"A great battle is a terrible thing," the old knight said, "but in the midst of blood and carnage, there is sometimes also beauty, beauty that could break your heart."
~ George R.R. Martin (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms)

                                                                ________________________ 

Josh's POV

The demons were raining down from everywhere. I wasn't sure how they managed to pass the magical force field and the invisible electric walls guarded by some of the best warriors and warlocks, but there was no time to figure it out.

I slashed and hacked with my two scimitars. I didn't have enough time to grab my beloved sword which was why I had to make do with what was provided. I cut off the arms of an Uzir demon – the ones with six limbs and two heads, I stabbed my sword through the gut of a Raez demon, shot a dagger that I kept tucked in sleeves of my leather jacket towards the Iszri demons – the winged creatures – that was lunging towards me with its feet outstretched. I would've almost, dare I say it, had fun if only I wasn't consumed with worry about a certain black-eyed girl.

I hope she's in the crypt, I thought but I knew she was a stubborn ass and would probably be outraged at the thought of being left behind with a bunch of kids.

I felt a sour stench invade my nostrils. I whirled around and sure enough, there was another demon rushing towards me. This one was particularly ugly with slitted eyes, repulsive saliva drooping from its open mouth and a hideous hide enveloping its skeletal frame that skeptically reminded me of a lizard.

It lumbered towards me and I readied my pair of scimitars when abruptly it burst into flames. Startled, I almost dropped my weapons as I stared at the pile of ash left behind by the burned demon. I shrugged, thinking somebody must have shot a fire arrow and was about to move to my next target but only then realized that there were no targets left. An entire crowd of Guardians looked at each other in confusion as the demons went up in flames.

And then, out of the blue, a large roar of thunder split the night sky. I whirled around and watched with a mixture of horror and confusion, my mouth agape, as a zoom of lightening raced down and struck the ground. It was right where the stretch of forest began. The lake near it seemed to sizzle and the trees around charred. I felt the fine hair behind my neck erupt into goose bumps. The smell of electricity was evident. If I squinted hard enough I could see a tiny figure...wield the thunder as if it were a weapon.

What the fuck?

I stared as a cloud of dirt and wind whirled around the figure, making the person rise off the ground. My head whipped up like the others, following the person's ascend towards the night sky. The figure seemed to be glowing; purple, blue sparks dancing out of their body. Was it a warlock?

The clouds, thunder and dirt swirled faster around the figure. The winds were ferocious and snarling, making my eyes and nose clog with sand. But, nevertheless, something urged me to go forward. Something about the figure seemed really familiar.

Fighting against the winds, I walked towards the storm. I looked up, grabbing an abandoned shield lying on the ground and using it to shelter my eyes. But amidst the hurricane, it was a near impossible task to make out the person's face but I still guessed that it was a female.

A particularly large thunder crackled, casting a harsh glow over the entire city of Morlea for a split second. And in that split second, my eyes finally saw through the tempest and could make out the silhouette hovering at the center of the storm.

I almost felt my eyes bulge out of its socket when I realized it was...Ava! My Ava!

"Who is that girl?" I heard a voice ask behind me.

"A warlock?" answered another with curious fascination. "Must be a particularly strong one."

"B-but it doesn't make sense," a reluctant voice said. "Even a warlock shouldn't be able to do that, especially one so young."

Another voice said, sounding close to fearful, "The thunder and lightning, making the demons burst in flames, doesn't it remind you of someone?"

Even as the person said that, a startling, if not outright ridiculous, realization had already sneaked its way into my mind. No, no, that's outrageous.

Someone scoffed, "Impossible! Complete bullshit!"

And then a familiar voice replied, "No, not impossible." I turned around and saw Vanessa, clutching her arm that was bleeding and holding a broken shield. "It's happening. She's the last of the Elders..."

No, it couldn't possibly be...

There were no more Elders. And the rumor that there was still one pureblood out there was just that...a rumor! But the sight before me was proof enough that whoever Ava was...she definitely wasn't a normal Guardian.

"Ava!" I yelled, trying to get her attention but I knew it was futile. She couldn't possibly hear me among the roar of the storm. Dear God, what was she up to? I had to go up to her somehow. Stop whatever wreckage her powers would bring. Burning with a new determination, I trudged towards the center of the storm but the wind was making it a near impossible task.

