She bangs on the barrier wall.
The wall I willed into existence.
The wall that will remain for all eternity in this rest place that will never be used again.
With a blink, the transformation happens.
Professor Eternalis's form shifts—features rippling, body changing, the mask she's been wearing for three years finally dissolving to reveal the truth beneath.
It's no longer Professor Eternalis screaming.
It's Elena.
Or Eleanor, as I now understand.
The male behind the female.
The brother behind the sister.
The villain who has been hiding in plain sight since the moment I arrived at Wicked Academy.
Pure rage burns in eyes that have been pretending wisdom.
Hatred that has been building since before I was born finally finds expression in features that can no longer maintain the pretense of neutrality.
I smile.
The expression carries the particular satisfaction of someone who has finally achieved justice that was owed.
"Let this be the true end of the wickedness..."
My voice carries across the distance that separates us—final words for a villain who doesn't deserve the dignity of a proper farewell.
"...brother."
I turn away.
The motion is final—dismissal that leaves no room for appeal, no opportunity for manipulation, no chance for the games that have defined our relationship since the beginning.
My hand finds Cassius's.
His fingers intertwine with mine with the particular strength of someone who has chosen to follow wherever I lead—trust manifested as physical contact, love expressed through the simple act of holding on.
We enter the portal.
Colors swirl around us—gold and red and green and purple blending into sensation that transcends simple sight. The magic carries us forward, toward whatever waits beyond this final gateway, toward the destiny that has been waiting since my parents first dreamed of an academy that could heal rather than destroy.
Behind us, Eleanor's screams echo through the portal's passage.
The sound follows us into whatever comes next—reminder of justice delivered, warning of what happens to those who betray the trust of people who believed in them.
The screams haunt us as we unlock our real destiny.
.
Epilogue: Welcome To The Academy Of The Wicked
~GWENIEVERE~
