Page 31 of Tangle of Lust and Lethargy

I had chosen love. I had chosen Justice and my friends over power and control. It wasn’t an easy choice. Part of me screamedthat I was giving up the surest ways to save everyone. But in my heart, I knew this was right. This was me.

The path ahead was unclear, fraught with challenges I could barely imagine. I had no magical artifact to aid me, no cosmic power at my fingertips. All I had was my love for Justice, my loyalty to my friends, and my own determination.

Brody must have made the same choice. He loved us so much that he died for us. Love conquered all. Wasn’t that what everyone said?

It would have to be enough because failure wasn’t an option. Not with Justice’s life hanging in the balance. Not with all my friends counting on me.

I breathed deeply, steeling my resolve. I would risk being trapped here forever. I would bear whatever happened next.

For Justice.

For my friends.

For love.

The mirror hadn’t smiled or frowned. It stared at me as if reading my mind, its gaze penetrating and unnerving. I felt exposed, as if every thought, every fear, every hidden doubt was laid bare before its ageless gaze.

I forced myself to remain calm, to stand tall under its scrutiny. My choice was made. I had chosen love, chosen Justice and my friends over power and cosmic knowledge. I was confident in my decision, but I wasn’t comfortable being judged. Especially by an artifact of such immense, unknown power.

My heart raced, and a bead of sweat trickled down my spine. The mirror’s impassive gaze seemed to stretch for an eternity. What did it see in me? Strength? Weakness? Wisdom? Folly? I wanted to look away, to break this unnerving connection, but I couldn’t. Some instinct told me this moment was crucial. Backing down now would undo everything. So, I stood myground, meeting the mirror’s gaze with all the conviction I could muster.

“I chose love,” I whispered again, my voice stronger than I expected. “I chose them. And I would choose them again.”

As if in response to my words, the mirror’s surface rippled. For a brief moment, I glimpsed Justice’s face, of my friends standing united. Then it was gone, replaced once more by that inscrutable, starlit mist.

Still, the mirror made no move to approve or condemn my choice. Its continued silence was somehow more unnerving than any judgment. Yet, as the moments ticked by, I felt a change within myself. My initial discomfort faded, replaced by a growing sense of resolve.

Yes, I had made my choice. Yes, it might be judged by powers beyond my understanding. But it was my choice.

“I stand by my decision,” I stated, my voice ringing out. “Whatever comes next, I’m ready to face it.”

As the words left my lips, I felt a surge of certainty, born of love, loyalty, and everything that made me who I was. My mother and brother had taught me that love was the most powerful force in the world. Not power, and certainly not revenge. Their voices echoed in my mind, a chorus of support for the choice I’d made.

I thought of Damon. We’d worked together all these years out of love. We’d been a team, bound by something stronger than any magical artifact or cosmic power. Even now, Damon and Zara were back in Garrick’s hideaway, and I prayed the sloth demons hadn’t overtaken them. The thought of them in danger steeled my resolve further.

This decision wasn’t only for saving Justice, Garrick, and Maggie. It was for Damon and Zara, too. It was for everyone I loved, everyone who had shaped me into the person I was. The person who could make this choice.

A memory surfaced. Brody, trading his life to save ours. I understood that sentiment now, felt it burning in my chest with an intensity that took my breath away. Like Brody, I was willing to trade my life for theirs. All of theirs.

The mirror rippled again as if responding to the depth of my conviction. For a brief moment, I saw not only Justice’s face but a mosaic of all the people I loved. My brother, Damon, Zara, Garrick, Maggie, and more. Their images blurred together, a tapestry of love and connection that guided me to this moment.

“This is who I am.” I addressed the mirror, the island, the forces that had brought me to this crossroads. “This is what I choose. Love. Family. Friends. It’s always been my strength, and it always will be.”

As if satisfied by this declaration, the mirror faded, its form dissolving into icy mist. As it disappeared, I felt a subtle shift in the air around me, a sense of a page turning, of a new chapter beginning.

The path ahead was still uncertain, fraught with challenges I could barely imagine. But now, having faced the mirror’s judgment and reaffirmed the values that defined me, I felt more prepared to face those challenges. I had chosen my family, both blood and found. No matter what trials lay ahead, I would keep choosing them. Every single day.

With one last look at the spot where the mirror had been, I turned and started walking. The first step on a journey I didn’t fully understand, but one I was determined to see through to the end. For Justice. For my friends. For my family. For love. For the future we all deserved.

If it came down to it, I was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice because that was what love meant. That was what family meant. That was what it meant to be me.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The mirror had vanished, but its voice echoed all around me. “You claim to have chosen love.”

I scowled. “What game are you playing? Idid.” Anger and violence strengthened my words.

The mirror continued. “You must solve a puzzle. If you fail, you’ll remain here forever, and your friends will kill each other.”

---