Wasting no more time talking about it, I launch myself at him with the spear in my hand. I lift the spear, and send it flying straight into his chest. He looks down at the spear embedded there and laughs, as his form flickers in front of me. It’s then I realise the laughter isn’t coming from in front of me, but behind.

I whirl around to face him, seeing him leaning against the wall casually. My eyes dart around again, seeing the flickering form vanish completely.

“How?” I question in disbelief as I face him again, the word slipping out even though I wish it didn’t.

“Foolish girl. You didn’t think you were the only one to gain more powers, did you? The water in the pool here is now supercharged with magic from Ariziadia, and I have powers most don’t even know exist,” he explains condescendingly, a smug smirk on his face. He lifts his hand and sends me flying back before I have chance to counter it. I manage to soften the blow of my fall with my air mark, but once I stand back up, he’s vanished, and I can’t see him anywhere. For a moment, I think he may have fled, but then I hear soft footsteps crossing the room towards me. I stand still, darting my eyes around for show while I try to listen carefully. I don’t want to give away that I know his game.

I’d wanted to just get this over with, to quickly strike him down and finish this once and for all. However, he seems content to drag this out, toying with me like a cat does with a mouse. What he doesn't seem to realise is that I'm not a helpless little mouse to be played with at all. I'm his death.

Calling on my mind reading mark, I delve into his mind and see the attack in his mind just moments before he acts on it. I spin out of the way of his invisible blow, calling on my fire mark as I lift my free hand up in his direction. I shoot a streak of fire right at him, and watch as the flames catch onto his invisible frame. They light him up for a second, before he douses them with his own powers, removing him from my visibility once more.

I grip my spear tighter as I feel a bead of sweat roll down the back of my neck. With the sound of my blood pumping filling my ears from all the adrenaline, I don't hear him as he creeps back up on me from behind. He forgoes using his powers and strikes me with a fist to the back of my head. I yelp, stumbling forward as my free hand immediately goes to the back of my head, clutching where the pain is radiating from. Not giving me a moment to recuperate, I feel an ice cold chill wash over me, as he freezes me over with ice. Stuck and completely frozen by his attack, I glare at him when he becomes visible again, striding towards me confidently, but I'm not down yet.

Using my fire mark, I quickly heat up the ice and melt it in fractions of a second, releasing myself. I dive quickly to the left to dodge him throwing a wooden chair at me, using his air mark to move it.

Sick of being on the defensive, I try and make my attack. I pull on my earth mark, using it to crack the stone floor beneath us. The ceiling above us begins to crumble, sending down rubble all around us. I use my power to keep all the debris off myself and my mum, who is still lying unconscious on the other side of the room.

The whole damn building shakes with my power, and Alaric stumbles a little but somehow remains upright. His face looks twisted as he lifts his hands up in my direction. Before he can strike again, I quickly call on one of my new marks, allowing my instincts to guide me.

The sound of thunder rolls through the skies, and a crash of lightning strikes down, bouncing off my outstretched fingers, and heading towards him. The lightning hits him at full force, sending Alaric flying. He crashes to the floor, withering in pain from my blow.

I walk over to him slowly, victory seeming so easily within my grasp. I don't know why I was so worried; the Honzel was just testing my worthiness. What it showed me wasn't real, it never was. It couldn't be.

I stand over my biological father where he lies on the ground, and press my spear down over his chest. I look at his face, his eyes, and the dark hair that looks so much like my own, and I feel nothing for this man but hate. I push down, letting the spear sink deep into his heart.

The sound of laughter rings in my ears again, and I feel my heart drop to my stomach. Pulling the spear from the imitation's chest, I quickly turn on my heel. I twist just in time to have a hand smack me across my face so hard it knocks me to the ground. He kicks his foot into my stomach, winding me easily as I curl instinctively from the pain.

“So foolish. Such a dumb, difficult runt,” he mutters. “I'd wish you weren't mine, but I suppose you did serve the only purpose I needed from you, Mackenzie. Now that you've done that, however, I don't need you anymore,” he tells me. I feel my spear ripped from my hands and thrust into my own chest. I scream so hard it burns my throat, and the sound becomes a strangled husk. I vaguely notice him pulling the spear back out and throwing it to the ground. It rolls across, clanging across the hard floor.

With my eyes starting to blur, disorientation settles in, and a chill separates me from the pain. I see a figure step up behind Alaric. The person picks up the dropped spear from the ground, and runs it right through him from behind. He falls to his knees, looking up at the woman standing tall behind him. She watches as he falls to the ground, but then instantly turns to me, leaving him to struggle and die alone.

