"So, why are you persisting in this madness? This is not like you, brother. Trying to destroy all of humanity was already monstrous enough... misguided enough... but you were too late. Now, it's too late. That man already made all of them conduits of his Domain, so he is unstoppable now. You can't even steal people from his Domain without becoming infected by the plague yourself. Don't you see that there is no way to win?"
Mordret remained silent for a few moments, then smiled crookedly.
"Who says that we only have ourselves?"
He looked up, as if trying to pierce the obsidian walls of the Ebony Tower with his gaze.
“I also have Song of the Fallen. She can cleanse my mind of the plague, which means that I still have a chance. Sure, the Dreamspawn cannot be destroyed as long as people remember him, but when there are no people, and I am the only one left, whose power will be greater? Whose Will will be more powerful? This war is far from being lost, brother... I'll find a way to win it. Wait and see."
His other self slowly shook his head.
“Lady Cassia might be powerful and talented, and her Aspect might be exactly what you need to prolong this war — but she is merely a Saint. How much of the plague can she erase from the mind of a Supreme? Enough to add a few vessels to your Domain each day? A few hundred? How are you going to subjugate millions of Awakened and billions of mundane people before the Dreamspawn comes to take your head?"
He sighed.
“I just don't understand why you are preparing for the decisive battle here, on the Chained Isles. Wasn't your plan to escape into the Hollow Mountains and lead a long guerrilla campaign against the Hunger Domain from the safety of the mist? What changed?"
The other Mordret lingered for a second and then asked with a hint of concern in his voice:
“Are you sure that Lady Cassia only erased those of your memories that were the source of the plague?"
Mordret studied him silently for a while, then smiled.
"Yes. I am quite sure. Do you think that I am more trusting than you? Of course, I've set countermeasures in place before letting her anywhere near my mind."
He inhaled deeply, then looked his reflection in the eye.
"Sure, that was the plan. However, that plan became meaningless the moment Changing Star and the Lord of Shadows chose to disappear instead of serving as a foil for the Dreamspawn, at least for a while. Everything happened too swift without them. Besides..."
He lingered for a moment, then looked away.
"You probably won't get it, but... there comes a time when a man must take a stand. For me, that second is now."
Mordret looked around the circular chamber, then faced the mirror once again.
“You know, the first time I fought Morgan, I was quite afraid. After all, she had always been a bit of a scarecrow in my mind — someone who was more talented than me, more powerful than me, more favored than me. Someone who was more desirable than me, and for a good reason. A true heiress of War, forged into a perfect weapon by our father."
He smiled bitterly.
“And indeed, when we finally crossed swords, I almost lost my life. I did lose a hand and an eye, actually... but in the end, I still won. I was able to win because I held nothing back — because unlike her, I didn't care about losing a hand and an eye, and more than that, I didn't care about staying alive. About staying free instead of ending up in another cage for countless years. All I cared about was winning that fight."
His smile faded slowly, replaced by a cold, grim expression.
“So now that I am set to face the Dreamspawn in battle... to face my maker... how can I hope to win if I am holding something back? If I leave myself a path of retreat and plan for what happens if I lose, if I scheme to survive even if I am defeated... then I have already been defeated, don't you think?"
Mordret sighed and looked around, a pleasant smile finding its way back onto his lips.
"No... whatever happens, it will happen here, on the Ebony Island. I am not running from this fight. I think it's quite fitting, actually, that everything will be decided on the Chained Isles. You wouldn't know, but I made a lot of memories here, a long time ago."
Turning back to the mirror, he laughed.
"So I can't wait to make more... this time, they will be memories of war."