your orders sir."

- Liam nearly dropped the phone. The only sound that escaped his lungs was a low rasp, as he tried to say something. His lips mouthed some words, something-

"Is this some sort of test?" Caelius's voice was nothing short of bitter. "Because I am waiting here, for your orders, in hopes that one day, I will past your tests. You do know that-" A pause. "- Forget it. Whenever you are ready, sir." The connection closed just like that.

This was how it was going to end then. In the end, his own mistakes were going to kill him. Every single ******** moment of his life was a joke, if the gods were going to s**t all over him, at least they might have had the decency to do it tastefully but it seemed he was all out of favours. His lifelines had literally blown up in his face.

No, it wasn't the end yet, not yet not yet not yet. There was one last card to play, his final sacrifice. 'Circe, I need to ask one last favour.' He trailed off, mentally blocking himself even from the inevitable.

'I can go. Circe's response was neutral. '' I can go, but you know the result. Those who wield me are my masters, but will belong to no-one else but me.'

It did not take him even a second to know exactly what she meant. Black and white. Everything moving along the same predetermined road to disaster. Though there might have been choices, there was only one ending. 'Go.'

Circe did not need a second prompt before she fled in her de-summoned form, a strange quirk of weapons nature, a tiny orb on translucent wings, a small flicker of blue plunging into the darkness. He could feel her slowly blinking out - or was it simply his consciousness finally ebbing away? No, he needed to see this last part through. He breathed deeply, lungs rattling, gambling on this final moment.

Liam wanted to tell Circe something, maybe "keep him safe", but now, so far away, so much later on, it just seemed wrong. It was hard to tell what hurt more, the regret or the actual pain.

He was at home now, on 233 Fir Street talking to Tamara. Caelius had just arrived home from college for the Christmas Eve dinner hours ago, it would be the first time the three of them were together. He sat at the table facing the two others, the three of them conversed together basked in the warm glow of the holidays.

And when it was late, he turned off each and every light in the house and blew out the candles. The two others had already gone to bed, but he wanted to surprise them tomorrow with their gifts he had bought. Slowly, after doing one more meticulous check to make sure everything was perfect, he pulled himself up the stairs, eyelids heavy, the room slightly blurry. It was cold, and he couldn't fall asleep as much as he tried, there was just so much to do left, he wanted to see everything through, what if he had made the wrong choice again, he wanted to-

-A soft hand pressed against his forehead, humming softly, slowly closing his eyes. The pulled a blanket to keep him warm, and then turned off the last light once and for all.

'Good night, Liam.'