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@Blizz: Your prayers go unanswered, as there is no one to hear them. The veil must be restored. Its spell is complex, linked to the soul of the Sorcerer Supreme. Without that office being whole, without you all acting in unity, it is impossible to perform. A fractured veil will not stop Ananym. It must be repaired in its entirety.

@KazAlkemi: You attempt to work the deep magics, but it slips through your grasp like water. The portion of the veil you had attempted to restore shatters, and in fact, it is not just that piece - but another. More damage is done than repair.

@Trainerblue192: You piece together a fragment of it, restoring one small portion of the barrier, yet you feel in your bones that it will not be enough. The spell must be completed as intended, or your efforts will be futile. Your attentions would be better spent on the pentagram fueling the infernal assault.

@BlueSky44: Young one, the magicks respond to you this time - as you recite the incantation correctly. It is fortunate that the All-Tongue works for text. A small fragment of the veil is repaired, but it is not enough. It cannot be enough.

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The incredulous cries, the pleas for help, the threats of violence - none of this was new to Runa.

They had heard all these things before, from travelers who had reached the Wastes, had jumped to the End and saw in horror that only they remained, that every other creature was gone, that the promise of Ragnarok had not been fulfilled. They were the breaker of cycles, the breaker of chains. Not everyone could see the vision, could see the necessity of her actions. So she had killed those travelers, had refused to allow them to alter events, to create another stream in time, another reality where her loved ones would have to suffer once more.

Life was suffering.

Life was pain.

Life was agony.

She would break these chains.

Ananym was gathering the power to bring the Elder Gods to Midgard, to use the weakened veil to allow them to escape their prison. Yet the same power could be used to destroy, to end - to cease this narrative, this story that refused to end. It would spare them all. It would be painless, quick, fast.

"I cannot do that either," Runa said, as she was asking to stop Ananym's pentagram. "I will have need of those magicks."

She did not answer Carolina, nor Max, nor Jack. They had killed a hundred Max's. They knew what he would say to them, they knew how his screams would sound upon their ears. Yet Klara, Klara was their kin. Klara was a child, an innocent.

They had not killed very many children.

So they decided to answer - to speak to her the words that had fallen only upon dead ears before.

"It is a long tale, so listen well," Runa began, breathing in deeply.

"When I was not yet old in the way I am old, and not young in the way you are young, I prepared to let my husband go. He was of Midgard, a people not built to last, not built to remain. Yet when Loki presented me his severed head, I realized I could not allow it - I could not bear to be separated from him. I tried to raise him, to free him from Hel's clutches, but I could not restore him - could not restore his soul."

"I witnessed Ragnarok - I saw my father slain by his brother, saw my husband's murderer escape his bonds, saw the dead sail, the giants revolt, the Midgard serpent thrash. I gave my eyes to Mimir's well, I paid the price for the deepest of magicks, to learn Himmelfartsdag."

"I ascended my family, my people - they became a collective god, a Dominion outside of space and time, no longer vulnerable to the ravages of Ragnarok. I paved the way in blood and tears, fueling the magicks with ritual sacrifice. I gave my heart. I gave my dying breath. I gave my future, my past, my present to break the cycles, to break the chain."

"And so I cannot aid you. When this universe dies, your souls will be at peace. And perhaps then, I may rest."

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Jack listened closely to the story that Runa told. She had seen much destruction in her life, and more death than a person should have experienced. The tale of Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods, was a grim and inescapable one. Anyone would yearn for a way to break the cycle of existence, to transcend the limitations of the mortal form, and render suffering nonexistent when they were pushed far enough. Jack would have been lying to himself if he said he wasn't sympathetic to Runa's plight.

He himself understood that nothing in the bounds of creation would last forever. Everything came and went, and it all laid the ground that the next moment would tread upon. Life was fleeting, but to cut it shorter saved no one. How many would die before the world was saved? What death toll outweighed eternal salvation? Life was temporary, and to some it was never long enough, but that very reason gave it meaning.

Humanity didn't deserve to pay the price for her idea.

"If you refuse to see reason..."

His left hand, a construct of darkness, stretched out across the room like the arm of a kraken as he gripped her by the neck. His grip was strong as steel, and for a moment he wished she weren't blind, so he could give her the kindness of looking her in the eyes as he did this.

"Dominions. The very thing Witchfire works toward right now, and you expect us to accept this? Our world is in danger, and you want us to let humanity die on the pyre for your scheme. I hope that you can find peace in the next life, Runa. You deserve it more than most..."

SNAP.

Her neck was snapped, and her body fell limp. His arm reeled back, but Jack did not feel the power of the Sorcerer Supreme flow from her to him.

