Ascension

by Sophia Sharp

  “I won’t do it!” Laura screamed at him, and as if to emphasize her words, took a large step back from him. The loss of blood must be playing tricks with his mind. He couldn’t possibly be asking for what she thought he was asking if he were sane. How did he know about the knife?

  Laura heard movement behind her, and whipped her head back. She had been half-expecting the elder, and would have even perhaps welcomed his presence at this very moment. But it was just Gray. He was looking at her oddly, but stayed at the edge of the clearing. Laura paid him no further mind. She turned her attention back to Logan.

  Logan still couldn’t meet her eyes. He was looking somewhere far in the distance. His face had already taken on an absent look, as if he were not fully there. Laura felt his pain acutely. She could not even begin to imagine what he was going through. To ask her to do such a horrific thing… it was madness!

  “Laura,” Logan said again. “Please. You need to do it. Do you not love me?”

  How could he question that, at this very moment? “Of course I do,” Laura said, and half-took a step forward, but then stopped herself. Logan was delusional, and if she came closer he might think that she had acquiesced to his request.

  “Then I beg of you, please, please kill me. You are the only thing left living for, and now that I have seen you, there is nothing left. My death will surely come, but without your help, my last moments will be spent in sheer agony. I will be at peace if I die at your hand. Please. For our love.”

  Laura shook her head wildly. A torrent of tears was streaming down her cheeks. No matter what Logan said, she could not kill him! How could he even ask for such a thing?

  “You will not do it?” Logan asked. His voice had taken on a harsher edge. “I lie here in agony because of you! I came here for you, and I am in this condition because of you. I’m going to die because of you! Either way, you will be the one responsible for my death! It will hang forever on your conscience, unless you kill me now!” He spat the last bit. Then the rage that hit him seemed to simmer down, and he took a deep breath. “Please, Laura. Please, I beg of you. Just set me free.”

  Laura heard Gray growl behind her. She didn’t pay him any mind. All her focus was on Logan. Slowly, as if walking underwater, she went to him. Her mind went blank. She did not know what she would do. What she could do.

  As she came closer, Logan looked up at her, and his eyes met hers for the first time since his request. They were red, dark, deep. Poisonous.

  Not Logan’s eyes.

  Suddenly Laura remembered what Gabrielle said when she first entered this place. Nothing can be trusted. Everything you see is false. Gray’s growling got louder behind her, as if in warning. She looked down at Logan, and the illusion broke.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ~The Second Cord~

  It was not Logan lying there, but a representation of him, and a rather bad one at that. It was as if it had been pieced together by fuzzy memories. For a split-second, Laura saw the shining cord running out of this Logan’s back and twisting through the trees deeper into the woods. Logan snarled viciously and lunged at her with a knife. The same knife he asked her to create with the torrial.

  Laura jumped aside just in time. All the sadness and emotions she had felt washed away, replaced by a irreconcilable anger. At the elder, for tricking her like that. At herself, for falling so easily to the deception. The real Logan she knew would never have acted like that. It was the direness of the situation that had so thrown her off.

  Her parry to the left caused Logan to stumble slightly, and that gave her just enough time to create more distance between her and him. Well, it wasn’t him. Not really. Just a representation created by the elder to confuse her. Much like the snake had been.

  Laura sought the connection in her mind, and felt that the elder was still some distance away. But the shining cord she had seen extend from Logan’s back left no doubt he could see through his eyes.

  Logan stood, and tossed the knife provocatively from hand to hand. He was only looking at her, now. And when Laura looked into his eyes, all she saw were the evil, vile eyes of the elder. Tainted with poison.

  “So you are smarter than you appear,” Logan said. Except now, the voice that escaped those lips was not Logan’s, but the elder’s. “You would have made a great ally, girl, if you only made the right choice. But now, you leave me no choice but to kill you.”

