theonetruenorth:

Did someone ask for the saddest possible ending to the whole Nephilim vs. Seelie Queen conflict? No? Well, here it is anyways. 

WARNING: death of major characters.

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When they had finally let Magnus go, it was already too late.

He could still hear the Seelie Queen’s words, the sultry whisper of deception. Saying how she gave him what he wanted, even though this was the last thing on his mind. The siege of the Institute. The slaughter of the nephilim inside of it, outnumbered ten to one.

Magnus made his way through the eerily quiet halls of the Institute, stepping over the bodies that littered its floors. He had to cover his mouth and nose in attempt to filter out the smells, but it was in vain. Nothing could block it, that sickly-sweet coppery scent of drying blood and the stench of death. He almost slipped when he had to step through the cloying pool of blood from one of the nephilim he didn’t even know.

He found Isabelle first. She was lying on her back, eyes open as if she was looking at the beautiful stained glass windows of the Institute, but her gaze was empty. Skin pale with blood loss, lips stained red with more than just lipstick. There was little comfort in knowing she died quickly, judging from the deep slash across her throat. Magnus crouched next to her prone body and closed her unseeing eyes, all the while fighting against the ice-cold wave of dread that was starting to overtake him.

He couldn’t break down now. Not when he still had to see for himself what he had helped orchestrate, however unknowingly. Not when he still had to brace himself for the biggest heartbreak of his immortal life.

He found Alexander in his office.

At first, he thought he was already dead. Lying on his side, his head resting on Jace’s unmoving chest, clutching one of his parabatai’s hands. Three Seelie-made javelins were piercing him through, a clear sign that the two brothers did not go down without a fight.

But then his body twitched and an almost soundless, pained sigh slipped from between his lips and Magnus fell to his knees beside him, his hands already flaring up with healing magic.

It was pointless. He knew it was pointless, but he had to try nevertheless.

“Hold on, Alexander,” Magnus whispered as he tried to stop the blood loss, tried to slow down the rapid pace of Alec’s life slipping away. Tried to selfishly buy one more minute, one more second during which he could still have him.

Alec’s eyes were open and he kept looking at Jace’s face, pale and relaxed in a way that only death can bring. Magnus desperately tried not to think about the agonizing pain of a broken parabatai bond or how Alec must have felt when Jace’s heart stopped beating. Magnus gently turned Alec’s head, away from the sight of his brother.

“I-Izzy,” Alec whispered and red bloomed on his lips when he spoke, “is s-she okay?”

Magnus bit back a sob, feeling his heart tear a little more because this beautiful, selfless man was on the brink of death himself and still his thoughts were focused on his family. What was left of it anyways, since little Max’s passing not so long ago.

“She’s fine,” Magnus said, brushing away the blood from Alec’s lips with his thumb, “I saw her outside just a minute ago.”

“That’s… good…”

Magnus gave up on healing attempts, knowing that the damage went too far, that he was too late. He brought Alec’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles while Alec’s eyes drifted shut. The hand in Magnus’ grip grew heavy and he could hear the last long exhale of the man who made his universe that much brighter.

“I’m so sorry, my love. I’ve ruined everything,” Magnus whispered, forcing himself not to cry.

Not now.

Not yet.

Not until he razed the Seelie realm to the ground, for what they had done.