

With a swift motion, Adriana summoned balls of water magic that scattered through the surrounding area. They absorbed moisture from the air growing up to about the size of a large orange and fired multiple rounds of water bullets while lightning spears struck from above. The attacks ripped through the reflections, disrupting the spell's structure and causing the images to falter. But Antoine was relentless, pouring more and more magic into the Requiem. The reflections surged back, stronger than ever.

Adriana's eyes darted wildly as she searched for a way to overpower Antoine. She remembered a lesson Lin taught her when they trained with the others in isolated space. How to create barriers. Almost everyone in their group could do it so she asked Lin for help.

"Barriers can be created by shaping and focusing magical energy into a defined, crystalline structure that severs the space between two points. This technique allows for the creation of powerful, impenetrable shields that can isolate or protect a specific area. By imbuing a barrier with specific magical properties or effects, its functionality can be greatly enhanced, enabling it to absorb, deflect, or redirect incoming attacks. For instance, a barrier infused with elemental magic could amplify its defensive capabilities, while a barrier attuned to healing magic could mend wounds or neutralize toxins." Lin explained.

She demonstrated by forming a barrier in the form of a cube and applied her Gravity on it, causing rocks to be pulled into it and forming a ball of eart.

"Barriers can also be enchanted with magical triggers, allowing them to respond dynamically to changing circumstances, such as shifting from a defensive to an offensive posture. By carefully crafting and customizing barriers, skilled mages can create complex, adaptive defensive systems that provide unparalleled protection and versatility. Additionally, barriers can be enchanted with magical triggers, allowing them to respond dynamically to changing circumstances, such as shifting from a defensive to an offensive posture. By carefully crafting and customizing barriers, skilled mages can create complex, adaptive defensive systems that provide unparalleled protection and versatility."

With newfound hope, Adriana focused her magic and evaporated the balls of water causing a mist that surrounded the entire area. The reflections faltered, their images blurring as themoisture disrupted the spell's structure. Adriana seized the opportunity, using her magic to freeze the surface of the mirrors, blocking the light that had been sustaining the reflections. The images shattered, disappearing into nothingness.

But Antoine was far from defeated. His eyes blazed with fury as he summoned his most powerful attack yet.

"I've had just about enough of this!" The mirror shards each reflecting a cataclysmic event from volcanic eruptions to tidal waves to even the death of people. These were then converted into energy that formed into layers of magic circles all aimed at Adriana.

"This is going to cost me a lot of Arcana but it will cost you your life! Gazed Apocalypse" he snarled, his voice dripping with malice.

A brilliant light beam shot forth from his mirror, a concentrated blast of energy that was capable of destruction on a molecular level and could even hurt a god.

With newfound confidence, Adriana focused her magic, creating a barrier imbuing it with the freezing effect of ice creating a surface that was smooth and mirror-like. The Gazed Apocalypse struck the barrier, and for a moment, the air around it began to distort. But then, in a burst of light and energy, the attack was reflected back at Antoine who had a shocked expression as the cataclysmic blast engulfed him.

Adriana created a bubble around Antoine, trapping him inside his own attack. The Gazed Apocalypse raged on, its energy consuming Antoine from the inside out. Adriana watched, unmoving, as Antoine's screams were drowned out by the sound of his own magic devouring him.

Meanwhile Jack and the other fended off Sid elsewhere in the city.

The battle-scarred streets of the city were ablaze with the sounds of clashing steel and the acrid smell of smoke. Sids laughter echoed through the streets as he wreaked havoc in his golem form. The golems he created tearing down buildings.

Jack, Sol, Jaro, and Arin formed a tight-knit team, working in perfect harmony to take down Sid's golems. Arin's telepathic network allowed them to coordinate their attacks with ease, anticipating each other's moves before they even happened.

As the fight raged on, Sid's golems began to gain the upper hand. Jack's two-edged sword sliced through the air, striking true time and again, but Sid's creations just wouldn't fall. He had a large pool of Arcana so he'd simply reform the golems the moment they were brought down even creating new ones. Sol sent golems crashing to the ground with powerful kicks, but they reformed. Jaro's dual-wielding skills were a blur of steel and motion, but even he couldn't keep up with the sheer number of golems.

Arin's arrows flew straight and true, striking golems with precision, but Sid just laughed more, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He was having the time of his life, and nothing seemed to be able to stop him.