  Logan rushed at her again, but Laura was ready. She took two steps toward him and leapt through the air, catapulting herself over him and to the other side. She used the torrial to make the knife appear in her hand, and slashed at the air where she thought the cord must be. She flipped and landed on her feet, and spun around to see the result of her attack.

  Logan just stood there, not ten feet away, smiling at her. There was a glimmer in his dark eyes. Laura tensed. She must have missed. Suddenly, a great roar of laughter erupted from Logan’s throat, and continued for what seemed like eternity.

  “You fool!” the elder spat through Logan’s lips. “Did you really think I would be so careless twice in a row? Maybe I was wrong about you. You’re not smart at all. You just got lucky!” And out of nowhere, Logan dashed right at her.

  Maybe it was the laugher, or maybe it was the mockery, but something threw her off, and Laura wasn’t ready for the attack. Logan crashed into her with his shoulder, sending her toppling backwards. As they fell to the ground, he tried to slash at her with the knife. Laura caught his wrist just in time, leaving the blade mere inches from her neck.

  Logan snarled, and again Laura saw the elder in his eyes. She struggled to keep the blade away from her. Her other hand was pinned down by Logan, rendering her own version of the blade useless. No matter what, though, this representation of Logan was stronger than she was. She felt her strength quickly fading, her grip on his wrist slowly slipping. If she lost hold, the sharp edge of the blade would implant itself into her bare skin. She focused on keeping it away from her, but Logan had the advantage, here. He was on top, while she was nearly helpless in a defensive position. The feel of his body against hers repulsed Laura. It was just as bad as if the elder were holding himself against her.

  Suddenly Logan let out a piercing shriek and threw himself off. Laura gasped, not understanding what happened. Another few moments, and her grip would have surely failed.

  That was when she spotted Gray. He was right beside her, his hulking mass moving with heavy breath. Laura looked over, and saw a deep red gnash along Logan’s side. That was where Gray’s claws had fallen. Logan was hunched over, rubbing his hands over the wound. This was her moment! Laura picked herself up, and was just about to launch herself at Logan, another deep laugh erupted from his throat.

  It sounded sick, twisted. It was the elder’s laugh again, but it was different from before. Logan straightened, and the most amazing thing happened. The wound Gray had afflicted healed right before Laura’s eyes. New skin sealed the gaping wound, stopping the outward flow of blood. Laura watched, entranced, as the whole wound closed, like something out of the X-Men. The only thing that would say anything had been there before was the bloodstain that lingered on the skin.

  Logan looked at her, and smiled cruelly. “Did you really think it would be so easy?” he laughed. “I am in control of this world, not you! Only I know the true dimensions of its fabric, and only I can pull the strings that shape reality. I would not have left myself so vulnerable to your meager attacks! And now, Laura, it is time to move beyond games. You must die!”

  The last sentence turned into a full-throated scream as Logan threw himself at her. She was expecting it this time, and managed to sidestep the attack. Her mind worked furiously. Gray had saved her. But the elder had not realized he was there. Logan turned and slashed at Laura’s midsection with his blade, but Laura parried back to avoid the blow.

  Logan’s – the elder’s – entire attention was on her. None of it was on Gray.

  Logan slashed at her again, and Laura used her own blade to
deflect the blow. Did he not know Gray was there? Either Madison or Alexander had told her once that most Vassiz were not able to notice animals even if they were inches from their face. She had never had such problems.

  Logan missed a step, stumbling for a moment, and Laura went at him with her knife. He threw aside her blow and returned to his feet. Laura knew the elder claimed he had the upper hand, but if he truly had that power, he would have finished her by now.

  As if to emphasize that point, Logan jabbed the knife at Laura, but was a touch slow. She twisted sideways to avoid the attack, and at the same time pierced her own blade forward. It caught Logan right in the shoulder. She felt it go through muscle to plant into bone. Logan jerked backwards, and the tip came out, stained completely red. Blood pulsed out of the wound as if from a fountain.

