Crystalla
Nevermore

Keegan sat in the nightmare throne room of the Imperial Palace of Araneia, a place that had been long since damned by his own naive actions. He had thought that when he had destroyed the city, he was fighting on the side of good, and that Roisin had been fighting on the side of evil.

He was very mistaken, and now the sins weighed heavy on his heart. The large darksteel doors of the throne room creaked open, and the Empress walked in. Keegan tried to focus his eyes on the woman's face, but it was not visible, covered by a dark veil, it appeared only as a blur, as if his sight had gone in that one tiny spot.

"Who are you?" Keegan asked.

"Does it matter who I am?" The Empress replied instantly, in a raspy voice. Keegan frowned and got to his feet. "I am your sins, compounded into a representation of this city. This city that you destroyed" She continued.

"I thought what I was doing was for the good of the world! I thought I was fighting for good!" Keegan yelled across the room.

"Is that why you killed your step-mother?" The Empress asked. The question made Keegan freeze. "You claimed everything you did was for the good of Crystalla, but you killed your own mother in this very room. You threw her to the academy courtyard below in anger and frustration" The Empress cackled.

Keegan fell to his knees. It was true. He had killed his mother, it had been in anger at how she had always treated him as lesser, how she had ignored him, and abused him.

"I... killed her" Keegan cried. The Empress began to walk up the grand staircase that led up to the platform that the throne sat upon.

"Yes, yes you did" She giggled. "Give in to that side of yourself, it is all that you are good for. A stolen child, who murdered the woman he called mother. You should have been grateful, you had a much better life than those who lived in this city" The Empress' voice was now filled with hatred.

"That isn't true" Keegan said quietly, as he stood up to face The Empress.

"It is the truth, give in to the insanity. It is all that we are good for Keegan, me and you" The Empress smirked. Keegan was taken aback as The Empress lifted the veil.

"Varla?!" Keegan gasped.

"This is the face you associate with the Empire, I am not THE Varla" The Empress shrugged. "It is interesting though, when you think of the Empire, you think of me" She grinned.

"..." Keegan remained silent as he scowled at The Empress.

"Join me, Keegan. Although this is but a nightmare, it is a world where me, and you can reign eternal. Forget your family. Forget Roisin and join me." The Empress offered. Keegan's eyes sharpened as he glared at The Empress.

"Not now" Keegan shook his head, as he summoned a blade of darkness. "And nevermore" He roared as he plunged the blade through the chest of the Empress. She turned to dust as she fell backwards down the stairs, as she faded light shone through the windows behind the throne, to reveal Roisin was stood by the doorway.

"Roisin...? Is that really you?" Keegan asked, as he made his way down the stairs.

"You killed your stepmother?" Roisin asked suddenly. Keegan stopped in his tracks, and gulped.

"I did" Keegan said, as a tear fell from his eyes. "I killed her, and I'd do it again!" He roared. Roisin didn't react, but looked to the floor.

"Why did you kill her?" Roisin asked once more.

"She... didn't care for me, she was angry, hateful, she claimed she wanted me to be part of the family, but it was a lie, she abused me emotionally... and physically" Keegan sighed, as he rolled up his sleeves to reveal scars on his forearms. "I killed her because I couldn't handle it any more..." Keegan admitted as he looked at the floor as he cried silently.

"I killed Hazel" Roisin spoke up. "I did it because... she was trying to steal my life, she was trying to take everything I was. She had the memories of Rychard, who... did so many things, not just to me, but to our whole family... I feel regretful... but I would do it again" She said, as Keegan looked up to meet her gaze, Roisin threw her arms around her brother and hugged him as the throne room around them slowly became the dream version of the Council Chambers.