He watched her body fume and writhe on the ground as it refused to die. Her corpse stood up, and she laughed at Jack. As if the implication that she could be killed by him was a comical one. Jack was surprised, but he wasn't caught off guard. Magic was a window into countless possibilities, the least of which was an unkillable witch.

"...You," His eyes narrowed at her, "Are full of surprises, aren't you? An unkillable Asgardian, who survived Ragnarok. They called you Gullveig in another time, didn't they?" He asked, amused in a grim way.

"Fine, then we shall do this the hard way."

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Madalyne looked at Max for a moment. [color=7FFFD4["I'm better now, and going out there right now is suicide without some help I can't do that solo."[/color] She said to him, she wasn't sure how long she would last trying to stop the pentagram above them by herself, with her demon half completely gone now her magic wasn't as powerful but she could try and hold her own. It was going to be heavily guarded by the demons of Limbo for sure, she listened to Runa as she answered Klara's question why she would refuse to help them. A part of her did feel sorry for Runa having to witness her husband dying, just like how she witnessed her father dying at S'ym's hands.

Then Jack decided to do the unthinkable as he reached for her neck using his power and grabbed her by the neck and then used it to snap her neck. "What the fucking hell is your problem Jack?!" Madalyne said to him, then she heard Runa laughing as she started to come back to life somehow as she stared at her. "Well if Runa was going to help us she isn't going to help us now." Madalyne said as she rolled her eyes slightly and sighed as she looked over her shoulder and started to head out. "I'm going to see about trying to stop the pentagram if anyone is going to help come with me." Madalyne said as she started to head out of the Sanctum.

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Carolina listened to Runa as she started to explain why she refused to even help them with repairing the veil or even trying to stop the pentagram from being completed. She wasn't sure if there was a way she could say or do to try and convince Runa to help them willingly, a part of her did feel responsible for not trying to save October from dying back in Coventry and becoming what she is now as Ananym. Her eyes went wide as Jack decided to try and kill her, she was pretty sure now that Runa wouldn't be helping them at all now. She was actually relived to know that Runa came back to life somehow.

Carolina quickly stepped between Runa and Jack and stared at him. "We need to be working together on this and not killing each other." Carolina said as she looked over her shoulder at Runa. "Runa we need your help, but letting everyone and everything die isn't right at all. Whats to say that your idea would even work, if you fail then everyone and everything will suffer including Klara." Carolina said hoping to try and convince Runa again.

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Prudence let out a light titter of a laugh. Soon, it crescendoed into a full uproar. Truly this was remarkable. Is this what the future held for the people in her time? Jack did what Prudence thought he would and attacked Runa. But the old woman was more capable than perhaps Prudence gave her credit for as she manifested herself back again amongst the living.

It was evident Runa could not be swayed to their side, but that didn't leave the idiots she was paired with to plead with her anyway. And to use a child to do so? "Do you all truly not understand? She is not choosing herself over you, she is choosing a higher power. You will not sway her mind by pleading like beggars at her heel. Grovel if you must, but I will not kneel for anyone."

She walked over to Runa. "I think I understand, O wise crone. You have seen, or rather witnessed, death immaculate. I would offer pity if I felt pity would be received so all I can muster is understanding. My family was killed because we were different. Something as simple as flesh paved the road for monsters to take all I held dear. So I will not plead like these fools with us. All I will say is that I, too, have a master whom I owe a great deal. And it is upon this new mantle that I realize that I need him no longer. I can serve a master in myself. So do this for yourself. I will stand by you."

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The magic slipped through Annika’s hands like water. She felt her portion of the barrier crack and break, and it took more with it. Annika looked up at the sky, wondering how long she had left. Runa’s words filled Annika’s head and seemed to hold her soul. If Annika died in this world, would her people live on in theirs? Or was this death one and the same?

Annika raised a hand to grip her mother’s necklace. It was warm to the touch and bore a great weight despite its lightness. This could not be Annika’s time, not in this place.

Jack spoke, and Annika felt an eeriness settle over her. Her eyes widened as realization dawned. ”Jack!” she shouted as Runa’s neck was snapped. Jack would kill them all if it meant saving this world from Ananyma. However, Runa was not dead. She rose, cackling, and looking otherworldly. Annika took an unconscious step backwards. Nothing good would come from this.

Annika stood with her arms loose at her sides, ready to shift, defend, or attack.

