June stumbled in place as the Beacon girls crowded around her, and she suddenly dropped to one knee, clutching her stomach. "I think I...Don't feel so good." Sylvia took a hesitant step towards the fleeing girls, but then sheathed it once she saw how the fire began spreading. "Damn, they got away. Well, we were lucky we got here in time." She then went over to the rookie, and examined her wound. "No wonder; they got a deep wound in. We gotta get you back to headquarters. I'm calling a retreat." Sally was upset. "But we just got here, and Justine is still on the loose!" Sylvia shook her head. "If Alicia is right, there is already a group of magical girls who went to deal with her. Besides, once Sma-ahem, Penny smashes this castle, she won't be causing trouble for a while."

June seemed to cry a bit as she realized what had happened. "I'm just a burden, huh..." Sylvia patted her head. "Hey, chin up, kid. Sometimes things don't go as planned, but we never leave a girl behind. Now come on, I'll carry you. Beckoner, contact Strawberry and Blueberry to leave this place." A Beckoner resembling a cute star-shaped creature appeared, and nodded with a warm smile before leaving. "Now let's go! Penny, make sure to only leave bricks behind!" She shouted, and then ran off carrying June, followed by the others. Sally turned, about to join them, when she tripped again. However, this time she didn't stand up as quickly; she saw something unusual. "Wait...Huh?" She exclaimed, and Sylvia shouted from the end of the corridor after her. "Uhh...Coming!" She replied, looking like she wanted to say something, and left Penny alone in the library; the castle was now all hers to "change".

[hr]
Nancy was very confused by Mariette's explanation about the Beacon, but she hesitantly nodded. "Okay, if you think they won't listen to reason, then it's best we avoid them for now." The other girls all nodde,d and together they went to raid the treasury. Thanks to Mariette's Hammerspace Handbag and the horde of girls throwing items into it, the all the various gold coins, jewelry and strange relics were easily emptied out of the room. A suit of armor incidentally came to life, most likely set as a trap by Justine; it was resistant to damage, but it was completely overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and disabled. The pieces of the armor were then thrown in with the rest of the treasure. Mariette used her magic on the black-framed mirror, and found it to resonate with her powers, not unlike the mirror Eli carried around with her. She opened a portal through it, and peered inside. Mariette saw a vast ocean, and a stone platform held aloft by Alex' magic. And there, in the middle of them all, stood Justine. Even if she didn't look drenched and miserable with her head bowed down, the dark magical girl could tell that she had been rendered harmless by Lily and the others, and that she could leave, her mission now accomplished.

The magical girls from the library returned with magical books in their hands; they seemed to be potent arcane tomes, but MAriette knew she would have to examine their contents later. The magical girl who turned invisible in the lbirary reappeared a bit later before Mariette; she looked visibly panicked. "The Beacon are going to destroy this castle!" She shouted. "They plan to kill all of us!" Magical girls around them shrieked and cried, afraid out of their feeble minds.
Suddenly, when Eli stood next to the the black-framed mirror, the mirror she held in her hands began shimmering with rays of darkness; as if reacting to the presence of the other mirror, black tentacles reached out from the frameless mirror, and struck at the looking glass. Instead of shattering the reflective surface, the tentacles seemed to reach in, to the "other side" in a mysterious fashion. Then, the tentacles pulled, and Eli was forced to let go of the mirror, allowing to fly off. With a magical locking sound, the mirror was layered on top of the black-framed one, becoming one; at the specific moment the two mirrors were joined, Mariette caught a faint glimnpse of something she had only seen in her dreams; Asengav himself. "Whoa! What is happening!" Nancy exclaimed. "Your mirror, Mariette! It sprouted tendrils!" 

The black-framed mirror's surface swirled with blackness, and then opened up to an amazing sight; Mariette saw an opulent, gothic mansion, floating in the middle of the abyss, and only lighted by reflection given off by mirrors floating around the abysss, like oval-shaped stars. Mariette felt Asengav's presence seep out of the mirror. As if dragged by tiny tentacles, she felt compelled to pass through the mirror, and enter her new Dimensional Apartment. "There, that's our escape!" Nancy pointed, and the crowd calmed down. They waited for Mariette's command to escape the castle of terror once and for all.

[hr]
Lily sighed heavily as she saw how Sue went away to cry on her own, and sat down at the edge of the stone platform, letting her legs swing around. She leaned on her knees with her elbows, and rested her head on her hands. She didn't look at Justine at all, seemingly upset with her. Justine also sat silently, her gaze down on the floor, and her opened hands, still stained with Lily's blood. For a long time, there was an awkward silence, the void filled by waves splashing against stone.

[color=662d91]"...I hate to admit it, but you are right, Lily,"[/color] she abruptly spoke, and Lily turned around, wiping her tears.
[color=fff200]"Huh?"[/color]
[color=662d91]"I was never able to complete the ritual. Because, deep in my heart, no matter how much I tried to deny it...I still wanted to love. I still wanted my feelings to reach Caroline. She was my shining hope, who saved me from complete despair."[/color]
She gave out a weak little laugh, and coughed.
[color=662d91]"Lily Lightning...I can't apologize for my deeds, but I can respect the strength of your heart. You taught me an important lesson today, and I won't forget that."[/color]
[color=fff200]"Justine..."[/color] Lily spoke softly, and smiled just a little bit in the bittersweet moment.
Suddenly, the group heard a magical wooshing sound, and somebody fell into the water from a high distance, followed by someone clambering inelegantly onto the stone platform; it was Sonia, who looked heavily injured, to the point it was amazing how she could still move around. Justine was visibly shocked, and knelt down next to Sonia, who now laid on the stone platform after Lily helped her up. 

[color=0054a6]"Lady Justine...We lost the castle to the Beacon...I'm afraid...We can't return."[/color]
Justine stroked her hair.
[color=662d91]"That's okay. We have other matters to attend to."[/color]
Sonia gasped, and then coughed.
[color=0054a6]"My Lady, do you mean-?"[/color]
[color=662d91]"Yes...Let us search for Caroline. Somebody taught me to never give up on your feelings, no matter how hopeless it may be. And my heart tells me to find my sister."[/color] Justine helped Sonia stand up, and took her hand. She then took her hat off, and offered it to Lily.
[color=662d91]"I suppose this is farewell then. We might never meet each other. But I suppose that is for the best. May you succeed where I failed..."[/color]
And with that, Justine disappeared. Lily clutched at the hat, looked at Alex, and then looked up at the sky with a meaningful smile.