She rushes to my side, and I can see her putting her hands on me, but I can't feel the sensation of it. Numbness has overtaken my body. Unintelligible words and screams meet my ears, but I can't make sense of any of them as everything seems to fade in and out. I desperately try to hold on to everything around me. I try to hold on to the smell of my mother's favourite perfume, and sounds I can't quite make out what they are, but I cling to them anyway. I won't just give up. I can't.

I feel others stepping closer, and warmth surrounds me as I hear more noise coming from them all.

I see a flicker of blonde hair hovering over me, and I look past Kelly's shoulder, to see Ryan standing there with a sorrowful expression on his face. I try to stand and go to him, but he shakes his head. I his lips moving, and just about make out what he's mouthing to me, 'Not yet.'

Bright white light erupts over me, flowing from Kelly's hands. I'm filled with warmth, and then the pain comes back, making me cry out in agony. I feel hands grab mine, as another hand strokes my hair gently.

“Hold on, Crowe. Don't you dare leave us yet,” I hear a voice whisper from by my head. Enzo. He's here.

Through the misery, I turn my head to look down, seeing the twins on one side of me, and East and Daniels on the other. Logan holds one of my hands, and East the other. Their worried expressions all imitate each other.

“Work faster. Don't you dare let us fucking lose her,” a pained voice growls at Kelly.

“Don't you shout at her, Daniels. She needs to concentrate,” East's voice snaps back at him. I notice that I'm hearing more clearly, and my vision is much more in focus.

“Stop... fighting...” I just about mumble. I hear my mum's gasp of breath. She’s suddenly shoving the guys out of the way and crushing me to her chest in a hug. I choke a little. “Ease up a little, I almost died you know,” I grumble, feeling dizzy from being pulled up into a sitting position so quickly. She kisses my head and gives me one last squeeze.

“That's why I'm holding so tight, sweetie,” she says through tears. I watch as she lets go of me and grabs Kelly, holding her tight. “Thank you, thank you so much,” she sobs, her body racking with the emotion.

I'm pulled into Enzo's arms next, as he crushes his lips to mine, before pulling away to look at me, his dark eyes meeting mine. “Don't you ever scare me like that again, Crowe.”

I nod mutely. I definitely don't intend to nearly die again, that's for sure. That shit hurts. He didn't need to argue that point with me.

I'm dragged into a twin hug sandwich next, with neither of them seeming willing to let the other one go first. Logan kisses my head, while Locke kisses my cheek. Locke and Logan are yanked off me by an exhausted looked Mr Daniels, and I'm quickly enveloped by his arms as he clutches me close to his chest.

“You had me so fucking worried,” he mutters into my hair, and I slide my arms around his waist.

“You won't have to worry again. It's finally over,” I whisper back. He draws back to look down at me. Holding my face tenderly, he kisses me as his thumbs caress my cheeks. He reluctantly releases me, and I turn up my head to face East. I'm sure he will be furious at me, but instead, he just looks relieved. I struggle trying to stand. I’m so dizzy I almost pass out, but I hold on, feeling one of the guys support me up from behind as I stumble towards East. He opens his arms for me, and I fall into them.

“I thought you'd be angry with me,” I mumble, shame evident in my tone.

“Oh, I'm furious,” he says back in a gentle voice that says differently.

“You don't sound it.” I run my hands up his chest and around his neck as I look up into his eyes.

“I'm furious. I am more mad than I've ever been with someone in my entire life. But I'm also so damn relieved. I’m more grateful, and I’m even more fucking in love with you than I've ever been,” he replies sincerely, and I kiss him before he can kiss me, my lips crashing against his. I am sorry for leaving him behind, but I know it was the right thing to do.

“How did you get here?” I ask, as I pull back from him.

“Linda found me chained up. She used her healing powers to help me regain consciousness and let me out. I caught up with the others, and then we came to find you. Everyone else who came with us are still finishing off the rest of Alaric's followers, but a lot of them fled when you showed up,” he explains, brushing some strands of my tangled hair away from my face. I look up and notice Taelon standing over by the edge of the room, leaning against the wall.

“What's he doing here?” I ask quietly, and East gives me a bemused smile.

“He wouldn't let Kelly out of his sight. He's sticking to her like glue. If Kelly wasn't still so clearly broken up about Ryan, I'd think something was going on.” He gives a furtive glance between the two of them, and playfully smack his chest.

“Don't be so damn obvious,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. I wonder what we're going to do now. The academy seems to be in ruins, and so many people have died or been badly injured. Our entire race is scared and in chaos, thanks to Alaric. I look up at East again for reassurance, but he just leans down to kiss me once more. I close my eyes and melt into him.

Nothing else matters right now, other than the fact that we're all okay, and it's finally over. I have my mum, my dads, Kelly, and my guys all still by my side. I know that together we can work anything out, whatever life decides to throw at us next.