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Klara listened intently to what Runa was saying with regards to her history and why she wouldn't aid them in potentially stopping all of this. Upon hearing about Ragnarok, her eyes went wide. Of course she knew what that was, every Asgardian knew about Ragnarok, the end of times. It wasn't something so simple to explain what fully was supposed to happen (she wasn't entirely sure) but she knew vaguely what the end result of everything was supposed to be. "I understand," she said, giving her cousin a smile. Though she knew that couldn't exactly see it.

However, her brain swiftly turned to fury very quickly, as Jack straight up killed her cousin. It didn't matter necessarily that Runa had come back moments later laughing. No. No one did anything like that to her family! "Sit boy," she said as there was a slight hint of pink that flashed but nothing seemed to happen. Her eyes flashing with anger, she pointed her hand directly at Jack, "I said SIT!!!!" she yelled, with a bright flash of pink light, and Jack would suddenly crumple down to floor in a bit of a heap now. "Don't you dare try to hurt my cousin ever again! No one does that to my family!"

Yeah, Klara was definitely pissed off.

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It isn't enough. It won't be enough. Max felt time slipping through their fingers like the fine sand of an hourglass broken in his hands. He looked up towards the ceiling, near where the Pentagram was last spotted. Sacrifices at every point to help fuel the infernal machine for the invasion that was to come. His concentration broke for only a moment as Runa wove the tale of how she came to be. It was tragic, truly, but it didn't excuse her for the way she acted now. Wishing to use this power for her own gains to extinguish all life so the universe would be at peace? He didn't buy it. Wanda had offered mutants peace once, and Runa and the others fought against it because it felt wrong. Now it seemed it was Runas turn to take her place. Blinded by her despair that she couldn't see how wrong she was.

But in one quick motion, there was a sickening snap. Runas body fell limp to the ground, and Max knew that Jack was doing what he believed was right. He didn't believe in killing, hell he would have preferred they found another form of duel to help transfer the power, but it had already happened. Or so Max thought. Runas' body began to rise again, sides being picked as lines were drawn, the sands of time that fell from deft hands putting him in the center of the conflict as if to ask him where he stood in all this. ”Jack, you're an idiot for picking a fight instead of finding a new angle. I don't agree with Runa’s stance, but I also won't kill any of you. Clean up your mess then help us topside with the Pentagram. No fuel, no merger, no merger no Dominion, no Dominion…no eternal Peace. If it was that easy to fix things Runa, I'd have let Wanda do it a long time ago.” Max left to follow behind Madalyne, to help destroy the Pentagram above.

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@Blizz: You rack your mind for ways to kill immortals, to slay the undying, but all that comes to mind is a wooden stake through the heart, and wreaths of garlic around the corpse. The treatment for a vampire. But given Runa's lack of heart (and fangs), this may not be the most effective approach.

@Nallore: You move to leave, to summon the winds beneath you and ascend to the sky with the Cloak of Levitation. But the fabric is suddenly unwilling, your feet remaining firmly rooted on the ground. Perhaps it is because of your change - that you are no longer the same Madalyne, the same girl that became Sorcerer Supreme. Or perhaps it is the cloak insisting that you remain, that you witness the newfound civil war. Or maybe it is simply your own anxiety, your own fear that grounds you - that keeps you from ascending.

@Nallore: As you peer into the future, you find it hazy, shifting. There are some eventualities where you win the goddess to your side - others where she abandons you, where she is another foe that you must face. Each time you grasp for more detail, for more information as to how a future may come to be, it slips between your fingers like water, distorting the greater image. But you know this - it is possible. There is a way to get the end you desire.

@Trainerblue192: You attempt to grab onto the babes, onto the infants powering the sigil, but they elude you. The magic of the pentagram locks them in place, strong enough as to disrupt your teleportation, to disrupt your spells. They must be removed physically - but a disruption to the circuit could unleash an explosive amount of energy. Enough that the odds of survival, for you or the babes, seem grim...

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The detail's of Jack's facial expression were lost on Runa. "Mm, yes. Another time - one not too distant." That had been the name they had introduced themself with to this crowd, to this group - Gullveig. It was not a name they had born as a maiden, when the universe was still bright and filled with hope. No, the moniker had come later. Runa was not the first Gullveig - yet she would be the last, she would see to it that it was so.

"Klara will not suffer - because she has already ascended," Runa said, their voice steady and strong. "Klara died long ago - died in the war alongside her father."

Yet Prudence's words Runa considered, considered her request to be selfish, to not take action at the behest of another. Everything she had done for millennia had been because of Ragnarok, had been for her family - for the god she had birthed from their collective consciousness, from their souls she had ascended. And that action had cursed her, had cursed her to forever walk the Nine Realms - to know no salvation, no peace, no death. Her god had made every being swear to continue her life, to spare her from death - just as her grandmother had done long ago for her father Baldur. There was no punishment great enough for her sin, for those she had slaughtered to power the spell. And her god made sure that Runa knew that - knew that even as she had saved them, they had forsaken her.

