Maddox
When the shadowy figure revealed that his trick, Maddox smirked.
Clever. I trapped an illusion, not the genuine article. Wasted all that magic for nothing. I can see why the Council had difficulties, he thought to himself, looking up to see the shadow transform into a copy of Maddox himself. This wiped the smirk off his face now.
"It's one thing to avoid capture with a smart illusion, but do you really need to steal my face too?" he asked, almost sarcastically.
Despite the obvious threat of the approaching attack, Maddox didn't move.
I've already lost this fight. With a sigh, he resigned himself to his inevitable defeat before Grane appeared and halted the attack. The red-haired mage sat up now, looking confused.
"You're even worse off than I am," he muttered to himself, impressed by the Council member's resolve.
"But I can't..."
What am I saying? Maddox thought to himself, interrupting his conversation with Grane.
Am I really giving up? Have I grown so weak that a critically weakened foe I had faced before can stand in front of me? Maddox clenched a fist and looked at it.
Where has my will to live gone? The passion I once had. The determination. Growing weak is one thing but losing myself is unforgivable. With a frown, the red-haired mage got back onto his feet.
Red light began glowing around him, matching Grane's defenses. His serious expression settled on the shadowy figure that stole his appearance. Maddox raised a hand toward the pillar of light he had created earlier, ceasing the spell anti-climactically rather than letting it detonate and destroy the building.
"I had forgotten something important..." he spoke up.
"I had forgotten the strength of my resolve." At this point Sayuri appeared and launched a surprise attack against the shadow man. Maddox nodded towards Grane and teleported behind Shutler, striking out with his Light-infused foot to deliver a powerful kick. One which would hopefully knock him into Sayuri's attack as well as whatever Grane had planned.
I won't allow myself to become so weak as to give up.