His hand was shaking with rage. "Get out of my mind. Get out of my mind!" He began to double over his hand clenching tight on his sword.

The man smiled at him. "Why would I do that? I enjoy the control I have over you."

Nausea swept over the boy. His entire body was beginning to shudder. Fearing what the man might do with it, he held his forearm between his body and the blade he held.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Who would do my work for me?"

"I will never do your work again! Get away from me. Let me alone!" He was shouting now, using all his will to try to stand strait and tall, like a man. His entire body shuttered from the internal battle. His jaw tired from clenching, so sore tears came, but he continued to grind his teeth.

"Yes you will. There is no way to avoid it." The man smiled wider and stepped aside. The girl was there, in some kind of trance.

"Celesia! Run! Save yourself!" The boy stared. The girl stood motionless. Then she drew a dagger.

"NO!" screamed the boy. "You can't do this!"

"But I already have. You are too strong a team. One of you must die, but how do I know to keep the strong one? I let you fight. The one that lives is stronger."

"I won't hurt her!"

"She will hurt you. And you dying by her hand will hurt her more than her dying. She loves you, you know."

"NO! Stop, please! I can't do this!" The boy fell to his knees, shuttering so badly that he cut himself with his sword. The girl, completely controlled, walked slowly toward him, holding the dagger. She showed no emotion.

"Please, Celesia! Stop! We can beat him together!"

In unison, Celesia and the man said, "But I will kill you."

His mind raced. Was there any way not to fail? Was there any way not to kill her? He couldn't kill her, but his death would be worse to her than her death. Her death would be worse to him than his life. Was there no way to win?

Celesia raised her dagger. In unison, she and the man said, "Die or kill. That is your choice."

He acted almost before the plan formed in his head. He jumped to the dagger, dropping his sword. He grabbed her hand, holding the dagger, and brought the wrist to his knee. The dagger came free, and the girl screamed. The scream sliced threw the boy's soul like a sword, but he threw the dagger anyway. The surprised man yelped as the dagger struck him in the center of the neck. He stumbled backward into the darkness and was gone.

"Celesia! Celesia! Are you alright?" She lay on the stony ground in the fetal position. He felt for breath, for a pulse. She was breathing very shallowly. She was alive. She was asleep.

He retrieved his sword and ran into the blackness after the man. He made him do that to her! He would die!