So Runa considered for a moment, just a brief moment, whether Prudence was right - whether she ought to forsake them in turn, ought to allow the cycle to continue on again in countless realities, for more pain, more suffering, more agony.

Klara defended her, forcing Jack to heel - and the corners of Runa's lips twitched ever so slightly.

Then came Max's appeal to the past, to a conflict almost long since forgotten - a bewitchment, an enchantment, where a sorceress had made Runa believe that she was human - believe that she was loved. The memory of it ached as much as it comforted.

"What would you bid me do?" Runa asked Prudence, asked Klara.

They were on a precipice now, dancing between shatter points, between choices.

But in their heart, they knew the path they must pursue - they knew that everything they had ever wanted was forever beyond their reach, and the only comfort could be found in oblivion's embrace.

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Jack could feel all the strength in his legs give out as he was forced to one knee. So Klara could magically compel someone to do her bidding, but she didn't even think to use that on the woman who was trying to sacrifice the universe to a god? Well, he could hardly blame her for that, since she was just a child. A child by Asgardian standards, but a child no less. Everyone was picking sides now because of his attempt to quickly stop whatever plan Runa had come to, and Jack couldn't blame them for that either. Murder wasn't something he enjoyed, but what choice did they have right now? Were they supposed to just let this happen? Let them walk free while the others sorted out a mess that Runa was only going to make worse with her refusal to help? Max had an idea that was sound in theory, but it would only delay the inevitable.

"Destroying the pentagram is not enough. The Veil is in tatters," he explained, after Max had left. "Even if we stop Limbo from deliberately merging with Earth, there is very little standing in the way of it happening regardless. The Veil is what separates one world from the next! The demons can still cross over without resistance! Without the Veil, there is no long-term chance of Earth surviving this, and Runa will sacrifice us all afterwards if she has her way!"

They had to understand, even if the others in the circuit were the only ones capable of grasping the logic, someone here had to understand. That the scale of this disaster encompassed all of humanity and other worlds. Runa was a vulture waiting to pick apart a corpse, and would do what must be done to ensure that the corpse truly died. She had a piece of the power they needed, and she wanted to use it for an unspeakable act. One that would get them all killed. It was something they could not allow to happen, or none of them would see the end of it.

He got to his feet again, and faced the others who hadn't left already. "Imagine everyone you've ever known and loved- Everyone you've ever cared for and held dear- Gone, reduced to a memory. Cast into a funeral pyre while the Earth is left to rot. Is this everlasting peace that Runa promises worth that to you? I have no desire whatsoever to harm anyone," he stated firmly. "But there will be nothing. Left. If we cannot find a way to fully stop this invasion... Decide for yourselves what you believe to be the correct decision."

And then, he did the mature thing, and walked out of the Sanctum.

He saw the pentagram and decided to fly upwards. The cloak responded and carried him up, but as he flew towards the construction, Jack could feel his skin since and threaten to fall off his bones. Getting up personal was definitely not an option, so he thought about it for a moment.

”That is made of energy… And all energy must go somewhere. So, what if… Yes.”

Jack had an idea.

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Prudence could feel her words had impacted Runa. Whether or not the woman believed her remained unknown. But even the young child had done her part and prevented Jack from doing any harm to Runa again. Prudence chuckled lightly. "A useful skill child. Keep him in check." It wasn't a command so much as it was a hope that she would continue to aid Runa on this side.

Jack was correct though, a choice had to be made.

"I know not what goes on in your mind and heart Runa, so I cannot make that choice for you. I merely suggest that what you believe is the only action you can take may not be the correct one because someone else told you. Someone else that, perhaps, relies on you to see it through. If they need you, you have power and control. If you decide not to help or to destroy the veil, let it be your own choice. Whatever action you take, I will aid."

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As she stepped out of the Sanctum she tried to use the cloak to will her to fly up to the Pentagram and try and save the babies that were trapped within it. However she could feel resistance coming from it for some reason, she thought for a moment whether or not to give up her demon half was a good thing or not. She would have been able to fly with the wings that she had, unfortunately she wasn't able to as she tried to will herself to fly once more. "C'mon and work." Madalyne said as she groaned watching as Max and Jack were able to take flight without any issue at all towards the pentagram.

