The door to Shadow’s cell opened with a whoosh as she released him. Shadow Queen waited for the mist to pass before she took a step toward Shadow.

“Too slow,” he glitched until he was standing behind her, the blur of his body flashed past SQ faster than lightning. Shadow grinned ear to ear as he watched SQ pull her blades, her hair falling past her shoulders in soft golden brown curls. “This’ll be easy,” he said, being faster than light was his specialty. Shadow Queen had no chance against him.

She swung wildly with her sword, missing Shadow narrowly. He darted to and fro, a game of cat and mouse. SQ summoned her shadows as he flashed from one end of the room to the other, keeping away from his Silent Stone cell.

“Play fair, coward,” SQ stepped into the murky shadows she’d formed, tossing Shadow a blade from the wall. He caught it, and without a word, they stepped into the Silent Stone cell, their gifts snuffed out like lit ash. Both of their blades were steady and raised, anticipating the bloody fight ahead.

“All’s fair in love and war,” Shadow says, raising a brow. “But I suppose if I’m too powerful, I’ll come down to your level of weakness. Don’t expect me to go easy on you with the swords.”

Shadow Queen strikes in reply, a bloody smirk is plastered on tight, to show off her pointy teeth. Shadow dodges, rolling away from her, nearly chuckling at the attempt. “Are you even trying?” His blade meets hers, iron on iron, it grinds until they slide apart.

This time Shadow turns, his blade strikes Shadow Queen’s again, she rolls in turn as he strikes again, barely missing her hair. She snarls, finding her footing and charging on Shadow. He grunts and spins to match her speed. “I could say a cheesy line like ‘your wits are no match to my blade’,” Shadow grunts as SQ strikes his sword again. “But I think that would piss you off more, since your crown is made of the people’s bones and hunger.”

Shadow Queen laughs, it comes out deeper than a girl’s laugh should be. “I could say suffer the pain you’ve put upon yourself. But I suppose that’d be too nice. I want your head.”

Shadow looks into her eyes and sees the demon inside her. It’s something he’s never witnessed, nearly breaking his grip on his sword handle. She swings harder, Shadow rolls and catches her blade with his, 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 fly from their blade tips as Shadow Queen’s demon bubbles to the surface.

The muscles in her arm, that didn’t exist four minutes ago, roll as she twists the blade to match Shadow’s strikes. He slips and SQ takes the chance, pouncing on him like an animal, pulling the blade on her thigh, placing one sharpened metal dagger behind Shadow’s back and pushing one to his chest. Her teeth are inches from his fleshy neck. His first instinct is to use his abilities to jump away from her, however, the Silent Stone takes care of that ability.

SQ leans in slowly, her lips brushing his neck. “‘All’s fair in love and war’,” she repeats, her soft pink lips stretching into a grin far too wide for any human.

• ☾ •

“The Shadow Shifter is the most feared beast that she summons,” Magnum, leader of the Kairo Lava Field People, says. “It’s a Shape-Shifter, changing into any form it dreams up. If we can somehow snatch that gift away from her, we would have a greater chance at winning the war.”

“Zephyr,” Serene, female leader of the Isolde Ice Folk, whispers.

“What?” Magnum leans toward the wrinkled lady. “I dare not believe my ears that you, Leader of The People, just said a forbidden name. One that can summon evil far more than our troops can fight.”

“No,” Aisles says. “I believe I know where she’s going with this. It makes perfect sense,” the Leader of the Rainy Soren Tribe leans forward too, resting his chin on his tightened fist.

“Zephyr was the most feared demon in the galaxies. Since the time he was birthed from a black hole between our universes, the most power from a Demon God has been between Shadow Mind and Zephyr,” Serene continues, shaking her head. “Zephyr was put away years ago, the prophecies say that a great energy would summon him near, feeding on the insides of the host he chose, until it grew too strong, eventually forming and morphing into the host’s body. While Shadow Mind was sealed away somewhere permanently. Never to escape on his own will.”

“So, this means our Queen may 𝘯𝘰𝘵 be in control— or even aware— of what she’s doing,” Aisles stares in astonishment. “Or either—“

“Or either she’s trapped inside her own body, watching her very own hands slaughter innocent people,” Serene finishes. Suddenly the room of five hundred people falls silent. “If the demon hasn’t killed her yet, Zephyr will only grow stronger. As soon as he’s sure he doesn’t need 𝘰𝘶𝘳 Queen as a host, he will kill her.”

“Do you think there’s a chance of saving her?” Magnum’s voice seems too loud in the small room, people shrink for the fear of the Queen hearing him; even though they rest miles away from her castle walls.

“My opinion?” Serene pauses. “We have little time, it’s only a matter of weeks before the real queen that we know inside that body dies.”

• ☾ •

Shadow Queen licks the blood from her hands beside the cell. The doors are sealed shut once again, Shadow stands by the entrance, watching SQ finish her meal.

“I know you’re in there,” he whispers to her. “And I need you to remember who you are.”

SQ turns on him, leaning in next to the diamond glass. She snarls, her breath crystallizes on the diamond. “I don’t know who you’re talking to. And I don’t have time to figure it out.”

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 know who I’m talking to, I need 𝘺𝘰𝘶 to fight a little longer,” Shadow pushes, leaning in closer until his forehead touches the glass above her head. He peers down at her.

“Shut up,” SQ hits the glass with her fist, it indents but doesn’t crack. The thick glass-like material holds like glue.

“I saw it in your eyes. You were about to kill me, something changed in your face— in your eyes. Zephyr left, it was 𝘺𝘰𝘶, Queen. You pulled away and let me live. You fought the urge to spill my blood.”

The Queen’s eyes darted in what was nearly fear, Shadow could tell that once again, there was a small innocent girl trapped in the body that it shared with Zephyr, the most powerful demon in history. Shadow placed his palm flat on the glass, he’d never felt so much regret and sorrow before. His stomach jumped into his throat when the Queen’s hand rose… and touched his from the outside of the glass.

Then, just as quickly as it came, it vanished. The demon came back into her eyes, her face twisted into a horrible grin, snarling at Shadow, her hand dropped and she spun from the room, continuing down the corridor, and back to her throne room. Her short dagger swung around her fingers, blade first, until she put it back in the strap on her thigh.

𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, Shadow thinks to himself, pacing in the Silent Stone cell once again.

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