I had almost reached towards the start of the forest, even though the dirt and sand flying everywhere had completely blinded my vision and was starting to choke me when all of a sudden, up above, Ava spread out her hands. If I hadn't been consumed with dread, I might have been entranced with the fiery girl hovering above us all like an angry divine angle about to deliver her wrathful justice. For a second, an almost-quiet ensued as the thunder stopped crackling and the storm looked about to die down until...the entirety of it exploded.

The sand, wind, wrecked houses and trees combined with electricity blasted in every direction. My eyes widened as I felt something hit my chest. I screamed in vain as the ground disappeared from my feet and I sailed through the air, my hands flailing to grab at something. But the velocity and the power were too much.

Then, suddenly, I plummeted towards the ground. I gasped as water enveloped me from all around. Shock and confusion overwhelmed my senses as I felt myself sink under the water, feeling its weight on me. For a moment, I was limp and dizzy, unable to make sense of it all. But then, the need for oxygen made me move and I swam above desperately and finally broke the surface.

When I clambered onto the shore, shivering and coughing, I looked around to find it was the lake. At least, it had cushioned my fall. Others were jumping out of the lake as well while others were stumbling to their feet, groaning, from where they were thrown. It took me two seconds to realise that all the demons have been pulverized, leaving the streets of the city suddenly looking very bare, except for the odd demon limping around, shrieking for the rest of its mates in confusion. Houses and buildings were reduced to ruins; the streets were piled with ash and blood and the trees were all smoldering. And the storm...it had completely died down. There was no sign of Ava anywhere in the sky. She must have fallen somewhere. Oh God, please let her be okay.

I limped past the wounded Guardians being hurriedly attended by warlocks and ignored the howling cries of people who had lost someone because all of my brain cells were screaming, "Ava!"

I made my way past the shore of the lake towards where the storm was previously brewing. An entire expanse of forest had been cleared, leaving a barren glade and a large crater in the middle of it all. My panic skyrocketing, I hurried my pace and when I was finally standing at the edge of this new crater, I saw a small, thin figure crumpled at the middle of it. Ava!

But even as I made my way towards her, I saw a few figures – were they...Elves? – along with Mr Blackwell, descending towards Ava from the other side.

I ran down too, praying to whoever was up there, to let Ava be okay. But I watched with despair as Mr Blackwell bent over her and shook her frail figure.

She didn't respond.

_________________________

I wondered if I was still alive. It certainly didn't feel like it. But then again, death shouldn't hurt this much, should it? Something was wrong. Maybe I didn't die properly, so now I was stuck somewhere inbetween the realm of life and death. Oh no, please no. Just send me to heaven, God.

But nothing changed. If anything, the pain seemed to increase by the second. And the exhaustion. It felt like fatigue was weighing down my entire body as if iron weights have been placed in my shoulder. I could barely move. And there seemed to be a weird tingling noise in my ears, a high-pitched buzzing sound that worsened the headache unfurling in my heavy head. But despite that, I could hear, very very faintly, a familiar voice, calling...my name?

And then, very slowly, the pain dulled a little. But it didn't go away. It felt more like someone has pushed it away for a while to linger in the corner but it would come again. I knew it.

"Ava, can you hear me? Ava?"

"Ava! Wake up!" I heard another familiar voice, frantic and worried. And I felt someone shaking me gently but urgently.

I tried. I tried fighting off that lingering tiredness, that unwillingness to open the eyes. Finally, after a lot of effort, I blinked open my eyes. Everything was disorienting. But within a few seconds, the haze cleared and faces swam into view. One was of Mr Blackwell, the other was Josh, his eyebrows wrung together and blood and sweat glistening on his forehead. But his eyes were still that same piercing blue. If anything, it seemed to glow brighter with his face covered in dirt and ash. Beautiful.

"Josh?" I asked weakly.

His face broke out into a smile, as he gently cupped my cheek, brushing away some stray hair. He looked like he wanted to say something but I could see he was restraining himself, especially with Mr Blackwell's gaze focused on us. Forcing my stare to tear away from Josh's face, I looked around and saw a few Elves standing behind Mr Blackwell, their King with them. I caught his eye and he threw me a wink.

It was only then I realised what had I done. I could see we were standing in the midst of a crater, the forest expanding from behind it. The beginning portions of the woods were burned and charred but the rest of it looked relatively unharmed.

"Did I kill them?" I asked, my voice scratchy. "Are the Hooded Ones gone?"

Mr Blackwell's eyes darkened. "Gone, yes. Dead, I don't think so. They disappeared the moment you created that storm."