However on the third try Madalyne was able to float off of the ground and quickly caught up to the others, if they could stop the ritual from completing maybe then they would be able to try and repair the veil. She turned towards Max and Jack as she drew out her soul sword and looked at the two of them. "So whats the game plan then?" She asked the two of them hoping that they had some idea to try and disrupt the ritual.

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Carolina stood silent for a few seconds as she started to get various visions and scenarios that could happen, there were some where Runa was willing to help them, then there were other times that Runa refused to and let things happen. No matter how much she searched it was really hard to tell what would convince Runa to aid them. When the visions stopped Carolina stumbled forward slightly and shook her head slightly. She approached Runa as she looked at her friend, hoping to convince her one last time to try and help them as she gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "If there is anyway that I could take the curse from you I would happily take it for you if it would allow you to have some peace.." Carolina told her she would do it for Runa if it would convince her to help them save their world from burning.

"If Lance were here right now I think he would have wanted you to try and aid us, I know deep down that you don't want this to happen either. I know that I can't force you to do anything but the choice is completely up to you, I just hope that you make the right choice though.." Carolina told Runa as she turned to face Zelma, she unfortunately wasn't as gifted with magic like everyone else in their group was. If she had time to study some magic right now she would but they didn't have time with the world burning to the ground right now, Zelma luckily gestured nearby to a small arsenal of weapons. She looked around and ended up going with a sword and picked it up and started to follow the others out of the Sanctum. She knew that they did just about everything that they could with repairing the veil but they needed to stop the ritual from being completed she used the cloak to fly herself up to where the Pentagram was.

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Jack’s words rattled around in Annika’s head. Runa’s voice drifted in and out of the din while Annika tried to make sense of it all. The world was in trouble and was very clearly falling apart, but was Runa’s prophecy correct? Or was Jack’s determination the only course of action?

Annika’s heart tumbled over as she tried to listen to her ancestors. Fate was one thing, but the gift Annika had been given was not for nothing. The ancestors knew of the war the White Man was bringing to their doorstep and so sent gifts to Annika and others like her to help turn the tide and protect their people. Then Annika was taken from that and sent to Limbo, sent to this place in the future to what, watch it crumble? Or prevent the world from slipping away?

This new land was strange, with foreign sounds and smells and very little plant life. Perhaps the White Man had won and turned her homeland into the cold and friendless world it was now. Perhaps this was always how it was meant to be. Did that mean this place was worth saving, or did her ancestors want Annika to help make it fall?

Annika turned her head and watched Jack retreat outside. She stepped back and found herself standing next to Runa and Klara. This place wasn’t her home. Not anymore.

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Klara still was giggling a bit at the entire situation with Jack and the fact that she had actually managed to knock him down to the ground a bit. Of course there was still all of the chaos and all around her going on, and others were starting to head off to deal with the bigger issue at hand (the end of the world and all) and her attention shifted back towards what Runa was saying. About her apparently dying at some point in her timeline, at least she had ended up dying in battle alongside her father, she always was a bit of a daddy's little girl.

Then came the question that Runa posed, and Klara tilted her head slightly. "I mean I'm probably going to go join in the fight in an attempt to do something. But that's because it's what I want to do. Even though I'm younger then everyone else I still want to at least try something, so that's what I'm going to do probably. What you do is up to you though." Klara said towards Runa with a slight smile, even though she knew that her cousin couldn't see her face.

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@Blizz: You must think yourself very clever, as you summon on the forces of your unnatural realm, of that place of shadows. The energy pulsing off of the pentagram is immense, your skin buzzing from proximity, your cells beginning to decay. It is no easy feat - the creation of the portal is trivial, the veil disintegrating more and more rapidly by the second. One more hole in it is easily made. The portal appears. The energy begins to drain, to travel into the Everdark, into the land.

The land to which you are intimately connected.

Your body spasms, suddenly beyond your control, as the demonic energies pulse into your soul. You begin to burn up, your teeth loosening, your canines falling out in your mouth, as your hair rapidly grays and then withers away, your body prematurely aged to a man of 80 years - your knees brittle, your legs weak. Each breath is agony, each breath is pain.

Your vision is dim, your hearing almost gone - but not so much that you cannot hear her.

That you cannot hear Ananym whisper, appearing next to you in a blaze - "Jackass, your meat looks... bad."

If this is what has happened to you, what has become of the Everdark?

You have seconds to live - seconds before you fade away.

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Runa considered them, considered their pleas - considered Prudence's request that she make this choice for herself, that she not choose on behalf of the god she had created, of Those Who Sit Above in Shadows. They tilted their head towards the sky, even though their eyes were long since gone - they reflected on what would they want, if they were able to choose. For so long, Runa had existed, had existed for their god - had existed to prevent Ragnarok, to break all the cycles, all the chains. And in doing so, they had bound themself - had restrained themself, had accepted the curse as a curse and not as an opportunity, a chance. It was not a curse that they could shed, not one that could be transferred to another - they shook their head at Carolina's suggestion.

