Onyx wandered around the empty abyss. She looked around her dark surroundings, streaks of light passing through occasionally. She wandered around the abyss, screaming into the eternal void standing in front of her.

"What the actual fuck" she screamed, digging her fingers into her hair. "Damn you, Gods! It's not my time to go!" She aimed her fist at nothing, crumbling down to the floor in a defeated heap. She looked up at the darkness around her, her eyes flickering towards the faint streak of lights that danced by, breaking through the blackness.

She closed her eyes tight, hoping and praying to whoever was listening that she would be restored to her body soon. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she prayed, her mind lost in thought to comprehend what was happening around her. A vision of golden light broke through the bleak blackness, a finger reaching out to touch her cheek.

Immediately, her eyes flinched open, a pair of green eyes meeting hers. She scrambled up to her feet, taking a deep breath as she took in her mother who was standing in front of her. Her long hair tumbled to her waist, covering her face. Her hands were outstretched in comfort, a smile on her face. Without a second thought, Onyx raced into her mother's arms, enveloping her arms around her waist as she sobbed quietly into her chest.

"It's okay, Onouxia. Everything will be fine" she whispered, holding her daughter tight as they crumpled to the floor. Onyx shook her head as she wept, her tears falling down her cheeks. "No, it's not. Nothing is ever okay." Eshara laughed, stroking her daughter's hair. "You sound like me when I was about to marry your father."

Onyx laughed as she pulled away from her mother, smiling as her tears were wiped away. "Where am I?" she asked, looking around the dark abyss. "What is this place?"

"We're in your mind once again except this time, it's not so bleak. There are memories and fewer fractures. You're slowly but surely recovering" her mother explained, looking around the dark abyss. She looked back down at her daughter, placing a comforting hand over hers. "You will be okay."

"Am I dead? Like truly dead?" Onyx asked. Her mother shook her head, sighing. "Physically, yes. Mentally, no" she explained. Onyx's brows furrowed, a frown pulling on her lips. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked. "How can I be dead in one aspect but not another?"

"I always found immortal death to be so complicated for no reason at all. When mortals die, it is simple and clean. No resurrection. No complications. With immortals, even weapons designed to destroy us can be undone. It takes time and a powerful magic source to do so but it is possible" Eshara said, shaking her head.

She looked over to her daughter, reaching out to stroke her cheek. He pushed her hair aside, tucking a strand behind her ear. "Technically, you were near death when he stabbed you. I can even reach and say that you were dead by the time he stabbed you. The problem with your death is the weapon of choice. He stabbed you with Lucifer which was intertwined with siphoning magic. Whatever fragments of your soul that were residing in your body got siphoned away in your sword and into an unknown region."

"So, what is that supposed to mean in terms of resurrecting me?" Onyx pressed.

"It means that it will take a very powerful being to resurrect you back to life" Eshara explained. "To fully restore you, your soul would have to be retrieved and your magic would have to be unraveled from the poison in your body. Lastly, your body would have to be drained of all the poison in its system. Only then will it be possible to bring you back."

"Iredine can do it. Even Draco or any of the leaders or Court members can do it. They are very powerful beings" Onyx said, turning over to her mother. The empress shook her head, her lips turned into a scowl. "They are extremely powerful. They have a lot of power. However, it is not enough to bring you back."

Eshara held out her hand, little embers dancing around her fingertips. "If I were alive right now, I would be able to bring you back," she said, turning over to her daughter. Her eyes gleamed, a sad smile on her face. "And I would do it in a heartbeat. No matter how long it took."

Onyx smiled, leaning into her fingers. The embers around her mother's fingers danced around her face, tickling her as they vanished into the dark abyss they were imprisoned in. "Since I nor your father are alive, there are certain people that can help. The rulers of the underworld are powerful enough to do so. So are the Gods and Goddesses of various elements. The Northorns are special siphons that can harness energy from the surroundings around them. They are powerful enough to do so as well."

"I know a Northorn. Lucien Northorn." Onyx said, her ears perking. "He and Venix are on a voyage to find his sister." Eshara nodded. "I know Lucien and Esmeralda. If your friends have any luck finding them, that will do. However, I think the rulers of the underworld are also a good bet. Draco has good ties with them."

Onyx sighed, leaning her head on her mother's shoulders. "So, what do I do now? How can I communicate with them? How can I do anything?" she asked, shaking her head. "I'm useless right now."

"Not exactly," Eshara said. She turned around to face Onyx, her kind eyes turning dark. "Several things are going to happen now. Iredine figured out a way to channel the presence of your mind into your body. It allows you to be present during sunrise, but it fades away at sunset. It's not difficult magic but the bond will be weak."

"Why a weak bond?" Onyx asked.

"Because mentally, you're weak," her mother said. Onyx passed a look over to her mother, her brows furrowing with confusion. "I am not weak. I've been training! How could you call me weak?" she asked, her tone sharp. Eshara laughed, shaking her head. "Don't take offense to it, Onouxia but a lot has happened to you. It's okay to admit that you are mentally weak. You can take strides to fix that."