"Yes, yes, we'll talk about that later. Do you think you can get up?" Josh interrupted, offering me his hand. I stared at it for a second, wondering if he wasn't even slightly scared after the show I had put a few minutes ago. Was he just forcing himself to be kind? But he wasn't that sort of a person, the kind to pretend for the sake of others. He had made that clear in my very first day here. So, I grabbed his hand, forcing myself to stand up and frantically seeking the familiar assurance it provided.

However, it took me another few seconds to realise that all was not right. Or at least, it didn't seem right. At the edge of the crater, I could see the numerous pair of eyes trained right at me, at my every move. Mr Blackwell was standing right beside me, his hand resting in his staff a little too casually. I could see the wariness in his eyes as he regarded the the Guardians crowding around to take a glimpse of me. But why?

I looked at them too. And my slow-processing brain seemed to finally come to the conclusion that it wasn't admiration reflecting from their eyes. No, it wasn't awe, appreciation, wonder. A curious fascination maybe, as if I were an unusual species. But along with that, burning vividly in them was fear. I could see it. Sense it. Strong and clear.

Fear, alarm, shock, trepidation, apprehension – it was all there and visible with perfect clarity. Fear of me.

It seemed to hit me like an invisible punch in the heart. I felt the insides of me squeeze with horror, as it finally settled in – the enormity of what I'd done and the consequences that I hadn't forethought.

"Ava? You okay?" Josh asked, his warm blue eyes scanning me over worriedly. I realised I was clutching his hand much too tightly, probably cutting off his blood-circulation. But he didn't complain.

I didn't reply. It felt like something was choking my neck. What had I done?

"An Elder..." someone whispered from the crowd.

"Goddamn. Who'd have thought?" another one whispered.

The whispers seemed to increase, as people started talking over one another, casting me wary glances. Some were out-and-out hostile. But no one looked quite sure how to react.

Mr Blackwell cleared his throat. "Calm down people. I believe we have quite a few things to talk about. But first, let us all tend to the wounded and clear the wreckage. You have my word, you will be provided with answers soon-"

"Will we?" someone from the crowd said, a deep male voice – commanding and authorative. "Will we, Mr Blackwell?"

The crowd parted to reveal the man who had spoken. It occurred to me that the man's voice seemed fairly recognizable but I wasn't sure if I had seen him before. He was a tall, imposing guy dressed in polished armour that, for some miraculous reason, seemed to have escaped the dirt and gore of the war. He had a clean-shaven face, piercing eyes and blonde hair and was radiating an envious amount of confidence. He also looked like class-A douchebag – one of those rich, white, bratty guy who was too full of himself and his innate superiority.

"Mr Stone," Mr Blackwell bit out, his fists clenched and his eyes burning, as if this was the last thing he wanted to deal with. Mr Stone? Why, he was Cade's father! And the person Mr Blackwell was speaking with, albeit with little pleasure, during the night we sneaked out to the Elfin Kingdom.

"With all due respect, Mr Blackwell," Mr Stone said, all though with his tone I couldn't be sure how much respect that man carried for others. "I don't think I can support this...this game you are playing! It is your duty, as a Director, and mine as a denizen of Morlea, to keep it safe and secure. And what happened tonight was anything but! And, tell me, with candour for once, whose fault it was?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Mr Blackwell replied coldly.

"Still spewing lies unashamedly!" Mr Stone declared, spreading his hands, his eyes twitching with anger. The crowd behind bristled a little, unsure about what was going on. But yet, I could see a few heads nodding along with him. "You KNEW!" he yelled, pointing his finger accusingly at Mr Blackwell. "You always knew who this girl was! And the kind of destruction she's capable of! And yet, you did nothing! You turned a blind eye and let this...this abomination walk free along with the rest of the citizens of Morlea! But most of all, you endangered our children whom we had entrusted you with!"

Josh tensed beside me, this time his hold on my hand tightening as well. But he kept quiet, like me, afraid to worsen this situation by intruding.

I could feel my heartbeat go in frenzy when a few nods and agreements were called out. No, this cannot be happening. The crowd was getting brainwashed by him! And if my memory served right, from whatever snippets of the conversation I remember from the night we eavesdropped on them, I believe he had suspected who I was and was more than willing to use me for all the powers my origins promised. And here he was, pretending to be a righteous well-meaning Guardian, when I could clearly see him for what he truly he is. A fucking fraud, that's what. But the others couldn't. How do I make the others believe that whatever he was saying were all lies?

