"Max, Max. Wake up." James shook Max by the shoulders as the glow slowly faded around them.

  "Ow. Your knee is digging into my side." Max opened his eyes, rubbing a hand over his face. "Gods above, what was dat, James?"

  "I-I don't know." James looked back at the stone wall, the carvings once more still. "The future, or is it the past."

  The tug came again, and James slid, his boots scraping against the stone floor as he was dragged closer to the end of the hall. He heard Max groan behind him. James tried to reach for his power, but it was like an invisible wall between him and the well of light he had come to trust. Panic rose in his throat as the last vestiges of light faded from the stones around him, plunging the passageway into darkness.

  "James, where's the light?" Max sounded worried, the playful tone all but gone.

  "Can't reach my power. Someone or something is blocking it." James reached for the wall, steadying his nerves.

  "Crap."

  "Yea, crap. We should go back. I think I remember the way." James turned and ran face-first into Max. Sending them both sprawling. "Ow. Sondia's blade, Max, do you have to be walking so close to me."

  "I'm not." Max's voice came from ahead of James, "But who did I—"

  A hand seized James' sleeve, pulling him to his feet as light sprung to life all around him. A dozen or so small orbs, like the one James had summoned, but wrapped and distorted. James' eyes locked on a face he had seen a million times, his own, but it was older and twisted. His hair was shaved short, and a scar of silver ran across his nose and cheeks. The face smiled at him, showing too white of teeth, and the smile was too large for the face. The Not-James face tilted sharply, jerkingly, left to right. The silver eyes, edged with black, stared unblinkingly and lifelessly like a doll.

  James lashed out, his foot connecting with something solid and sending him staggering back. His momentum slammed him against another body. Spinning, James came face to face with Max, a look of panic shooting across his friend's face. A figure moved just past Max's shoulder. A twisted version of Max, taller, more gaunt, and missing his gemstone eye.

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  "Who the hell are these guys?" Max ducked a wild haymaker from his doppelganger.

  "I don't know." James pushed his back up against the real Max

  Not-James advanced, sliding into a fire stance as he grew close. James tried again to pull on his power, but it was like reaching through mud, and he couldn't quite grasp it. The wicked doppelganger only grinned and attacked. Two quick jabs, left, right, testing and probing. James dodged the blows and rushed forward, closing the gap between himself and the doppelganger. He drove a fist into Not-James' ribs with a satisfying thud. James didn't let up. Right-hook, jab, cross, and each blow he threw connected as the doppelganger staggered back. Then the tug came, and James felt himself being pulled towards the end of the hall again.

  Crunch

  A blow connected with his neck. James staggered back, grabbing at his neck, his breaths harsh and ragged. Ser Edwin's words ringing in his ears to keep his chin down. The doppelganger tried to close the distance to get inside James' reach, but he lashed out with a kick on Not-James' knee. The joint bent at an unnatural angle with a sick popping sound. James moved, kicked hard again and again into the downed, twisted version of himself. Their silver eyes met his, and that wicked grin stretched too far across its face.

  Pop

  Not-James vanished, plunging the passageway once more into total darkness, the smell of smoke and sulfur hanging in the air. James spun, listening, trying to find Max, and wondering if Not-Max was still fighting or had vanished as well.

  "Max?" James whispered, arms outstretched, trying to find a wall. There was a cough to his right. A sickening feeling grew in his gut, bile rising in his throat.

  What in the hells have we gotten into.

  James felt the fist connect with his jaw, stars shooting across his vision, and the darkness tilting to the side. James reached for the arm but caught a shirt instead. Instinctively, James threw his head forward and felt the crunch against the top of his head. He felt the figure reel back from the blow and then an elbow connected with his own nose. Pain radiated across his face. He let out a gasp of pain, falling back from the blow. His back connected with something hard, immovable.

  "James?" The sound was Max's voice, but slightly garbled.

  "Max?"

  "Ya broke me nose." There was the sound of someone spitting.

  "You broke mine. I thought you were the weird, not-you thing." James pushed himself off the wall. "Wait, how do I know it's you?"

  "I ain't got a clue," Max said. His voice sounding less nasally. "Oh, what about dat thing Miss Silvia said. A question only I'd know ya."

  James racked his brain; all the questions seemed obvious.

  How'd I get my magic shit? How'd you get your magic shit?

  Then, one came to mind: " How did I get that scar on the back of my neck?"

  "Da one where you stuck ya head through da fence at Farmer Gorgies and got it stuck. Took Ser Edwin and Gorgie like an hour to get ya out." Max laughed.

  "Yeah, that one." James laughed, matching his friends. As his growing panic lessened, he could feel the tension ease out of him.

  Light poured into the passageway as massive stone slabs moved out of the way at the end of the hall. James had to shield his eyes against the brightness, blinking away tears. A female voice boomed out of the light, and James felt the Sister's attention snap back to him.

  "James, no—don’t go in there—" The Sister's voice was cut off as though a wall had slammed down around his mind. He could no longer feel her far away. He could no longer feel his power. He looked over to Max, whose mouth hung open, one hand shakily pointing into the glowing room. Where a golden-eyed figure sat lazily atop a white throne, one leg thrown over the arm, a blade twirling between her fingers. Her eyes slid over Max, then lingered on James with a pointed, knowing smile.

  "Welcome, little God Seeds. It has been oh so very long since anyone has come to visit."