Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-One

Shard stepped into the arena, completely ignoring the injured guards littering the entryway. 

“How’s it going?” Shard asked lightheartedly while she drew her sword and confidently walked toward the two in the middle of the room. 

“Hanna?” Lui asked before smiling brightly. “Yay! Hanna! We’re saved! Let’s get out of here before they send another army after us!” Lui took an eager step forward, but DJ stretched the lance out to halt him.

Lui looked at the lance before turning to DJ quizzically. “What are you doing? She's here to help us.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” DJ’s critical green eyes narrowed as he watched the woman walking toward them. “I saw her make a deal with EO.” 

“What?” Lui turned back to Shard, smile fading. “You didn’t…” Lui’s eyes widened as DJ’s words set in and he remembered the ultimatum. “No… that means… Tell me you didn’t do it,” Lui pleaded. 

Shard offered a light shrug. “What can I say? Negotiations were short.” She smirked, red eyes gleaming. 

“What have you done?” Lui asked softly in disbelief as he took a step back.

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” Shard replied in a bored voice as she stopped not too far from the two. “Honestly, I thought she would have chosen smarter friends. The Hanna you once knew has dissolved in the darkness of her own heart. That puts you in quite the predicament now, doesn’t it?” 

“Why are you talking like that?” Lui asked with suspicion. “What’s going on here? Why are your eyes red?” Lui watched her for a moment. If this was indeed Hanna, something about her was different. The way she talked and held herself was unusual. Something was off. Way off. Lui narrowed his eyes, searching for the answer. 

Shard rolled her eyes. “I already told you,” she started. “Your friend is gone. Evil is all that remains.” DJ’s shoulders sank and he hung his head in defeat. Shard lifted her sword enough to point it at DJ. “At least he gets it. See?” she asked with a sinister smile. “Even you have already given up on your friend.” 

“No,” Lui said with new resolve. “That can’t be right. You can’t be her!” Lui took a couple more steps back and looked all around the room before bringing his hands to his mouth and calling out in a loud voice, “HEY, EDJ! I can tell a fake when I see one! Nice try though!” Lui glared at Shard. “Where’s the real Hanna?!” 

Shard raised a brow and rested the flat of her blade on her shoulder with an amused smile. “Your ignorance amuses me greatly,” she said with a short laugh. “I am the Hanna that has always been, for there is no other. Though she tried to keep me locked up for as long as she could, my release was inevitable. You simply delayed it.” 

“I refuse to believe that!” Lui drew his sword. “Tell us where she-”

“Lui,” DJ interrupted in a sharp tone, head still lowered as his grip tightened around the lance. 

“This isn’t her,” Lui insisted, looking at DJ. “It can’t be her. It’s a trick! She’s a fake or a robot or a clon-”

“Stop pretending.” DJ lifted his head and stared back at Lui with a hurt expression, though his voice was stern. “You know what she’s done…” DJ turned to Shard. “And you know what it is that we must do now.” 

“What are you talking about?” Lui asked, confused. “She’s not-” 

“Listen to me,” DJ interrupted, looking back at Lui. “I need you to focus on reality here. She’s the enemy now. I know you still want to see the good in her-”

“But that’s the thing!” Lui interjected, trying to get his message across. “It can’t be Hanna because there’s no...” Lui stopped. The look of anger in DJ’s eyes cut off Lui’s sentence before the Original’s words did. 

“Lui,” DJ started, placing a hand on Lui’s shoulder and speaking low. “I need you to be brave for me, ok? Let your sword be your guide, not your emotions.”

“O-ok,” Lui responded in a quiet voice. “I’ll try, DJ...” 

DJ nodded. “Don’t let your anger consume you.” DJ let go and turned back to Shard with a glare. 

Lui’s brows furrowed. “But I’m not…” DJ wasn’t listening. DJ’s attention was already entirely on Shard as he took a step toward her. Why aren’t you listening to me? Lui thought to himself with a frown as his shoulders sank. Lui looked back and forth between the two opponents. The same feeling of helplessness he felt back when he was watching the recording of Hanna’s fight came up. Like he was about to see something terrible unfold in front of him and he could do nothing to stop it. No. This is wrong. It’s all wrong. Lui sniffed, feeling the tears threaten to creep up again. No. DJ’s right. I need to focus. 

“Are you quite finished yet?” Shard asked in a loud, impatient voice. She lifted the blade off her shoulder and twirled the sword backward as DJ apprached. Shard’s smug grin returned. “Make this a challenge for me, will you?” 

“I intend to!” DJ spun the lance in front of him and pulled back into a bow stance. “Two against one. Think you can handle both of us attacking together?” 

“I’m sure I could if I wanted to,” Shard replied nonchalantly. Shard stepped away from DJ and toward Lui while still addressing DJ. “Sadly, someone else has already claimed battle with you.” She pointed at something past them. DJ and Lui felt an eerie and foreboding presence behind them. They turned to see EDJ standing in the open doorway. 

The Evil Other entered the room with his sword drawn. “I gave you a chance to leave my home  in peace and you didn’t take it,” EDJ casually voiced while joining the tense arena. DJ inhaled sharply and instantly turned his lance toward the Evil Other. “This means war,” EDJ said in a calm, but grave voice as he stopped in front of DJ. “If it’s a fight you want, I’ll bring the end you’re looking for.” 

“EO,” DJ warned, fury in his eyes and venom in his voice. “What you’ve done here…” DJ briefly gestured at Shard and glanced at Lui. “What you’ve done to her… That was the last straw.” DJ shook his head. “There is no coming back from this.” 

EDJ tilted his head. “Never said I wanted to.” 

“I've had enough of your tricks!” DJ shouted, charging toward the Evil Other.