"Very well," Runa said, before drawing a rune and casting it. This question, they had decided, would be settled in the manners of their culture - of their people. Their companions may have forgotten it, but they were first and foremost an Asgardian goddess. Their aid could not be won lightly. There had been a time when the gods meddled in the affairs of Midgard openly, when her uncle fought to protect it - and the price had been high, the tragedy brought upon the Odinson heavy.

The rune shimmered, before a horn appeared in Runa's hand - a drinking horn. It was a familiar weight. Perhaps Klara would recognize it, if her father had told her this tale. "I will give you my portion of Stephen's mantle, of his soul - if you can drink dry this horn." The challenge was open for any.

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Jack's words rang in the back of his head as Max tried to pry the babes free with his magic. He hadn't expected it to be so hard, then again if it hadn't been Wong and the others would've done so already. He could feel the force of the magic disrupting his own, just the density of it told him that one touch would likely obliterate him alone. But how to break free the prisoners there? Max pressed his fingers against the bottom of his lip as he began to think, all the while Madalyne struggled to even become topside and join him. Jack however seemed to float effortlessly near him as he began to mutter something about energy, that was just moments before disaster struck. Max hadn't had time to warn the dark sorcerer of the properties of the magic laden into the sigil, hadn't the chance to warn him of how it could tear apart his body and soul. Rifts of dark magic began to form in sections of the Pentagram, bisecting it across planes and into the Everdark. But just as the magic flowed into a new domain, so too did it affect Jack.

”You idiot! Spend all this time lecturing and telling us of dangers without thinking of how this might affect you. Alright. Fuck.” Max called forth his soul staff into his hands. He'd used it to break Spells before, to disrupt the flow of magic and counteract its effects. He could do so again. Max struck the portals, attempting to dispel them, but the pushback was too great. He grunted annoyed, glancing back as he saw Jack aging rapidly before him. He was nothing if not persistent, especially when it came to saving another person. He tried once more, but as his soul touched where the magic and portals intersected, he felt a strange tug. Instead of pushing him out, the forces welcomed him in. His soul entangled with the Everdark, mixing into its magics as Max now aged in accordance like how Jack was besides him. He tried to break free, to end his own spell, but the pull was equal to his own strength. He needed more, he had to have more.

Max reached over and gripped Jack's hand once more. ”Defy this and I'll kick your ass in hell.” He said, his voice old and frail as he spoke, constantly shifting as he aged more by the second. He felt the surge of magic from Jack's body, his font a new tap for Max to drink from. Using this boost Max severed the connection to the Everdark portals and freed them both from the effects of again. Though they stood as a singular old man with twice the blessings, he could feel this becoming an issue soon. They didn't have Runas immortality, and James was nowhere nearby to reverse the aging. ”Alright Jack, what's the plan?”

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Carolina started to think for a moment what they could do to try and stop the ritual as she closed her eyes she used her new ability to try and figure out a way to stop the ritual from happening. The first vision she received she saw the babies that were within the pentagram dying and then the pentagram fading. That was probably what Ananym would actually want to happen, and her plan to bring in the elder gods would most likely happen which was something that they didn't want at all. She tried again and got another vision this time and she started to think of a way to save the babies there.

She opened her eyes just in time to see Jack trying to use his own magic to stop the ritual, and saw him instantly becoming very old Ananym suddenly appeared next to Jack. She wished that there was a way that she could save her, Max used his own magic to try and stop Jack's spell. Eventually the two of them quickly became one. "In order to stop the ritual we need to try and find a way to divert the energy somewhere else to take the babies places. Then we need to destroy that and it should theoretically stop it all." Carolina told them just in time to see Madalyne coming up and attacking Ananym.

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Madalyne managed to catch up to Max, Carolina and Jack, Jack was already trying to do his own spell to disrupt it however it ended up quickly aging him somehow, he now looked like a very old man who was about to die soon. Ananym suddenly appeared right next to Jack she clenched her fist slightly. Max quickly moved in to try and stop it, managing to stop the spell however he started becoming very old as well to. Then Max and Jack somehow fused and became one person, Carolina came up with a plan as her eyes turned towards Ananym she took out her soul sword and charged forward at the demon girl.