  Logan shied back, and brought his other hand up to his shoulder. He snarled at her as he rubbed the wound once, twice. Laura watched from a distance. Just like before, the cut started to close itself. But the healing seemed to go a touch slower now. Maybe the regeneration took more out of the elder than he let on.

  The only way she could win was to sever the cord that connected this caricature of Logan to the elder. Any wound she gave him would heal. And she did not have the same advantage. Fighting him this way, she was bound to lose. It would only take one slip on her part for Logan’s knife to find her flesh.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Laura saw Gray charge at Logan. “No!” she screamed. The bear halted as if understanding her words perfectly. But it also drew Logan’s attention. Logan looked in Gray’s direction, and his eyes widened as if seeing him for the first time. Chances were, he was seeing him for the first time. Logan snarled again, a primal, vicious noise, and launched himself at the animal.

  Laura had no time to think. Armed with the knife, Logan was more than a match for Gray. Gray could not fight him off.

  Laura launched herself toward them, but she was too far away. She watched in horror as Logan closed the distance to the bear. Laura moved her legs as fast as she could, but she was still not fast enough. Logan was going to get to Gray before she could stop him.

  Without thinking, Laura drew on the torrial, and created a ripple in reality. The gap closed in front of her. She jumped through and tackled Logan just before he could reach Gray. A look of bewilderment flashed across his face, but was quickly suppressed. He rolled together with Laura, and used his feet to fling her off him. Thankfully, the collision had knocked the knife out of his hand. That gave her a chance.

  But that was not the only thing she noticed. When she passed through the fold, for a split second, the shining cord became visible to her. Somehow, the elder had shifted its location, and it now flowed from the back of Logan’s knee. No wonder she missed when she slashed at it before. She did not think he realized what she now knew. She had to capitalize.

  She righted herself in the air and landed on her feet. Logan darted right for her. Laura turned, and ran back. She knew where the cord was. It was the only weakness she could exploit.

  She ran, thinking wildly. How could she get to the other side of Logan, to where she needed, and cut the cord? Something tickled her memory. An idea formed in her mind. It was something that she had done before, and had served her well. She ran onward, then pretended to have her foot catch on an upturned root. She fell heavily onto her hands. Out of the corner of one eye, she saw Logan sneer. The next second, he was on her, about to slam his body into hers…

  Now!

  Laura spun back, wielding the blade, and slashed the air behind Logan’s knee. She did not miss. Logan’s body crashed into hers, but, much like with the snake, he went right through. A dumb look of fascination briefly twisted Logan’s face. Then he opened his mouth and let out a blood-curdling scream.

  The scream filled the forest air. It was the voice of the elder. Logan fell to his knees and clutched at his head. Before her eyes, Laura watched as those gaping holes of light started to take over his entire body. She had to look away. Agony of the most perfect sort marred the features on his face, and even though Laura knew this was not the real Logan, even though she knew this was just a puppet of the elder, she could not force herself to watch. She turned as the screams got louder behind her, cries of disbelief and immense pain.

  The light pulsed from Logan’s body in all directions, illuminating the forest. Her back was turned, but she could imagine what was happening behind her. The elder’s screams filled the air as the light intensified, pooling closer and closer together.

  The screams cut off as Logan’s whole body was consumed by the light. Laura turned her head slightly, and saw the shining shape that was left. It was a glowing ball of light, exactly as the snake had been. Laura took a step away, toward Gray. She had bested the elder twice.

  But the light behind her did not dissipate like last time. It was still there, lighting the forest like a miniature sun. Laura turned to look again. Had she done something wrong? Had she—

  She cut off as the amorphous shape suddenly streamed toward her. It moved so fast that she did not even have time to blink, much less get out of the way. The ball of light slammed into her, paralyzing her for a moment. Intense cold such as she’d never felt weaved its way through her body, leaving nothing untouched. It was the cold of a thousand blizzards, the cold of the arctic tundra concentrated into one spot. It was the cold that could freeze time, the cold that could turn the hottest of the stars into ice. The cold travelled through her body, seeping into every joint and every ligament, every bone and every blood vessel. It encompassed her whole being until not even her mind was safe.

