Edgy and crisp electric veined over the glossy obsidian tunnel, mixing with a lovely melody of ahh's, that echoed against the stone walls, beautifully. Liam lingered for a moment skeptic of the cave and it's holding but he had a duty to withhold. He moved in slowly, the dim light from the moon wasn't enough to light the cavern but only moments later Liam saw that he wouldn't need a light. Ingrained in the smooth obsidian floor were glowing lucid crystals emitting a soft blue light through out the grotto, as well as sending bands of lightening out along the walls.



In the center of the grotto was a mass crystal encasing a young girl. Her hands were placed together just at her waist, her fingers tying them together. Her eyes were closed but a small innocent smile lingered on her lips as it always did. Just in front of the large crystal, a white haired girl in a simple white gown kneeling with her hand placed against the massive gem, was humming the same mesmerizing melody as when Liam entered.



Liam made his way toward the girl with haste, looking more at his friend encased in the glass stone.



"Lyra..!" His voice was shaky and cracked just as the last sound of her name escaped his lips. The soft blue light faded a horrid green, darkening the cavern. In response Liam stopped and stood, just behind the now silent white haired girl.



"Liam Morganstern. You've come for the girl. However..." The girl stood and glared at Liam. Her cold grey eyes, pressing into his subconscious. "You've come too late."



"Namine..." The girl was familiar to Liam. Though he had never met her, he was warned of a child who knew of his fate. Cold as winter she would be, weaver of fate she was.



"She'll never know." Namine grinned. "You just came too late. I knew you would. You see, I'm-"



"I know what you are." Liam's tone was angry. "And you know nothing." He moved his gaze to Lyra. Her comatose state illuminated her innocence but made her happiness look that of sorrow.



"Perhaps you're right." Namine's childish tone irked at Liam's nerves. He wished so much to reach for his sword that loitered just at his side, and strike her where she stood. "I only see what may happen, and meddle with the destinies of all who wish to do good. My father says it's part of my charm and brilliance." She giggled arrogantly.



"You're father is just as much of a waste as you are." He looked to the small girl who had began pacing around Lyra's frozen body.



"Easy now, Liam Morganstern. As putrid as my father is and as rotten as I seem to be, I'm not all bad. I actually wished to help her." Namine's tone went soft. The vanity draining from her voice as she stopped to the right Lyra's body, placing her hand against the crystal once again. "This time... I've seen my death."



"I knew you would have no true reason of aiding in her life, unless you got something out of it, you heartless fiend." He reached out and stuck the child before him, knocking her to the ground. A small cry rose from her throat.



"I deserve your response... But violence won't free her, Liam Morganstern. I'm not as empty as I seem. My death is no punishment from any god, but a fate I wished upon myself. I see the insolence in my play, and it brings me no glory. No pride in my chore. This girl. You call her 'Lyra' but she holds so much truth." Liam starred at her in disbelief for a moment, but remained silent. "If I do not free her from this vessel, I will be put to death by the one who calls himself Elliot Bane. He is wise... But I took away his child who would have been a glorious king and he's going to come for me out of vengeance. Only the pure of heart can put his wrath to rest."



"Perhaps you shouldn't have murdered his son." Liam spoke in the same arrogant tone Namine once did to spite her efforts to explain her cause.



"I'm not entirely foolish, Liam Morganstern. Elliot Bane's son would have been a glorious king, but as he aged so would his kingdom. All those who remained loyal to him he would sell away to a vicious king who slaved away all his people. He would have traded loyalty for money. Now please enlighten me, Liam Morganstern. Where am I wrong?"



Liam starred at her in amazement. His thought pondered on something much deeper however. Something far more devastating."Then why Lyra? Why did you take her from me? Where does my fate lie?" Liam's curiosity belted out in rage.



"Liam Morganstern. You are a powerful youth. Strong and driven. But your death would bring such great sorrow to Lyra Sinclair." Namine's head lowered. "Such a sad sad thing. Yet very inevitable. You will die even still, because it is the only way to free her. Your very blood is what kills these crystals. The blood of a monster."



Liam was taken aback. He was no monster, just a young man with a goal... With a promise...



"Do you not know of your father, Liam Morganstern? Your mother, such a lovely and ravishing mortal.. Who'd have thought such a vicious and deceiving god would approach her." Namine sighed.



"My father was a good man!" Liam yelled, his voice echoing throughout the grotto. The electric bared walls brightening and the glow of the crystal fading back to it's soft blue light.