That was when Jack decided to change tactics. With a swift motion, he summoned vines to grow on the golem that Sid was controlling. The briars bit deep into Sid's skin, but he didn't even flinch. He just kept on fighting, his golem smashing into the team with reckless abandon.

"You're not even feeling that, are you?" Jack growled, his eyes narrowing in anger.

" How should I feel anything when the attack is as weak as you are." Sid grined.

" Blame your blood for being inferior. Half-half scum" he added giggling. He swung his arm and Jack dodged, jumping and landing on it and running towards Sid who was sticking out of its chest but Sid simply swung his arm and Jack was thrown off.

Jack stabbed the ground to prevent him from skidding further and with a swift motion, he pulled his sword and swung at the oncoming golems causing vines to grow out of the ground and entangle the gilems. They tire the vines but plants began to grow out from within the golems slowy immobilizing them. The team took advantage of the opening, striking down the golems with ease.

Sid stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock. He realized, too late, that the briars on his golem had been sapping his arcana. He was weak, and Jack knew it.

"Even as a full born elf with a large pool of energy,you lack experience," Jack said, his voice cold and detached. "Learn to respect your elders,boy"

Sid's face twisted in rage, and he launched himself at Jack. But the team was ready for him. Sol took him down with a perfectly executed kick, while Jaro took out his limbs. With a single shot,Arin knocked him out of the golem.

Jack stood over him, his sword pressed to Sid's throat.

"It's over," he said.

"Surrender."

Sid's eyes flashed with defiance and he snarled, baring his teeth, but Jack just pressed the sword deeper into his skin.

Suddenly, the golems that had been beaten began to accumulate more earth and swell up.

Sid grinned then began to laugh making a cold, mirthless sound.

"You'll never win," he spat.

"My golems will explode, and this entire city will be destroyed. You'll have to kill me to stop them, but you don't have the heart for it." Sid said and began counting down from twenty.

Jarograbbed him by the collar and shook him demanding he stop but he just counted louder.

The team exchanged nervous glances. They didn't have time to look for another solution but at the same time they couldn't bring themselves to kill a small boy who looked no older than 12. Just as Sol was about to step up, Jack stabbed Sid, the sword slicing deep into his chest. Sid's eyes widened in shock, and he spat out blood as he fell to the ground.

He looked down at Sid with a cold, calculating gaze. "In the battlefield, there's no place for emotions," he said. "It's either we all die, or one life is sacrificed to save the many." The golems stopped growing and broke apart into small pieces of rock.

The team stared at Jack in horror, but he just turned and walked away. "He won't die instantly," he said. "If Lady Adriana a is done quickly enough, she can still heal him. Oh and If your bothered that I cut down a child don't. That boys over a hundred years old."

They looked at each other. They knew Jack had made the right decision, but it didn't make it any easier to accept.

The barrier holding Antoine cracked and broke down and he fell to the ground he propped himself up on all fours and noticed a mirror on the ground Infront of him. Antoines body was burnt and all his hair and most of his skin was gone. The beauty he'd been maintaining has vanished. He screamed and began scratching his face,digging his fingers into what little skin remained.

"Calm down," Adriana said softly slowly moving toward him.

"You don't understand," he growled. "You don't know what it's like to be ugly"

Adriana's expression was calm and gentle. "It's not so bad, Antoine," she said squatting Infront of him and grabbing his arms

"I can heal you. It won't be the same as it was at first, but...you're a strong man. You'll be able to get through this."

Antoine's laughter was harsh and mocking. "You think a little healing magic will fix this?" he spat, his ruined face twisting in a snarl. "You think I'll ever be the same again?"

Adriana's eyes locked onto his, filled with a deep compassion. "Maybe not the same, no," she said. "But you'll still be you, Antoine. And I'll be here to help you, every step of the way. Let me help you, Please." She brought her hands closer, gathering arcana but he slapped them away. "Don't...heal me," he rasped, his voice barely audible, his eyes burning with a fierce intensity. "I don't want your pity...or your mercy." He grabbed her.

" You did this to me and now your going to pay the price "Adriana's eyes widened in shock as a reflective membrane grew on Antoine replaceing his skin. She freed herself and jumped back.

It was around this time that Kojo finished talking with Sasha and was going back to face Faust.

His words dripping with a venomous hatred, Antoine spoke.

Manifesti Botëror: Portat e Argjendta të Kalasë së Qelqit .

{ It's in Albanian. It means

World Manifest: The Silver Gate of the Glass Castle }