"Let him go!" Ao Bing charges.

"Ao...Bing...stop..." I mutter.

"Hang on Nezha!" He yells.

"Stop!" She yells.

A vine grabs my neck. She comes up from behind me.

"One more move and he dies." She says.

She wraps her hand around my neck. I wince.

"Stop this. Please." Dad says.

"I will not, until the gate is destroyed." She says.

"Dìqiú, this madness has to have an end lady." Tai Yi says.

"It will end when all you people learn that the earth is not to be trampled on." She says.

"Let Nezha go!" Dad yells.

"Guys...stop...just...forget...it..." I say.

"Wise words child." She says.

"Nezha! Fight!" Ao Bing yells.

He charges once again.

"Please...just...stop..." I cough up blood.

"Nezha! Please!" Mom yells.

"I...I...I'm...sorry...but...I...can't..." My head falls again.

"See the true power of this world?" She raises her hand.

I feel her hand slam down onto the mountain. She opens the skull a little so we all can see. I see energy shooting out from the cracks. I see creatures yelling something that sounds old like an old forest blowing in the wind. I see creatures with horns and green hair leap out of the cracks. I feel pain flood through my body. One where I can't fight it. I can no longer fight. Ao Bing and the others charge.

"Stop...run...get...out...of...here..." I say.

"Yes! My brothers and sisters are free! At long long last!" She smiles

I can barely keep my eyes open. Mom and Dad charge. I let out a breath. It's not going to work. It never works. I tried to break out so many times. I have no energy left. I have no power left. The embers have all gone out. The embers have been taken from me. The fire around me has finally dimmed. I gave up.