Chloe and Lana, lying on the scorched earth, shivered with fear after Hecate disappeared into nothingness.
Both sisters cried out and collapsed to the ground, their bodies trembling from exhaustion and lingering magical backlash.
Adrian rose slowly, frowning as he scanned his own form.
Was it still not enough?
Even after facing an entity like Hecate, Adrian's current strength was still insufficient to truly destroy her. To fully eliminate such a force, he needed the power of a higher‑dimensional being like the Upside‑Down Man.
He accessed his internal mystic interface and checked the progress of the second template deep within his being. The meter lingered stubbornly at fifty percent.
Although the template glowed faintly, it no longer seemed to grant him any tangible enhancement. With the loss of the Moon God's influence, that so‑called "Moon Knight Template" had faded. Though the imprint remained for now, its boosting effect was gone.
And slowly, the template dissipated entirely from his system.
If a template only exists by the grace of a god, then…"
Adrian turned his head upward toward the bright full moon hanging in space, its pale silver light washing over him like sunlight bathing a warrior.
Even without the tangible template, he felt the moon infuse his body with energy. A new, subtler power was taking its place, intangible yet undeniably present: a moon‑tuned essence woven into his being.
But…
How could he rid himself of this "curse"?
Adrian's brows tightened with thought.
Once the battle ended, Zatanna approached him and informed him that Martha and Jonathan were safe, staying at Baron Winters's estate.
"Baron Winters?" Adrian murmured, thinking it through.
Constantine approached, cigarette in hand, nostrils flaring smoke.
"You can feel it," Constantine said, voice rough, "Magic flows normal again. Looks like Hecate patched up her mess and plugged the holes. You cast a trick now and it won't explode into chaos."
"You are John Constantine?" Adrian recognized him on sight — that distinctive trenchcoat and worn swagger were unforgettable.
"Yes, have we met before?" Constantine replied, arching an eyebrow.
"No," Adrian said with a shrug, "I generally don't deal with men whose luck is worse than dog shit."
After a single glance, he turned and walked away.
"For your magical world," he added without looking back, "this isn't the end of the war. Just a truce."
Zatanna and Constantine exchanged glances, absorbing his words.
"A bit disappointing," Zatanna murmured.
Constantine shook his head, amused. "I wanted to talk about the book he wrote, but I guess he doesn't exactly think highly of me."
"If you heard even a fraction of your reputation," Zatanna replied, thoughtful, "you wouldn't think highly of you either."
"Well what did he mean? 'Not the end, just a truce'?"
"I don't know," Zatanna said, thoughtful. "But now that he repelled the Trinity Goddess, he'll likely become a legend in the magical world."
Constantine tapped his cigarette. "Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical. If Superman or someone like that could truly do magic, then no one would be his match."
"I'm not sure if that's good or terrifying," Zatanna admitted.
Zatanna pushed aside her earlier worry about Adrian possibly being behind her father's attack.
"If there's a bond that can't be broken between loved ones," she reflected, "then this world won't fall apart because of him."
Meanwhile, Lana lifted her head painfully, groaning and placing a hand to her throbbing forehead.
"Chloe…" she murmured, reaching out.
Ignoring the ache, she prodded her unconscious friend until Chloe blinked into awareness.
"Where are we?" Chloe asked, confused, rubbing her head. "I remember drinking red wine at your house… but why does my head feel like someone beat me with a hammer? Even strong whiskey wouldn't leave me this wrecked."
"I… don't know," Lana said, scanning the charred ruins. Flames still burned not far away while monks worked desperately to extinguish the fire. A strange group of people shuffled around the chaos, and Lana even spotted a strangely dressed ape.
"That's Adrian and Clark!" Lana exclaimed, seizing on familiar faces.
"Clark, over here!" Chloe called, pushing herself up.
When Clark saw the sisters, his eyes glinted a faint red as though remnants of his heat vision lingered. Although he knew they were innocent, possessed by witch magic, anger still flickered in his gaze. It took effort for him to temper it.
Suppressing his tense emotions, Clark approached them with a clipped expression.
"Why are we here?" Chloe asked as soon as he arrived. "What happened?"
"You shouldn't ask me that," Clark said flatly. "For a time, you two were villains. You should remember that better than anyone."
"Villains?" Lana repeated, puzzled. "I remember looking through a book on spells, and then… nothing. Did we hurt you, Clark?"
"More or less," Clark murmured, then turned away.
Across the square, Adrian stood in front of the two Amazons who had been freed from Hecate's influence. Green Lantern and Kara hovered nearby.
"I should think about what to do if I ever meet another version of myself," Kara said, exhaling shakily. "Fighting someone like that… terrifying just to consider."
The younger Wonder Woman, still regaining her composure from the earlier possession, looked to Adrian with a mix of shock and curiosity.
"Is that really my future self?" she asked.
Adrian's gaze was icy yet thoughtful.
"Both of you carry the Witch Mark," he observed. "You share a bond with the magic that Hecate bestowed. So it is not strange for you to resemble one another."
He then walked toward Clark, sensing something was off about him.
"Clark."
Clark turned, his expression guarded.
"You seem… different," Adrian said.
"Really?" Clark replied with a bristle. "I'm not wearing kryptonite on my chest. If you want to say I've changed, fine. I've shed weakness and stopped being swayed by emotions. That's not kryptonite. That's just who I am now. I follow what I want."
"You look like Jor‑El's puppet," Adrian said, stepping closer. "Clark, don't tell me you woke up and suddenly mastered flight just by choosing a new path. You aren't that naive. Don't tell me you'd willingly let Jor‑El control you. If so, then your mind isn't fully your own."
"I am not who I used to be," Clark snapped back. "I'm unrestrained, I act on impulse. If that's controlled, then I prefer it."
"You think that's freedom?" Adrian's crimson eyes gleamed. "Maybe you need to be taught what freedom truly means."
The two stood inches apart, their heat‑vision flickering like sparks in the night.
Nearby, Lana and Chloe watched, shaken but safe.
"Don't do that, Adrian," Lana said softly, worry etching her features.
Neither man spoke again. Clark's heat vision dimmed, and with a burst of strength he shot upward, vanishing into the clouds in accelerating cracks that echoed through the air.
Adrian turned and walked toward Zatanna.
Now that his parents were confirmed safe, his priority was no longer confrontation, but ensuring Jonathan and Martha were genuinely unharmed.
Moonlight spilled silver across the land, healing his wounds and replenishing his strength. But as the moonlight touched him, he felt the Witch Mother's curse settling into him deeper.
Adrian's brow creased with new tension.
Half an hour later, far below the square's ruined steps, a pair of trembling hands gripped the stone.
A woman, covered in dirt and blood and wearing tattered garments, crawled upward.
Pain radiated through her entire body as Lois — dazed, broken, and barely breathing — collapsed onto her back at the top of the steps.
Her eyes fluttered open, and confusion clouded her gaze.
Had it all been a dream?
Because it felt like she had been thrown from the moon.
___
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