  She felt the cold reaching for the connection she held with the elder in her mind. She could not resist. The cold settled onto the connection. A wave of shivers rocked Laura’s body, and the sensation was gone.

  In its place was something Laura could never expect. The connection she had with the elder had magnified. She now saw a perfect representation of him in her mind. She felt his fear, his uncertainty. And she knew that now, he was no longer in control.

  She had killed two of his creations. Now, there was only a single cord left that gave him life. He was frail now, and he was frightened. Laura saw him not as he projected himself to the world, but as he existed beneath the façade. He was an old man, his bones brittle and his muscles weak. His hair had become a ghastly white, and the skin that had recently been tight on a handsome face was now sagging and dotted with liver spots. He had lived far longer than even the Vassiz were supposed to, and had somehow covered up who he really was. But Laura now saw it crystal-clear in her mind. She felt the evil dankness of his thoughts, sensed the rottenness of his soul that made her insides crawl.

  And he knew she was there. He looked over his shoulder, one way, then the other. He knew he was being watched. Perhaps he did not know how, but he was on edge. Laura knew exactly where he was. When she severed the second cord, she inherited all the power of this world. The power he once held. Now, the dream was truly at her command.

  She could see the shining, pulsing cord extending from the elder’s back. No longer would it be hidden from her. She could also see where the other two cords had once been. The remaining cord pulsed and twisted wickedly. She felt the elder drawing on it. He was drawing as much energy as he could, as much of that precious life force that gave him sustenance. But the capacity of the cord was at its limit. Whereas before there were three avenues for the elder to draw what he needed to survive, now there was only one. He was weak. It past time for Laura to end this.

  She took a step in his direction, and he bolted. His gait was pathetic and slow, now. Laura almost pitied the man. But after everything he’d done in his life, and everything he’d done to her, even the most compassionate parts of her heart could find no sympathy for him. But no matter how hard he ran, he would not get away. She knew exactly where he was.

  She felt him trying to draw through the remaining cord to create a ripple in reality, to skim somewhere farther away, and she stopp
ed him. She did not know how she did it, exactly, only that the connection between them allowed her to block anything he did.

  She felt panic rise up in the elder’s thoughts. Desperately, he tried again, and once more Laura crushed the attempt. Uncertainty and fear swelled through the connection, so strongly that some of it almost rubbed off on her. She stopped the flow of emotions ruthlessly. She was the one in control.

  She took another step in his direction, but then stopped. Why chase him if he could come to her? A smile formed on Laura’s face. She would let him run, but he would run right into her arms.

  The elder was still frantically trying to form that ripple that would allow him to get further away. Laura could feel the feeble beating of his attempts against the shield she had put up. She let the shield go.

  Hope surged through the connection, stronger than any emotion Laura could expect from him. She smiled cruelly. Let him have that little bit of hope for now. It would make it all the more sweet when she dashed it out from under him. He had dared play with her emotions, creating the apparition of Logan to bring her into a vulnerable state. She would do the same to him. She could be just as calculating, just as cruel, as he had been.

  He shifted reality before him, and moved a great distance away in the blink of an eye. She let him go. No matter how far he went, her connection with him would not waver. She could still see him clearly in her mind’s eye.

  The hope that Laura felt was now replaced by relief. The smile on her face grew. That relief would make everything so much sweeter when the elder realized she was only toying with him.

  The elder drew through the cord again, and again compressed a large swath of land before him to jump through. The relief within him grew stronger. Laura also felt a new sense of confidence erupt within the man. He genuinely thought he was getting away. Well, let him. The surprise he came to at the end would make everything so much more satisfying.

  Laura watched through the connection as the elder created ripples in reality, again and again. Each time he thought he was getting farther away from her. The confidence in him grew, and the fear and uncertainty faded. He thought he was still in control.