Hello, dear friends! xD Yes, the last chapter is up! I wouldn't want to prepare you for it though, as I would ruin what I've posted here! For this reason, there is no explaination on Lara's life or Kurtis' one! Let's say that, as the last chapter, it's what would evoke the most intense emotions! I'll say nothing more, I just hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I do not own Lara Croft, Kurtis Trent or Joachim Karel. All rights of the characters belong to Eidos.

~The Deceived and the Deception~

Lara held the last Periapt Shard tightly, its blue, hypnotising glow reflecting the power of the Light of Truth like a neverending, azure flame. Her steps were hasty, her eyes mirroring her desire to end this nightmare, to destroy this hell once and for all.

Eckhardt's vision had become blurry, he had become too exhausted as the two Shards penetrated deeply into his flesh had drained most of his energy. He never thought he could be defeated, especially by a mortal. How could the time of his Destiny never arrive, how could all those prophecies that foretold about the Age of his Dominion never be fulfilled? And how could all this end by a mortal?

When he opened his eyes, he faced Lara above him through his vision that was slowly abandoning him. She was there, standing proudly, alive. And she was about to end this when suddenly…

Lara's hand was raised in the air as she was gathering her force in order to destroy this monstrous being that Eckhardt was and escape this maze of darkness. When all of a sudden, she felt someone grabbing her arm and forcing her on the ground while having a grip of the Shard. Lara unholstered her pistols instinctively, her aim locked on the ruiner of her perfect revenge. She remained on the ground while ready to defend herself if necessary.

Eckhardt's unspoken delight helped him gather some strength. With a voice indicating indignation and exhaustion, he gave his orders. "Go on. Kill her".

Karel, one of the Cabal members working in the shadows and helping Eckhardt with his Great Work, held the Shard firmly, his eyes penetrating her soul. With a sudden move, he did commit a murder. However, it was an unexpected one. Eckhardt exhaled with pain as the third Shard stabbed right through his forehead left him powerless and afterwards, lifeless.

Lara did not waste this opportunity. She stood up rapidly, the aim of her pistols still on Karel. Overwhelmed by Karel's actions, she stood still as a statue, thinking that she was prepared for everything now that Karel's true self had been disclosed to her.

"I knew you'd find the third Shard" she heard the apparent traitor of naive Eckhardt speak with a steady and dark voice. Lara's voice though, was a bit trembling and full of doubt. "But why? You worked for him!". Karel was quick in giving her an answer. "No, unknowingly he worked for me. But his usefulness was ended" he explained.

Lara gripped her weapons tighter. "Will you destroy his work?" she wondered. "Of course not. The Great Work will be finished" Karel replied. I did not expect otherwise, Lara thought bitterly.

"I'm offering you the chance to become part of a benign New Order in the world" Karel said as he transformed into his Nephilim form, into what his soul truly contained. A part of Lara felt disgusted to even think of becoming part of such dark plans. Another part of her though, had already started convincing her that what she was trying to do all those years had nothing to offer her anymore, that this world was doomed after all, that this world she was trying to save would betray her one day. So she had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Suddenly, she remembered him. How betrayed he would feel if she surrendered to Karel's plans. She felt surprised with herself to think this way but, she felt she would let him down if she accepted the offer. Kurtis. Those hypnotising blue eyes came to her mind. The scene of him sensually disarming her in the Louvre had been re-playing in her head over and over again all those days and she silently had found herself yearning for more. She could not believe that she had gotten that attached to a man she barely knew. But she couldn't deny it anymore, she was only fooling herself; she somewhat cared about him. His passion for justice, his moral purposes, his untameable soul. No, she could not abandon him. Because when this would be all over, maybe she could have her chance to kill away her solitude… with him…

"You are kidding, right?" she couldn't help but utter her sarcastic rejection.

"We Nephilim have only ever been trying to survive" Karel confessed, his true identity now on display, intimidating Lara. She was still aiming at him, but only with one of her two pistols. "Too many people have died for me to trust you. Including a good friend… Von Croy…" Lara made her own confession, the reference of Werner bringing an instant pain in her heart.

"He was an unfortunate victim of history, Lara" Karel said as Lara witnessed what no one could ever have imagined. Karel was taking forms of different people that Lara had met through her search of truth, through her journey into this dark reality. The first person that Lara faced was Bouchard, the leader of the Parisian mafia that had ostensibly helped her but in reality had tried to kill her. She had found him dead in Prague.

"Eckhardt was stupid to have killed him" Karel continued as he turned his back on her. However, Lara recognised his second form. The reporter, Luddick who had provided her with information about the Strahov. Lara shuddered as her mind skipped to the violent death that Luddick had the misfortune to face. She could not believe that all along she had been deceived, guided by the enemy. She had started feeling dizzy.

"I've helped you all along, both here and in Paris" Karel raised the tone of his voice as he took a form that made Lara step back in shock, her eyes wide, her mouth open in disbelief.

No… Oh God, no… Not him, not him…

She faced eyes blue as the deepest of oceans stared at her. Empty eyes, dead. This revelation penetrated her like a thousand sharp knives.

Kurtis… He was either dead or nothing but a fragment of the realm of imagination.

In any case, Lara's soul was tortured but the inexplicable solitude she felt at that very instant.