Are they though? A sneaky voice said inside my mind. Are they lies? Or are they the truth you aren't willing to hear?

Stop! Please stop! I chastised myself. Besides, I did just save everybody's ass. But looking at their faces, I knew it mattered little.

"Mr Stone, I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself," Mr Blackwell spat, looking unable to control his anger. "As you pointed out, I'm the Director here. And I do know what I'm doing. Do not try to question my motives when yours are no less shady."

Mr Stone's eyes flickered with rage before he masked it and instead scoffed. "Look, my fellow Guardians! Look at this man! He claims to be the wise ole Director when – and, mind you, it pains my heart to say this – he had, after all this time, finally lost his mind! Forgive me, my sir, it isn't my wish to disrespect you, but I firmly believe what you are doing is not right! 

This girl right here shouldn't be alive! Do you not remember the pages of our history? All the wars, all the bloodshed! And the betrayal that still rings in the hearts of every Morlean citizen! Remind me, Mr Blackwell, who turned their backs on us? Who were responsible for succumbing to their greed and killing thousands of Guardians? 

The Elders might have been the royalty at one ancient time. But no more! We spared them once, showed them mercy! And look where that got us. This...this creature in front of us shouldn't even be breathing. Look what she did today. God help us all when she realises everything she's capable of! I'm warning you, she'll come for us! She'll come for us!"

Shouts and agreements erupted among the crowd. My breathing became erratic as I watched with helplessness as people yelled. Some called out to have me by the throat. Some wanted to throw me into the dungeons. All this while, Mr Blackwell was taking it all with silence. Even as the shouting increased and some brandished their swords, threatening to cut down anyone who tried to help me, Mr Blackwell kept his lips sealed shut.

"Mr Blackwell!" Josh yelled, taking out both of his scimitars and readying his stance, his face pale but boiling rage evident in it. "Do something!"

Mr Blackwell whirled around to face me. His eyes were regretful as he looked at me. "I'm sorry, Ava. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. It wasn't--" he broke off when one Guardian launched himself down the crater towards the Elves, who as I realised with gratitude, still seemed to be on my side and had formed a protective chain around us. With startle, I saw it was the guy, Robert, who had attacked.

I wanted to curl up, cry, die – anything was better than this. Just a few hours ago, Robert had seemed like a nice guy who had been willing to dive into battle with me. And now, he was hungry to have me killed. Some still looked hesitant to launch attack, unwilling to fight against their own friends. Others though, looked enraged and...almost murderous.

"What do we do?" I asked, shouting over the noise as metals once again clashed; arrows whooshed through the night and found its target. I tried to call on to the power like I had done not a few minutes ago but I couldn't find it. Those large reserves of energy that seemed to have suddenly unlocked within me were, just as abruptly, empty.

"You have to leave!" Mr Blackwell said, his eyes dead set on mine. I looked at them – the grey colour of it, the hardness, the tenderness, and the wisdom, all within those two aged orbs.

"Leave? But where?" I cried.

"Anywhere that is away from here!" Josh answered. "You can't stay here. It isn't safe! You have to leave! Right now! Mr Blackwell, create a portal! I'll watch your back!"

I could see a hardness take over Mr Blackwell's eyes as he nodded. He turned his back to me and threw up his hands in an arc, green, gold sparks shooting out of his splayed hands. He whispered words in an unfamiliar language and I saw a light ripple appear in the air.

Someone shouted, "Stop him!"

My own anger flaring, I whirled around and kicked and punched at whatever my hands and legs could reach. I didn't bother trying to call out my power. I knew it was drained, at least temporarily. Besides, I had no wish to hurt anybody purposely.

My eyes found a sword lying abandoned in the ground. I grabbed it and dove into the battle once again. Although much smaller in scale than the one that just finished, it felt more terrifying. How had things come to this? Guardians turning against each other. All because of me.

But there was no time for regret or shame. I had to be clever in the way I manoeuvred my weapon. As much as the anger and fear inside of me coiled, I still couldn't find it in to cut down those who I considered, if not family, allies or kin. The same went for them too. I didn't see a single body fall down dead. Injuries were harsh and plentiful but no one – despite the powerful words, although riddled with falsities, spewed out of Mr Stone's mouth – wanted to be responsible for even more deaths.