Her first swing was a miss, however her second hit managed to cut the demon leaving a nasty looking gash across her stomach, which she saw it starting to heal rapidly. She glared at Ananym and quickly sent out a rather powerful Eldritch Blast at Ananym sending the girl tumbling to the ground very hard. "I'll take care of her, you guys continue with trying to stop it." Madalyne told the three of them as she went down to meet Ananym on the ground.

---

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It went so, so wrong.

To Jack’s credit, the portals absolutely started draining the infernal energy into the Everdark. But the problem with being magically connected to an entire plane of reality was that the energy of that realty flowed through him. Every facet of Jack’s self started withering, his bones felt weaker and his teeth loosened from his jaw. Time slipped away faster and faster. Moreover, he felt himself dying. His vision was fading to black just before he saw Ananym in the blaze of the pentagram. Needling him, taunting his blunder. Jack wasn’t surprised by this outcome, after all, anything was possible through magic.

The Everdark would be fine, he felt sure of that. It was all but boundless as the known universe. By the time that energy spread, it would be absorbed by something. And by the time something absorbed it, another one of the land’s monstrous denizens would simply adhere to the food chain, and the corruption would dwindle into nothing.

Would this world be fine? Was this the last story he would ever witness? In all of Jack’s years, he learned time and time again that nothing could last forever. Everything came and went, but evils rose and fell in the same way. If he slipped into the endless sleep of death now, Jack would become a fleeting memory. Reza wasn’t around to remember him, neither were Stephen and Ororo. He would not be remembered, even if the other seven companions on this journey somehow managed to stop Witchfire.

And yet, Jack felt that he was okay with that.

The impact he had on countless places would live on. Someone would one day stumble upon the things he left behind, and make something of themselves. He was one drop in a cosmic ocean, but part of it no less. And for him, that was enough…

Until Max saved his ass.

He felt Max’s magic overlapping with his own, mixing like blood in clear water. It spread, until the blood had no beginning, and the water had no end. They were no longer Jack and Max, but one individual. It was… Strange. And Jack- What part of them was Jack, had to think. They were one now, and their magic was equally unified.

”You damned fool,” he said to himself. ”Now we’ll both die from this.”

"I can't die yet, got a husband and kid waiting for me back home. But what we can do is give it our all and take this thing down."

He thought to themselves… Magic was a method of infinite possibilities. What separated a good wizard from the best was how they applied the possibilities, how they turned the circumstances against them into a favorable outcome.

So how did they turn this into an advantage?

For a moment, Jack was silent. Perhaps Max knew every thought in his mind now, how he desperately wanted to do the right thing. A plan slowly formed in his mind.

”I’ve got it… We’ll use your magic to teleport the power source away to safety, one by one. And we’ll use mine to substitute a source in, until it is safe to collapse the pentagram in on itself,” he explained. ”I will use Everdark energy in place of it, and I will cut it off once everyone is at a safe distance. The pentagram should, in theory, have no more fuel at that point.”

"The force binding them was too strong for me earlier to teleport them off...but perhaps united we actually stand a chance. Especially if we're swapping one source for another...Fine. It's the best lead we have, worst case we fail and approach from another angle we haven't thought of yet."

”Or the Veil suffers for nothing. The risk is that we do more damage than we can fix with our divided power.”

It scared him, to not be able to stop the incursion permanently.

”But we’ve run through most of our options. So, if you’re ready…”

"As ready as I can be I suppose."

They reached for the energy of Jack’s home, and split open fonts of darkness to replace the babies. Like fuming black holes, the energy leaked into the open air of Earth and dissipated into harmless nothingness in equal measure. The energy sources spilled out dark energy in total equilibrium. In the same motion, they asserted their will over reality itself, and three of them were sent off into who-knows-where.

”It is working, slowly but steadi-“

The energy of the pentagram cascaded at one corner, immediately mutating one of them. A pang of stress filled Jack. ”No- Damn you, Witchfire,” he hissed. ”…Three out of five, Max. Progress, at last. All we have to do is continue, and hope for the best. And… Make a note to see if we can undo the mutation that just occurred once we have a chance.”

It was working, even if the results were unexpected.

Max helped guide his magic as the pair moved as one. Each infant appearing in the only location he knew to send them, the main floor of the Sanctum Sanctorum. A place both wizards were well acquainted with. He'd initially thought to send them to Xaviers, but there was no guarantee these babes were mutants or orphans, so it was best to keep them close. "There's nothing wrong with having a mutation Jack, though I suppose we could attempt to reverse the mutate if it is possible at all."

”This is not quite the same mutation that my old friends from Charles Xavier’s mansion are familiar with. We are responsible for that, it is the least we can do. Though, if we cannot, then we will decide what to do afterwards.”

