Page 143 of Ecliptic

What was once whole, heavenly, and crystalline was now tainted, shattered, and gleaming an iridescent black.

The Elder Spirits glowed around me in nebulous forms that looked like galaxies. An unspoken communication passed between us as I thanked them for their help.We chose correctly, Alcreon Light Bearer. It is we who must thank you for protecting our precious Light.And in a flurry of shooting stars, they vanished, leaving me alone and surrounded by hovering dark crystals.

48

The war was over. We’d defeated Erovos’ army and contained his corruption.

My legs buckled, and I sank to my knees in exhaustion, relief, and awe.

Time realigned as Rowen and the soldiers charged toward me. My soul flame dropped to his knees and gathered me in his embrace. “Are you hurt?” Rowen asked, frantically inspecting my body for injuries. I was in a daze; my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. “Keira, talk to me!”

Suddenly, the loss I’d pushed aside overcame me like a tidal wave. “He’s gone. Maddock’s gone,” I burst out, crying, somehow expecting to see his face emerging from the crowd.

“I know,” Rowen soothed, holding me tight against his armored chest. “I know.”

“He didn’t desert the army. That’s just what he wanted me to believe.” I laughed through the tears. “What a bastard.”

Rowen let out a choked sound, threading his hands through my hair and guiding my gaze to his. “He was. But he loved you, and there was no better way for him to show you.”

“He . . . he gave me my bond back.”

My soul flame wiped my tears with his thumbs. “I know. I can feel it.”

I gripped the edges of his silver-black breastplate. “He was always the one the prophecy spoke of. How did I not see it?”

Rowen’s temples hollowed as he flexed his jaw. “You both fit the prophecy, Keira. It could have been either of you. I’m going to miss Maddock, and thank him every fucking day for his sacrifice, but you both went into Indrasyl to fulfill that prophecy.”

Guilt punctured my lungs, and I winced. “Rowen, I’m so sorry I lied to you. It’s unforgivable. I thought . . . I thought I was protecting you.”

My soul flame’s face was covered in mud, blood, and demon ichor, but his green eyes shone through with pained understanding. “I know why you did it, but if anything like that ever happens again, tell me. Please. We will figure it out together.”

“I will,” I promised as he helped me to my feet. I wiped the tears from my eyes, knowing now was not the time to mourn.

A hum vibrated in my veins, and my eyes lifted. Rowen’s stare followed, his irises reflecting the dark crystals above. “What happened?” he asked as Dyani, Rayal, and Nepta joined us in the center of the field. “You asked me to stay back, but when Erovos knocked Mithrion from your hand, I couldn’t stop myself. I ran to you, but everything happened so fast.”

“You were flickering faster than a hummingbird’s wings,” Rayal said, holding one of Dyani’s bloody hands.

The warrior agreed with a nod, her grime-covered face streaked with dried tears. “One moment, Erovos had you; the next, a blinding light filled the sky. Then he was gone, with these in his place,” she said, her sharp chin jutting up.

I quickly recounted what happened with Erovos and the Elder Spirits, and how I trapped the world eater within the pieces of the Alcreon Stone.

“I can feel the Dark Spirit within the crystals,” Nepta said,her voice steady yet cautious. The Elven-head appeared unharmed, though her face and ivory dress were covered in battle stains. “He is enraged and fighting for release, but he is not going anywhere anytime soon. We must tend to our dead and dying.”

My head turned, taking in the blood, death, and raw earth around me. Only our dead filled the valley, and though so many had given their lives, more than half stood standing.

Takoda made his rounds with fresh noxlilies from his pack, prioritizing the severely injured first.

Our allies collected their dead in solemn reverence while others gathered weapons, pieces of armor, clothing, and body parts.

A single tear slid down my cheek as the fallen were carried away. Their lifeless eyes stared up at the heavens, the windows to their inner galaxies snuffed out forever. There had been a moment when I thought humanity wouldn’t live to see the dawn, but as the sun pierced through the thick clouds, I knew their deaths weren’t in vain.

The arch curved over the Lirien Valley, offering a peek at the other side of the world, now glittering with moonlight and rolling purple dunes. The desert elves carried their deceased in silence, returning home through the Eye of the Sun.

I still couldn’t believe Rayal was here. Her arrival had been nothing short of a miracle, offering the reinforcements we so desperately needed. I shuddered to think what would have happened if she arrived even a second later. Yet, with her troops, the battle teetered on the brink of defeat.

Even the land, heavens, and Elder Spirits fought back against the world eater. Had we not all come together, aligning like the stars of a prophecy, Erovos’ dark nature would know no bounds. And though the darkness was contained, the journey to our healing had just begun.

Even though I barely had the energy to stand, I checked on those bitten by a Voro-Kai. But as I inspected their injuries, I found no blight within their blood. It was as if my eclipsing blast had cleansed the darkness from their veins.

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