Suddenly, my sword clashed with another so hard, that I felt vibrations travel down through the steel to my arm. My mouth set into a grim line, I was about to rear back and attack again when my eyes focused on a familiar young face with curly hair and pointed ears, all hints of sly mischievousness and playfulness gone from his eyes.

I felt my heart sink when I saw Kace glaring at me. "Kace," I whispered. It sounded like a plea. Although I wasn't sure what I was pleading for.

Kace's angry glare dissolved and he managed to roll his eyes hard enough that his whites were brightly visible. "Don't look like that, silly girl. I ain't here to kill you. I'm still your goddamn friend. In fact, if I'd have known sooner about who you were, I'd have been even nicer to you."

I think I almost collapsed with relief. "Well, you certainly looked like you wanted to slice me in half."

"Hell no, that glare was for the others. Plus, you did direct your sword towards me. I might not be the smartest person alive but even I have enough sense to not get into the bad side of a girl who can explode into goddamn electricity. Hell, do you realise you have enough voltage to run a city for a year?"

Despite the weariness and fear humming through me, I felt a giggle escape my lips. Leave it to Kace to make me laugh while in the midst of a battle with my own people trying to kill me.

Just then, Mr Blackwell yelled from where he was standing near the edge of the crater, Josh standing not too further from him, his scimitars out and slashing, but not killing. The air near Mr Blackwell was rippling with faint colours. The portal was ready.

Kace gave me a weak smirk, trying to maintain poise for my sake. But even I could detect the uncertainty behind those eyes. No one was quite sure what would happen if I did step through that portal. Even if I escaped now, there was no guarantee there won't be others looking for my blood. If not the Guardians themselves, the Hooded Ones would definitely be hot on my trail.

"Ava!" Mr Blackwell shouted yet again, urgency dripping from his voice.

"Go, Ava," Kace said. "We'll find you. You'll be back in no time. Remember, this is your rightful home. Don't let these bastards make you forget that."

I speculated the possibility of me returning. It seemed slim. But I nodded nonetheless. I gave him a short but firm hug, lest it be the last time I saw my friend. I wondered where Vanessa was. I couldn't even say goodbye to the person who kept me tethered to sanity when I was grieving and in confusion. But there was no time.

Deflecting a few blows and sword attacks, I raced towards the last resort that was left to me: escaping. Running. That, I realised, I could do.

Mr Blackwell grabbed me by the arms, his eyes frantically searching mine. He swallowed, as if he still couldn't believe he was doing this. "Stay safe, Ava. We'll come find you, I promise. Let me sort out this mess and then you can come back. But until then...I hope you realise there are still those who will try to get their hands on you. Don't let them. I'll make sure you get the help you need, at least until I can personally come back and get you. Don't lose faith. Stay strong, Ava, stay strong."

I swallowed down the lump that had risen on my throat, unbidden. Suddenly I found myself taken away from Mr Blackwell's clutch and into a hard and crushing embrace in Josh's arms.

It took all my willpower not to weep as I looked into his stormy blue eyes. His eyes turned grim as he left a chaste kiss on my lips. Not nearly long enough to my liking. But time was running out. It always was running out.

Something glistened in his eyes as he gazed down at me. Moisture? Anger? Knowing him I would settle on the latter.

"This is not goodbye," I said, sternly, if only to convince myself. "I'll come back to you."

He swallowed; his Adam's apple bobbing and chanced a glance at Mr Blackwell who was impatiently waiting for me. "No," he whispered, a sudden determination appearing in his eyes. "No, you're not going alone. I can't let you."

Before I could even register the full meaning of his words, he pushed me into the rippling air. The situation was startling familiar. I could almost imagine it wasn't him but mom who had pushed me away towards Morlea, its security. Strange, that was exactly what I was running from now.

Except now, as I plunged onto the void of vacuum, there was a familiar calloused hand linked firmly with mine. Josh's eyes were the last thing I saw and his arms around me were the last thing I felt, as the both of us slipped through worlds and dreams, darkness enveloping us.

Hey, guys! Hope everyone is safe and sound. I wanted to let you know that this was the last chapter and a long ass one at that. The book is almost at an end. I'll publish the epilogue soon and then the book will officially come to an end. Wow, this is almost tearful. But I'll keep the emotions in bay until the epilogue comes out. 

But not to worry, the book definitely has a sequel! I can't exactly confirm the dates of when the second book will be uploaded. All I can promise is...soon. 

Oh and before I go, might as well ask you all to drop some comments and tap that star button UwU 

Cheers!