Ha.

Hahahahaha.

I covered my face with one hand, laughing maniacally through my perfectly painted fingernails.

Flying thousands of feet above Earth, my frilly abomination of a dress floated carelessly in the cold wind as I stared down into the gaping black hole in front of me, clutching my magic staff like a lifeline. I really couldn't drop it this time...

The stars that had dotted the sky earlier were now hidden behind the rift like they’d been swallowed up by the darkness. The only visible light came from the moon and the world below me…

Engulfed in flames.

The weightlessness of having nothing beneath my feet unnerved me and I tried to ignore just how high up I was. I’d only just learned how to fly and if my powers fizzled out up here, I’d surely fall to my death, and it wouldn’t be a quick one, either. I’d fall for a full minute, just counting the seconds as my stomach plummeted and I’d have to experience that all-encompassing fear all over again, just waiting till I finally hit the ground and…

No. I slapped my cheek in an attempt to push the fear away. I didn’t have the luxury to be afraid right now.

I glanced behind me and had to push away the urge to just… leave. Give up. Let what happens, happen.

I hovered within arms reach of a swirling black rift, the biggest I’d ever seen, its shimmering surface covered in disturbing, wriggling shapes. A putrid stench, like rotted flesh, wafted from its depths like a warning. It stretched above me endlessly, torn into the sky like an angry god had slashed through the universe and willed it into existence. 

Anger filled me and I let it control me for a brief moment. This was a joke. The biggest, stupidest joke. I was supposed to be done. Done with all this. This wasn’t my god damn job. I wasn’t even supposed to be here. I wasn’t supposed to exist, for Christ’s sake.

The worst part was, I knew I didn’t have a choice. There was no one left that could do this. No one.

And it was all my fault.

Who knows? I hadn’t been born, maybe none of this would have happened.

I giggled again, my crazy leaking out effortlessly.

Was I still sane? I wasn’t sure. It’s been so long…

But I had to do something, or everyone would die.

I thought of my sister. My friends.

My Bond. Who left me. 

Who left me alone. 

Even now, I could feel our connection weakening. Feel my magic waning every day. Draining.

Who knows. Maybe it’ll disappear as soon as I enter the rift, and then I’ll just… fall. 

If I had known this was going to happen, I might have actually tried; taken things more seriously. 

But it was too late.

The fate of both our worlds rested in my hands now.

The worst Magical Girl on Earth.

The Fake. 

For every second that I hesitated, someone died. Even now I could hear the screams of terror from the world below. 

They called out for someone to save them. 

Maybe if it had been someone else, they could have saved everyone. But I was just… me.

Just Nyx.

Even if I did survive, could I ever forgive myself? 

I didn’t know.

I took a deep breath, gripping my shaking weapon tightly in front of me for comfort, and flew into the darkness.