But a Part of ME
Everyone fell through the glass and then dropped to the floor, thuds and moans echoing off newly formed glossy walls. The walls were round, like they had fallen into a tower. They were the same dark bleak color as the glass had been.
As they all stood and glanced behind them, they could see the reflective surface of the mirror and the outline of the room they had just been in.
Magnus inhaled sharply as he noticed Alec was gone. “Does anyone see Alec?”
It was dark in the room but not dark enough to hide Alec from his sight, Magnus knew that he would be able to spot Alec even in the densest of crowds. He was missing, not overlooked.
Everyone looked around in alarm but there was no trace of him.
Suddenly an angelic voice resonated throughout the room.
“Alec Lightwood has been judged and deemed Innocent. Those who have caused him harm will now face justice.”
Simon called out to the, lovely but still a tad frightening, disembodied androgynous voice. “And who exactly is facing justice?”
“Those who have caused grievous harm.”
“Yeah, but who exactly?”
The voice did not respond. And would not answer any more questions.
Suddenly, a door appeared on the far wall. It glowed, powerful light escaping from the cracks.
Max Lightwood, the youngest in the room but one of the brightest, had been observing the whole thing without comment and saw it first. “I think we’re being told we’ve got to find out the hard way.”
Maryse stormed up to Magnus. “This is clearly your fault.”
He raised a single brow, “And how exactly is this my fault?”
“I know you only seduced him because you hate our family. That has to be the harm that voice spoke of!” She said shrilly.
Magnus chuckled darkly. His glamour fell and his words were laced with poison. “I know you have a hard time believing this, but not everything is about you or your family name. And I have no doubts to who is facing justice tonight.”
Maryse’s jaw dropped.
Clary grabbed Magnus and Robert pulled Maryse away.
“This doesn’t help us help Alec.”
Raphael and Luke had been attempting to break through the mirror’s surface but had no luck.
Jace, impatient and reckless as always marched up to door and threw it open.
“I don’t know about the rest of you,” he said, “but I’m getting my brother back.” And he walked through without hesitation.
The others exchanged glances and then followed.
They bathed in the bright light for a brief moment before it faded out and became a gentle glow. They found themselves surrounded by round walls again but this time they were various shades of colors blended together in a way only an artist could foresee to be beautiful before the final product.
Bursts of pinks and purples, blues and reds, greens and yellows were made to be like fireworks on dark grey stone walls. There were doors, each about a foot apart, all along the encircling walls. All of them, except the one they had come from, were filled with light.
Alec stood in the middle of the room. His back was turned to them and he was wearing a long white robe and had massive wings on his back.
Magnus rushed to him, Jace, Izzy, Clary, Simon, and Max close behind him. The others were cautious and took their time walking towards him.
He turned around and everyone stopped in their tracks.
It was most definitely Alec and most certainly not him as well.
His eyes were the same but the features of his face had become more androgynous...
Not all women are round and not all men are sharp, despite that being the common way to differentiate. Yet this Alec’s features were now a combination of both. There was no way of saying any feature was feminine or masculine nor strikingly soft or strikingly sharp. They just somehow were.
His wings stretched and he rose from the ground.
“Do you understand why you are here?” His voice had also changed, losing it’s recognizable qualities and still washing over them in a familiar way.
It was not the same voice as in the room before but it had the same effect.
“To be judged and for justice to prevail.” Lydia made the question sound like a statement.
The not-quite Alec nodded.
“Do you know how it works?”
A series of Nos rang out.
“Each door leads to a different part of Alec’s mind. Each door will hold a different aspect of Alec’s personality just as I am here with you now. Each will show you different memories and if you have caused harm to that part of his personality you will experience what they did whether it be an emotion or a bruise. It will stay with you the rest of your journey. Do you understand?”
Everyone nodded warily.
“And what if we have not done grievous harm to Alec? Does anything happen to us then?” Simon asked as he could not ever recall doing anything to Alec but annoying him.
“Then you will be fine. If you have given him great joy, some of the different personalities may gift you with that experience. It depends on who you meet on your journey.”
“And how does that work?” Izzy asked.
“Each of you will choose a door. Through that door leads to a different room, and a different personality trait that make up Alec as a whole. That aspect of him will determine what you all will go through in that room. When you make it to the end, Alec as a whole will decide who if any, will stay and who, if any will return to reality. If he returns you but does not forgive you, whatever injuries you receive here will stay with you.”
Robert Lightwood scoffed, “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“Neither is killing off an entire species.”
Robert opened his mouth, then closed it again.
“Are you his angelic side?” asked Magnus.
“Yes.”
Magnus looked uncomfortable but Max was looking up in awe.
“Max Lightwood, you will choose the first door.”
Max, walked up to a door without hesitation just as Jase had done before. Once he reached it though, his hand hovered over the glass doorknob. Etched onto the knob was the Persevere Rune.
The angelic Alec smiled for the first time, “That is a good one brother. You have chosen well.”
Max beamed up at him and opened it. Everyone followed him with tense shoulders and furred brows.
Magnus was the last one.
“Magnus,” The winged Alec called out. “I believe you should know, even this side of me cares for you...”
A bit of tension bleed out of him as he walked into the blinding light.