"You still die, Liam Morganstern. It's a life without her, or a her life of sorrow." Namine's voice began to bounce around the cavern. "He still dies Elliot Bane. It's a life as a murdered king, or a life of a greedy king." Namine starred into Liam's eyes. Holding them there. "She still dies Lyra Sinclair. It's her life without you, or her life dwelling on your conscious." Liam's eyes began to tear up, as each scene of Namine's meetings crept into his mind. "He still dies Jace Morganstern. It's your son, or her." Liam began gritting his teeth, fighting back the memory of losing his mother while watching his father give up his son's childhood. "Don't fall in love Miss Lightwood. It could be quite tragic...."



Liam then pulled his sword from it's sheath at his hip and held it out in front of him looking to strike Namine just where she stood before him. Tears streaked his cheeks and sweat lingered in his brow, running down his forehead.



"May fate hinder you." Liam spoke through his teeth, still pressed together in sheer anger. He peered at his reflection in his weapon. His mind fluttering back to his fathers face of concern. His mothers ignorance. Lyra's loss. "Forgive me Lyra..." Hushed words left his lips before he thrust his blade through his chest...



His body fell limp, to the floor, soaking the obsidian in purple shimmering blood. Namine grinned pleased with her work. "Pity." she said, glancing down at Liam's body. The blood pooled around her feet and flowed back behind her, around the crystal. Slowly it began to melt away from Lyra's body. She stood only for a moment before falling to the ground and retching at the sight of Liam's corpse.



"My mother..." Lyra brought her hand to her mouth, wiping away the gull that stung her chapped lips.



"She lives now in sorrow and has forgotten your very existence, Lyra Sinclair." Namine said cheerfully, looking down at Lyra who lie in her dear friend's blood and her own vomit. "Sad that you're too late..."



"But he said..." Lyra looked over at Liam. His eyes were closed and darkened with sleeplessness. His skin was pale and dull.



"He did say. He does have it too. He was prepared and had all intentions on giving it back." Namine walked to Liam's side and pulled a small object wrapped in a silky cloth from his pocket. Namine then tossed it at Lyra's feet as she began to stand.



"No.. NO!" Lyra knelt down and picked up the entity that held so much value, pulling it from the cloth just before it was soaked in Liam's blood. In a tiny crystal frame was a drawing of Lyra and Liam as children, embracing one another.







"Oh look at you two. One day I bet you guys will fall in love." Liam's mother was a cheerful being. Always found the good in everything she or anyone else did. She laughed as the children hugged each other then pulled away glaring at Threasia.



"Not to worry, Threa! I caught that one just in time." Lyra's mother came out onto the court yard and passed a sketch to Threasia.



"How lovely, Tristan..." Their voices faded away as they always did when Liam and Lyra found their games to be of more interest.



"You know, Lyra. I'd always save you. It'd be just like that book ma always reads. I'd rescue you and everything." Liam puffed out his chest while Lyra giggled softly, hiding her smile behind her tiny hand.



"And we'd fall and love and live happily ever after?" She looked at her friend with admiration.



"That's what princes do! We rescue the princess and fall in love." He smiled and laughed, ignorant to the word.



"Lyra. You keep this. I'm sure it'll mean far more to you over the years than it will me. Just be careful, that frame is very special. It was given to Liam's mother by his father. It means a lot to her." Lyra took the picture and smiled at it as her mother made her way back into their home with Threasia.



"You keep it." Lyra said handing the picture to Liam. "If I'm ever in need of saving, promise you'll give it back." Lyra smiled and Liam tucked the picture away in his pocket.



"I promise. Afterall... That's what princes do!... I think." The two children then continued to play together as the sun cast a dim ember glow on the courtyard, setting for the night.







Lyra ran her fingers over the aged drawing. Her finger tracing Liam's face. "It's what princes do, Liam..." Her words were choked as tears stung her eyes.



"They die? Ahahahaha." Namine stood feet from Lyra, who was facing the wall of crystal that remained untouched by Liam's blood. "You were just foolish children. He didn't know what he was getting himself into. It meant nothing."



"N-nothing...." Lyra's eye's held their gaze with the two small children in the drawing, her voice quiet. "Nothing." Her tone heightened. As her eyes moved from the picture, to Liam, then to Namine. "You know nothing." Lyra reached for the sword the stood erect from Liam's stiff body, and moved toward Namine with such speed it was uncountable. Lyra plunged the sword into her stomach. "For the retched soul you are." Namine's stone eye's gazed into Lyra's with a mask of innocence, but Lyra ripped the sword up through her heart. "And for the love you'll never know." Namine's eye's closed slowly, as her body fell backwards, Lyra holding the sword as Namine's body slid off the blade. Lyra turned away, hearing only a small, short laugh, a smack against the ground, and her own footsteps as she bowed her head and left the cave that now, had darkened completely. She looked out into the night, the moon beaming down on the dripping weapon...