Smoke curled from the circle on the floor, casting a spell around Leo curing him of this cursed mark. I pressed my hands against the edge of the barrier, heart hammering as Leo started to completely go nuts. His lion form snarled, teeth bared, eyes wild with something twisted and cruel.
This wasn't my brother.
"Hold him down!" Selene shouted, her hands glowing with silver light as she drew sigils in the air.
"I can't!" Orion barked back, his arms outstretched, shielding me from the force of Leo's roars. "He thinks you're trying to kill him!"
"I am trying to kill it!" Selene snapped. "The mark is fighting back if I stop now, it might root itself into his soul permanently!"
"He's not going to last!" I cried, my voice cracking. "He thinks we're hurting him!"
Selene didn't even glance at me. "I'm not hurting him, Luna. I'm tearing the parasite out of his soul. If I stop now, it will win. Then, there's nothing we can do to stop it, is that what you want?" She yelled.
I shook my head no, but she was right. We couldn't let Mimic win, not now, not ever.
Leo roared again, this time in pain. My stomach twisted. I felt terrible, all I wanted to do was take the pain away, but how could I do that?
"Leo!" I stepped closer to the barrier, letting the warmth of the circle burn my skin. "Please! It's me! You're not alone, no one's trying to hurt you, we're right here with you! We love you!"
His massive head snapped toward me. And for one horrifying moment, I saw nothing but hatred in his eyes. I put my hand through the barrier burning my skin and I touched his back. A flicker of false memory me, standing over him, calling him weak, unworthy. I let go, gasped and suddenly got blown away. "Luna!" Orion screamed but Selene told him to stay. "The mark is almost gone, you need to make sure he doesn't break out." My head was finally starting to get better but now, I hit my head again. It was not good. The headache came back flaring but I refused to give up, I needed to make sure Leo knew I was there for him. So, with all the strength I had left, I got up and walked toward him. I breathed heavily, trying to keep myself calm, then I accidentally started channeling my energy. I saw pink coming out of my hands. I looked down at them, shocked, then accidentally pointed one of my hands at Leo. I was afraid I'd hurt him, but instead, he started to become more relaxed and calm. I couldn't stop now, I kept channeling all of i,t eventually falling to my knees. I barely had any idea what I was doing, but instinct took over, and the emotions just poured out of my hands. He transformed back into himself.
His breath hitched. The rage in his green eyes trembled.
"Luna."
It was barely a whisper. But it was him. I knew I had to keep going, to make sure the rage didn't take over again.
"Keep going, Luna, it's working!" Selene yelled, still removing the mark. I could feel Leo's rage coming into me, but I didn't care, I had to save him. I kept getting flashes of what Leo was seeing, the pain… Everyone who he loved telling him he didn't love him, I was trying to kill him, and Selene was trying to kill him. The mark was really doing work on him. "AHHHH" Leo screamed, rolling around. I can do it, I can do it… I thought to myself.
"Luna, hold on, I'm almost done!" Orion was waiting near Leo to make sure he wouldn't go crazy again. "Come on… COME ON!" I said to myself, trying to keep myself afloat. My head was throbbing. I couldn't take it for much longer, but I had to. For Leo, my twin. He needed me now, and he'd do the same for me. Orion looked back at me. Immediately, I noticed I was huffing and puffing heavily, angrily. He could tell I was struggling to keep my emotions in check.
"Luna channel me." I looked at him, unsure if I could. I barely understood how I was channeling my own feelings into Leo. I extended my hand toward Orion, slowly borrowing his feeling of calm. Suddenly, I felt like I was choking. I knew I was overexerting myself, but I had to keep going. Selene put her hands into an x formation, then, with a sharp exhale, she threw her arms outward like tearing open a veil. The silver energy surged from her fingertips in a blinding wave, sealing the spell with a crack of thunder and a ripple through the floor that shook the circle. She was panting. "Ok, it's done." I put my hands down, stopping the emotions flowing from me after I did that, all the pain I was holding off just immediately flared. I could barely move. I looked at Leo, who looked like he was recovering. I had given all the calmness I had to Leo. All I felt was pain, anger, and worry. Everything around me was blurry. I could barely see anything or hear Orion calling out to me; it was more like a faint whisper. I looked at Selene, who was also recovering from removing Leo's mark. I looked around, looking faster and faster, my anger rising. I heard someone ask if I was ok but barely. I screamed out in pain and anger, letting out a red burst around me. Was that real? I thought. I saw people running toward me. Then, my eyes rolled back and nothing.