Chapter 170: Never Alone (1/2)

Zinnia was pulled from the rubble as she stared up seeing Alton glancing up before back to her. ”You alright? Anything broken?”

”I don't think so.” She responded, standing up. ”Iris got away.”

”She hasn't gone far… We need to move quickly if we are to stop the Garden coming back.”

Scarlett scorned leaning against the wall. ”Great, just fucking great. What the hell do we do?”

The ground began shaking as the tower started falling apart. Alton stared up, seeing a battle taking place. ”We do nothing. Only I can make things right.”

****

Alice spun around, avoiding the constant bombardment of cubes laying waste to much of the area around her. Iris was showing little to no sign of giving in as her attacks were fast and brutal. Salvation had completely taken over with Iris nowhere in sight fighting back. Jumping back once more, she sent a storm of arrows into the air countering the bombardment of attacks with her own. Iris smirked, stopping her attack. ”Not bad, not bad at all. This could actually be fun. But if you actually hope to defeat me…” Iris teleported behind Alice slamming her to the ground. ”You have to fight me!”

Alice fell into a portal appearing in front of Iris wiping her face. ”I know you're still in their Iris! Fight it! Don't let this demon take you!”

”Trying to summon your sister back? How pathetic, truly it is. She's not coming back. When are you going to admit that?!”

Alice was knocked to her knees, standing up. ”I'll never admit it. I know Iris, she's strong, stronger than anyone I know. She's been through hell and back, this is nothing.”

Iris held her hand out as a scythe appeared following Alice's gaze. She didn't give Alice any response as she took to swinging the death weapon at her. The scythe was hindered and parried ripping the weapon from her hand in a split second as Alice too was wielding such weaponry. Catching the second scythe, she wrapped it around Iris' legs pulling back and tripping her over. Using this built-up momentum, Alice flipped forward, stabbing both scythes into the ground. ”I can see the Garden's pull. It's so close just let go. Join me become one with the Garden, and you can be with your sister forever.”

Alice stared conflicted as she stared at Iris with pain. ”Do you remember the nights I would have bad dreams, sister? It would be of the Garden and the other one possessing me taking over. It would terrify me to death, and I felt so alone in those moments. No one could understand, no one wanted to. But you would always be there with a warm glass of milk and a blanket. You would wash away my fears, reading me stories of knights and dragons. Aliens and superheroes. It always inspired me. I was inspired to go beyond my fear and embrace who I was not Eve or what my father was. I felt so determined to do so because of you. Not out of respect or love. But guilt, I wanted you to live your own life not one under my shadow. I want both of us to be happy and live a life we are proud of. Don't you see Eve, I have no reason to fear you anymore. My name is Alice Hawthorne, and you are Iris Hawthorne!”

Iris chuckled opening her yellow eyes with a smug look. ”Did you really think that would get through to her? No matter what you think yourself to be, you will always be a puppet to the Garden!” Alice yelled as a scythe was dug through her chest, she was lifted high into the air before being thrown nearly off the tower. She struggled to get a sentence out as everything was becoming blurry. ”Hans had so much hope for you, a pity really. But don't care, don't fear. Our game was entertaining, but all games have to end. And it appears I win.”

”Not… Yet.” Alice whispered, lifting her hand, holding something. Iris stopped her ripping the item. ”Remember…”

Iris stared blankly at the neckless, not sure what to make of it. The diamond-shaped crystal glittered and shun brightly in the wake of the carnage. ”What the hell is this?”

”The last thing our mother gave us. I never remembered anything about her she died when we very young… You gave me that on the fourth anniversary of her death. You never told me anything about her… Why?”

Iris' hand began shaking as she wiped her face. ”It wasn't because I wanted to keep her from you, at the start I might have felt that. She was the only thing that I could call mine, something you didn't have… But over time it just hurt to remember, why should I share my memories with her if you didn't have any…”

”Iris…”

Iris smiled. ”You have her eyes… Well, one of them.”

”We can stop this.”

Iris held her head struggling. ”Alice… I don't have much time. Please, I beg of you. Kill me. I don't want to lose myself to her again. I want to be me!”

”Iris… You know I can't. I could never. I'd rather die myself. I will never hurt you!”