"Bel, you don't know what you are asking." Syrce ran her fingers along the chain around her neck.
"I am willing to speak on behalf of Lady Lyra to tell you it's important," Helie spoke.
"But, Aurealia..." the Saint hesitated.
The group could try to wrest the mirror from Syrce, but that was not ideal. They needed her cooperation.
Time was short, and each moment wasted was another failure. Still, the Saint didn't move.
Noble reached forward slowly. "Please."
Pressing her eyes closed, Syrce shook her head. "I shouldn't."
Noble placed her hand on the mirror's handle and paused. Without a word, the Saint released it from the string at her belt.
Dipping her hand in appreciation, Child of Promise turned over the mirror and examined the back. She tugged on the cameo, but as she expected, it was stuck tight. The handle at the bottom was also unwilling to move.
Noble handed the object to Roan. "See if you can twist this."
He placed his manly hand around the flame at the base of the handle, turning with all his might. But the result was the same.
"That's what I was afraid of." Noble's mind raced.
"What are you trying to do?" Syrce reached for the mirror, but Noble moved it beyond her grasp. "You can't!"
"Forgive me." Child of Promise placed the mirror on the ground face up and drew the Zenith.
Before Syrce could fully register what was happening, Noble brought the pommel of the sword down on the enchanted glass.
Syrce shook her head as Noble picked up the mirror. Not a single scratch or blemish was shown on the surface from the hit.
The Saint clicked her tongue. "You think you can easily harm something made by a deity? It would take the same force as it did to shatter the moon to break this now that it is whole. What is going on?"
Noble pursed her lips. "We need to deactivate it. Now. Do you know a way to reverse what we did to make it whole?"
"I don't think it was meant to be reversed by anyone except Mirage." Syrce truly believed what she said.
"Then we will have to do the next best thing." Noble took her cape and wrapped it tightly around the looking glass.
She would have to fight one relic with another. If neither were easily destroyed, then that was her best solution to keeping the mirror and its creatures contained. The cape seemed to understand the objective, stretching to envelope the delicate item like wrapping for a gift.
Tucking the cape and its contents under her arm, Noble nodded to the rest of her group. "There."
"Are you going to explain things to me now, or do I have to guess?" Syrce frowned.
"No, I will explain." Noble glanced around anxiously. "We don't have much time. First things first. Your advisor..."
"What about him?" The Saint straightened her back.
"We need to find and speak with him immediately. Either he is grossly deceived, or he doesn't have your best interest at heart." Child of promise explained quickly. "If he is deceived, then perhaps we can help him see his error, and he will have some information that can help us. If he is against you, then we need to stop him before he tries something else."
"He would never be against me," Syrce defended the mystery man with unexpected fervor. "Maelys sent him herself."
"Then we need to speak with him. How did he get the information about the mirror? What did he think the mirror was supposed to do? Why is he so adamant that he should not meet us?" The questions poured from Noble faster than she intended.
"Bel, the advisor will not meet with you!" Syrce answered helplessly.
"Then I will meet with him. Tell me where he is, and we will go now. You cannot hide him. Your entire world is at stake!" Noble's eyes swirled with emotion.
Syrce frowned.
"Bel, if you are talking about rooting out the Imperialists, this is not the best way to…"
Child of Promise turned to Roan. "Lower the barrier."
The man nodded and dismissed the Memory. The sounds of night once again filled the space around them.
Noble called into the shadows of the street.
"I have the mirror. Come out before I leave and take it to another Realm!"
The shadows stirred. Noble became aware of the figure a moment before the rest of the group.
Flint stepped out of the darkness with a formal bow.
"You…" Noble could not hold back the anger in her voice. She had managed to keep her composure when meeting the fake semblance of her friend before, but now seeing him with that sardonic, polite smirk was too much.
"What are you doing out here?" Syrce balled her fist. "You are supposed to be with my sister!"
"I heard shouting. I wanted to make sure everything was alright." Flint lowered his head.
"Are you the advisor?" Noble squinted at the person before her.
Syrce guffawed. "Bel, do not be silly. Titus is my third in command."
"Indeed, it is not my place to advise." The eerie figure looked curiously at Noble.
The corner of her mouth turned up. "Then bring him here. Or I will fly off with the mirror."
"Titus cannot help you. Your threat has no hold on him." Syrce took a step forward. "Now enough of this foolishness!"
"I will leave with the mirror on three if the Advisor is not here." Noble's gaze turned deadly serious. "One…"
"Bel!" The Saint paused as the dark-haired man, lacrosse from her growled. She tilted her head in confusion. "Titus?"
"Give it back!" The voice from Titus was not his own. It was distorted, beautiful, and horrifying at the same time.
Flint's visage changed from polite contrition to a demonic snarl.
Had Noble not seen the transformation, she wouldn't have believed it. Any trace of Flint's emotional signature disappeared with the change, replaced by something Noble had never felt before.
The experience was beyond words, filling her with absolute dread.
However, she had been in dreadful situations before. Instead of being paralyzed from fear when the man lunged toward her with a fiery stone glowing in his hand, Noble's instincts took over.
She had been burned too many times by too many enemies. She had had enough.
The molten relic stopped in mid-air, and the monster with it. The man gasped.
Blood poured from his mouth as he looked down uncomprehendingly at his abdomen and the sword lodged deep in his gut.
"Titus!" Syrce caught the man as he fell to the ground.
The Zenith returned to Noble's hand, dripping with blood.
She looked at the scene, her emotions temporarily numb. She prepared for a second attack, but none came. Either the monster did not know how to heal itself using Flint's power, or it simply couldn't after receiving the poison from the Zenith.
Instead of fighting, the creature limply lay back and closed his eyes.
Syrce held the man as his breath left him. She looked up at Noble with tears in her eyes. "What have you done?!"
But it was the Spell that answered.
[You have slain…an Other.]