Onyx's eyes flickered down to her neck, her hands dancing around the necklace Draco gave her. "How could I allow myself to be weak?" she whispered, licking her lips. Her mother smiled, taking her hand and squeezing it tight. "A lot has happened to you in the past year Onyx. Too much for an eighteen-year-old to bear. You fell in love with a man despite everything he has done to you and your friends. Said man ended up betraying you. You discovered that you were the lost heir to the Crojesian throne and that you are a demi-hybrid. You found out that you are Alesandria are half-sisters. You left the desert tribes to go live in a land that was completely foreign to you. You trained countless times and fought in many wars. You even ended up developing feelings for someone new."

Onyx felt her cheeks turn red at her last statement, her eyes straying away from her mother. "You have all this power and all this pressure to save several kingdoms. You have no idea what is going to happen to you or what the future holds. You are feeling hurt, anger, confusion, loss, desire. All this accumulation of emotions that you cannot express so instead you hide it and let it build up. You don't give yourself any type of break, Onouxia."

Her mother released a stream of bright orange embers into the air, creating a stream of magic that encircled around her and into the darkness, illuminating the bleak surroundings. "Magic is influenced by your mental state just as it is by your physical state. If you are not mentally strong, it is very easy to be overwhelmed and weak. In your case, you've been tired for a very long time. I suggest you take this to recharge and learn."

"So, what else is going to happen?" she asked.

"Your friends are going to attempt to overthrow Raebar and reestablish the lost beings that have been killed almost to extinction. They will try to get you back on the throne and rebuild Crojesian and most likely destroy all desert tribes." Her mother looked over at her, skimming her fingers over Onyx's wrist.

"I don't know how well the plan is going to work and I can't go into too much detail, but it seems plausible. Draco is a very brilliant man. I trust he's capable of doing what he puts his mind to." Eshara smiled, pulling away from his daughter. "I trust him with you."

"In the meantime," Eshara continued. "You can focus on building up your mental state as you are trapped in here. When you are awake, focus on yourself. Try not to overexert too much energy into your daily routine but keep eyes out for anything that might threaten you. Take it one step at a time."

"And what about when the sun falls?" Onyx asked.

"You are trapped in between heaven and hell. You are wandering between reality and the afterlife. You have access to the thousands of souls who can help you along the way. Communicate and heed their words carefully. Your knowledge at this point is your most powerful asset" Eshara suggested, nodding. "Keep a sharp mind."

Eshara got up, brushing her hands over her gown. She helped Onyx up, cradling her daughter's face. "Be strong, Onouxia. You have a long way to go. There is still so much more you need to learn and so much power you must obtain. Don't falter, my love. You will be okay. Your future holds many uncertain turns and there will be times where you will not know what to do. But remember this, you will be okay."

Onyx sighed, a frown pulling on her lips. "And how are you so sure?" she asked between broken breaths. "You sound so sure."

Eshara's eyes glowed with an iridescent light, her palms growing hot against Onyx's skin. Onyx sucked in a deep breath, her whole body constricting at her touch. Her lungs seemed to collapse and gasp for air, the veins around her neck glowing bright blue. "I'm a seer, Onouxia. I can see into your future and your future seems bright."

"Seer? But I am not a seer" Onyx pointed out. "The gift skips a generation. You don't have it but your children might" she said, breaking the bond away. Her eyes returned to their normal color, her palms cooling against Onyx's skin. "Use me to your advantage, Onyx. You may not have the magic, but you can channel it through me."

Eshara looked around the dark void, sighing deeply. "I need to go. My duty here is finished" she said, turning back to her daughter. She pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly. Onyx held on to her mother, breathing in her scent. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to your words. I should have paid attention to what you said but I didn't."

"It's not too late to decipher them. I think you'll find them especially useful in your current situation." Eshara pressed a kiss to Onyx's head, pulling away from her. Her kind eyes met Onyx's teary gaze, wiping a single tear from her cheek. "Stay safe, Onouxia. I believe in you and I will see you soon. I'll make sure to bring your dad this time."

Onyx laughed, watching as her mother took several steps back. Eshara bowed her head, a faint smile appearing on her face before her body began to disintegrate. Her body, in a matter of seconds, broke into dust particles, becoming nothing but orange embers that blew away into the void she was stuck in.

"I'll see you soon."

A/N: And that is the epilogue and conclusion of The Septic Curse!

I am shedding tears writing this! This book has forever changed me and I am so grateful for the lessons it has taught me! I cannot believe I have finally finished but I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me for the three years it took to write this book!

I don't know what I have done to deserve you all but thank you! I love you all. 

This book has been such an emotional journey writing and I didn't think it would take my three years to write this book! I took so many breaks in between to gather myself together and deal with my mental health while planning the plot of this book and I am extremely grateful for finally finishing! It's funny how I learned so much about myself writing this book! I truly see a little bit of myself in all of these characters! Both the good and the bad!

Thank you guys so much for always being there to support me through ups and downs! All of you made this series possible and continue to inspire me daily! You guys impact the book as much as I do! Your opinions and insightful looks into the series helps me improve and knowing that you enjoy what I am writing brings so much joy to my heart! This might be cheesy but all of you are the Venix to my Onyx. The Draco to my Falcon and Orion. All of you are my absolute best friends and you inspire me to strive and improve.

Thank you all so much! I love you from the very bottom of my heart!

So tell me what you guys thought of this chapter and tell me how you feel about the book coming to an end?

What were your favorite and least favorite scenes? Favorite and least favorite character? Your favorite Inner Circle Kingdom? Anything!

What do you look forward to seeing in The Shadow Heirs and The Cryptic Salvation?

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May