Subduing Snow White after his mind had nearly gone chaotic, a buzzing ever present as he lashed backwards, weaving his way past the dark shadows that reached for him, and silencing the girl in one swift chop of his hand.
His eyes had gone completely blank, the misty ocean stare deep and difficult to read. His sword danced skillfully through the air as he spun, twisting around.
At Snow White's defeat, everything collapsed at once in a puddle of bright colours, mixing together to create a dirty brown, akin to black. The lowlights flickered back to life.
Kane had appeared on a timely matter—first noticing the blood-stained man that slumped on the wall. An uncontrollable tremor ran through his body.
His face paled, and horror imprinted on his expression.
"...Lucas...?"
The terse voice trembled, wavering in disbelief and terror. His expressionless facade snapped in an instant, almost losing reason.
However, he was not foolish. He jerked his head painfully towards Elias' gloomy person, standing over the curled up figure. The man lifted his chin slowly, gaze flickering over coldly.
A smile graced his lips.
"Ah, so you've made it?" Elias turned away promptly from Snow White, and stalked over to Lucas' body. "I'll have to trouble you in grabbing the girl."
He bent down and scooped up the limp, faintly breathing man resolutely, not betraying any abnormality. He behaved in such a casual manner; it left Kane speechless.
But the hand that wrapped around the unconscious body was firm, tension in the hold.
Kane shook his head, reaching a hand out. "I'll take him."
"I can't agree to that." smiled Elias, though the curve didn't reach his eyes.
Kane narrowed his eyes suspiciously, moving a hand to hover over the sword at his belt. With Elias' weapon cast away to hold on to the body, Kane had confidence in winning—
"You may try."
Elias' relaxed smile never left his face, but something simmered in the depths of his gaze. Something deadly and dark, blacker than the abyss.
It wasn't a thing that could chase Kane away from the little brother he'd spent so long waiting for, though a fight at this time wouldn't be wise. Tentatively, he questioned: "Do you intend to harm the person in your arms?"
"The last thing I'm thinking of doing right now is injuring him further."
The answer made Kane's shoulders relax slightly, and he nodded reluctantly. Moving over, he grabbed Snow White and nodded again to move towards the mirror room.
Nothing was said between the quiet pair, their thoughts following similar wavelengths. They absolutely couldn't let this bleeding man die.
Elias furrowed his eyebrows, frustrated at the myriad of thoughts.
If Lucas died, that only proved that he lacked the ability to survive. Whether luck wasn't on his side, or his skills were subpart.
There was no reason for him to feel frantic.
His hands held onto the limp body tighter, feeling the escaping heat and the warm blood that smeared against his own skin. Lucas' eyes didn't flutter, remaining shut in a picture of slumber.
It didn't matter if he died.
It would be a matter of the inevitable.
Elias' steps became slightly more hurried, and Kane quickly followed behind with the same haste.
The mirror room provided to be simple to find with Snow White being unconscious, and Elias didn't hesitate to chant out the line.
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall."
Darkness clouded the room like fine smoke, and life breathed into the pulsing hands that surrounded the frame. The surface rippled, revealing a startled person clutching their stomach with a pale demure.
Elias noticed and instantly furrowed his eyebrows.
Lucas, on the other side of the mirror, stared in surprise and also... relief? Elias didn't question it, lacking time.
"Do you have Snow White?"
Lucas closed his mouth that was about to ask in wonder, 'you're alive?' and nodded expressionlessly. A hooded figure beside him stepped forth, holding a delirious, hazy-eyed girl towards the mirror.
Elias promptly explained the situation, including the scene in the abandoned cottage, as Lucas slowly nodded his head, piecing the information together.
On Elias' side, the unconscious Snow White's eyes flickered as she widened her gaze at her own wretched reflection.
She thrashed violently, unable to escape the firm hold of her captor.
"Hahahaha! Do you think I know nothing...?! I won't say the words!"
Lucas stumbled, feeling an extreme wave of pain wash over him. Tethering on the verge of passing out, most likely.
His present state was based on sheer willpower.
The 'good' Snow White smiled loosely, still slumped over. Her innocent eyes were glazed over, numb to any pain from the wounds over her body. Lucas sucked in a breath, pressing against his stomach more firmly before whispering.
"Do you remember your mother's favourite hobby?"
He had no choice but to make her say it instead, targeting her buried trauma.
The girl's eyes went wide and started to convulse with terror.
"Do you remember the words she often said?"
How could she forget, when those ghastly words that were the root of her mother's jealousy resulted in her torture?
Lucas' words were like a dangerous lull, digging and probing deep into her unwilling mind. Because of his pain, his voice was a mere whisper, a hoarse question.
"Say it."
"No... no, no, no, no!"
Lucas swallowed with a struggle, stepping closer. His throat burned... or maybe it was his body. He didn't know. He didn't want to use Snow White's trauma against her, but they had no option at the moment.
His voice was a persistent taunting, rousing her deepest memories.
"Mirror, mirror..." whispered Lucas, as the girl's movements became more erratic.
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall! Who's the most beautiful of them all?" screamed Snow White, before she repeated in several times and then muttered. "Not me, not me... leave me alone...! Go away!"
"Please!"
But as always, her pleas were left unanswered.
The 'evil' Snow White gritted her teeth upon seeing her reflection scream, and made one more attempt to run away as the mirror lit up, and the shriveled human hands started to stretch towards her.
"Move! Let me go!"
Kane dropped her hurriedly onto the ground before stepping out of the mirror's vision. Snow White gasped, but a hand snaked around her ankle, tugging her towards the mirror, towards damnation.