All those brief memories that had shed some light into her darkened life, all this hope that she did not have to be alone anymore, this warm connection she had felt with this man since the very first time she saw him. Was it all a lie, a creation of the enemy?

Was it Karel that had managed to get so close to Lara, both mentally and physically in the Louvre? Lara felt disgust as soon as she imagined Karel's hands coming in contact with her skin while sending shivers up and down her spine. Was it all him?

"You can trust me, Lara Croft" Karel concluded while outstretching his arm. It wasn't Karel in Lara's eyes, it was this brave warrior who had stolen her heart. It was Kurtis. No, it was an illusion. Karel took his real, Nephilim form again and eyes black as coal stared at her, taking the place of those sapphire blue ones. Empty eyes, dead…

Lara looked at Karel's palm and noticed a symbol, not unfamiliar to her. It was the same symbol she had seen shaped in blood on the wall of Von Croy's apartment, the same symbol that had been drawn on the nearby wall of the room where Luddick had been embraced by the violent arms of death. And then, a revelation was unfolded into Lara's mind.

"You killed Von Croy" she concluded. She remembered. She finally remembered. Some of the lies and doubts that had been leaving her sleepless at nights had finally died.

"Stupid mortal. So be it!" Karel spat with rage as he floated in the air, surrounded by green light. The great battle was only seconds away.

Lara found her way to the vast arena where Kurtis was supposed to fight the mutated Boaz, despite her great fatigue. With slow and hesitant steps, Lara walked into the centre of the arena, the darkness disturbed only by the dim light that some lamps were offering. She looked around with eyes reflecting no soul, no zeal for life as they used to do so many months ago. She gazed at the enormous gate from which Boaz had emerged. It was sealed, locked with padlocks. A horrid creation was lying beyond the sealed portals, waiting with inhuman patience to devour, only to survive while everything humane about this woman was in lethargic, eternal sleep. Doomed as she was, she never seemed to have fought with anyone in this arena.

Lara looked around once again. There was not a single sign that anyone had ever been there. Only darkness and the suffocating pain of being deceived, deluded.

"Kurtis?" Lara called.

Who is Kurtis?, she could have sworn she heard someone say. Neither a man's, nor a woman's voice, but something else. Perhaps a child. Perhaps a demon.

"Kurtis!" Lara screamed in pure desperation and later on, kneeled on the ground. She shut her eyes as tears began to appear at the corner of them. All the distress she had gone through ever since her mentor's death was consuming her now. Slowly and painfully.

She felt as though her skin was stung by invisible thorns, making warm, crimson blood flow on her flesh. But in reality, it was broken pieces of her life flooding her mind, chasing the pleasant memories away. She felt as though a cold breeze was freezing her gradually. But in reality, it was the pain of solitude she had been bearing for so long.

One more time, his name was uttered by her pale lips. This time, it was a faint whisper. It sounded like a last, dying breath. It sounded like the most sacred thing she had in her life. "Kurtis…"

And tears began to fall.

They touched the metallic ground, beneath of which the remnants of a great legacy was hidden. Only that this legacy had long since died. Lara wished things were different.

Voices. She was sure she could hear voices but she was certain that they only derived from the absence of her full sanity. He's not real. He has never existed.

Suddenly, a song she had heard some time ago came into her mind. A song speaking of loneliness, of dreams that could save and deceive at the same time. Lara found herself lost into blue eyes everytime she blinked. She closed her eyes. He was there. An illusion, her illusion. Lara started singing silently.

"Eternal light for a broken soul

My fate forever, memories are haunting my dreams

Eternal flames, they cease my pain

Quiet they whisper your name…"

And she said it, one last time. His name. The brightest ray of light she had ever come across in her life. Her sweetest pain.

I know you're not real, but you'll always be in my heart, she talked to him inside her thoughts. She imagined him smile. He looked so handsome when he smiled.

Goodbye…

Werner's notebook:

Sources tell of a Lux Veritatis Warrior that tried to keep the Periapt Shards away from the Black Alchemist with courageous acts. He was the last of the Ancient Order and one among the unlucky ones to face death because of the Black Alchemist. His name was Konstantin Heissturm…

Eternal light for a broken love

My man forever, even if it's only in my dreams

The eternal flame will cease my pain

And give me the peace I miss so much

A sea of flames for each tear I cried

Flames do burn the emptiness inside

Flames which show me the way I never wanted to go

And give me the strength to carry on

To follow the road to Nowhereland

Where nothing awaits me…

~THE END~

A/N: I really hope you enjoyed reading this last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! The song used is named "Atma Gyan", by Persephone and it really was an inspiration for the whole chapter! Even though the song came out in 2004 while the events of AoD happened in 2003, I felt I should use it in the fanfic itself. If you have the time, reviews as well as constructive criticism would be much appreciated! ;)

I tried my best not to repeat each chapter, presenting the same thoughts and feelings of the two protagonists over and over again! I hope I have been successful!

Special Thanks to: isaalacrymosaa and gyikhu for their support with their reviews!

Also, special thanks to WindowToFreedom and Ferilium for their equally great support! Thanks a lot to all of you, cookies to all of you! xD

In addition, thanks to everyone who has been reading this and to everyone who has added this to their favourites! :)

Happy Valentine to everyone who's celebrating! And of course, happy birthday to our beloved Lara! xD

Until the next story occurs, hope you all have a wonderful life! ;)