They had a solution now, and everything seemed so much easier when the way ahead was clear.

---

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As the rest went to deal with the veil and Ananym, Prudence stayed behind with Runa, Klara, and Annika. Runa seemed to be willing to listen, though she continued to not choose for herself, instead offering up a challenge. Prudence didn't want to take it for herself, she wanted Runa to decide on her own terms if she would help or watch the world burn.

Prudence took the horn and began to drink. It tasted like salt water. Due to her new vampiric nature, she did not need to breathe and could continue to drink, though it appeared endless.

Prudence was reminded of a tale she heard when she was younger. A myth about Thor and his attempt to outperform the giants. The giants gave him impossible tasks and it seemed Runa was attempting the same. But surely there was more to it?

"It seems I cannot do it. Child, do you know about the myth of this horn and how to overcome it?" she asked Klara. Or perhaps Annika knew how to, though Prudence doubted it. Either way, she could not figure it out.

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Annika watched Jack age himself to save the babies and break the pentagram. Her attention became torn when Runa spoke up once more. They presented them with a horn, declaring that if one of them could drink the contents, they would give them the portion of Stephen Strange’s soul they held. Prudence took the horn and attempted to drink from it; however, she could not drain it of its contents. Annika was unfamiliar with the story and hoped Klara would fill them in. Annika looked back at Jack. Max. Max and Jack. Jax.

Annika fingered her necklace as she battled with herself. A shift in the wind brought a sense of peace to Annika. For a brief moment, Annika could smell the trees, the ocean, and safety. Of course. Annika smiled.

“Niá:wen, mother.” Annika walked away from her group and held her arms out to greet the wind like an old friend. She shut her eyes, letting her ancestral power surround her as she communed with nature.

Visions filled her head. She smelled the salt from the Atlantic Ocean, tasted blood as it coated her tongue, and felt the tingle of raw power slide up her arms. Annika opened her eyes; a brief crackle of electricity filled them before she dropped her arms and stumbled back.

She looked up at Jax and worried about her bottom lip. They were trying to use themselves as the power source, and it was killing them. They needed something as strong and pure as the babies. Or they needed to kill the babies. The good of the many over the few, but also, the future vs the past. Annika shook her head, not ready to make that decision and turned to look back at Runa.

”The ocean. More specifically, it is the one that lies to the east of us. You want us to drain the sea.” There was no way.

Annika looked past them into the Sanctum. It contained some of the most powerful items of magic known to man. There was something in there. Annika could feel it. She pushed past the others, back inside and started her search.

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Klara looked at the horn that Runa had, her eyes going a bit wide. "Ooooooh is that what I think it is?" she asked, smiling, looking at the object. Prudence tried to drink from the horn, and didn't seem to make much of an effect on the horn or its contents. That more or less confirmed what the horn was, and Klara was happy at the chance to manage to try drinking from it. Even though drinking it dry was going to be virtually impossible. Annika confirmed that sort of thinking, before she ended up walking away and doing something else, who knew what.

When Prudence asked her about the horn, she was more than happy to explain it. "My daddy told me about it. Annika is right, that draining it does seem like it'd be impossible. But when telling the story he always said there was a bit of a moral to it. My dad, being Thor, he boasted to the giants that he could beat them in just about anything, name the contest and he's the best right? Well, the giant decided to put that to the test in a few different ways. I don't remember each of the different tasks except for the last two... Being the horn and trying to lift the giant's cat or something like that. The thing is he failed at each of the tasks, or so it would seem. The day after the contests the giant commended him for his efforts, since he still accomplished feats no mortal could have. For example, the Ocean horn. As Annika said, has one end connected to the ocean. And my dad wasn't able to empty it, he was given three drinks from the horn, but couldn't obviously because it was the ocean. But he did manage after the third swig to drain it halfway. The cat he managed to lift a little bit but wasn't able to lift it fully. According to him, the giant told him the next day that he was actually worried he'd manage to drain the ocean since he got it empty so far down. And the cat was the world serpent in disguise, so the fact that he managed to move it at all was impressive. The point of it wasn't to actually be able to accomplish those tasks at all, as the odds were impossible. That being the moral, to try your best and don't be afraid of failing, you can still accomplish impressive feats, even if it doesn't seem like you did at first..."

With that, Klara walked over and grabbed the horn. "I know I can't drain it dry, but I want to try my best to do something worthwhile and impressive anyway. Plus I want to try it out anyway, always have ever since I heard the story." she said with a smile, before tilting the horn up to her mouth and started to drink as much as she could from it, getting a big swig of salt water from it.