Asherak’s roar echoed above us as it disappeared into the nothingness.

Before I could even think of a reaction, my hand instinctively found Draven’s and ripped the snake pendant away. I tossed it to the side, by the Daughter’s feet, then looked up at Draven. The air around us felt lighter, more breathable.

I found his steely gray eyes flickering black, his gaze soft and full of love.

My Draven was back.

“Serena…”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, as he doubled over in pain. I didn’t let go of him, but I got down on my knees, holding him as he convulsed from the agony of his transformation. His monstrous snake tail twitched. His bones cracked as he regained his long, muscular legs.

Draven let out a long, torturous sigh. I kept my arms around him, unwilling and unable to part from him. He gradually recovered his breath, while the sky above us cleared, revealing its dusky shades of orange and pink.

“It’s… I think it’s over,” I gasped, feeling a jumble of mixed emotions flaring out of him.

His fingers found my chin, and he pulled my face closer to his. I could feel his breath brushing against my skin, relief washing over me. My body instantly relaxed as I leaned into him. His strong arms snaked their way around my waist and took me in a long, heartfelt embrace.

Our souls were bound and free at the same time. Bound to one another and free of the darkness that Asherak and Azazel had cast upon us, upon all of Eritopia.

Draven dropped a sweet and tender kiss on my lips. I cringed a little from the pain, and he gave me the most regretful and hurt look in return.

“I’m so sorry, Serena,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to hurt you…”

“You weren’t yourself, Draven. It’s okay.”

I kissed him back, this time more deeply, as I poured all my love into it. I needed him to feel me.

“Serena, I owe you my life,” he said gently, his finger tracing an invisible line from my temple to my neck. “I owe you my soul and a lifetime of bliss. A very long, long… long lifetime…”

He meant it, too, which was great, because I’d already started planning on an eternity together. I would never let anything happen to him ever again. I would spend every day of my life reveling in his love and worshiping him the same way he worshiped me.

“It’s over, isn’t it?” I asked, my body feeling soft and weak.

“I think it is, yeah.” He smiled, unable to take his eyes off me.

It was then that we finally looked around and noticed the shock on everyone’s faces. They were all still there. Hansa, Jax, Anjani and Jovi, Field and Aida, Vita, the six young Druids, Patrik, Thadeus, and five Druids who had changed back from their Destroyer forms. Even the three shifters had survived after the final pulse had kicked down the columns they’d sought shelter behind.

Viola was staring at us, her eyes flaring violet. She looked uncertain of what to do next, given the unexpected change in outcome, until Phoenix took her glowing pink hand in his and brought it up to his lips, dropping a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

“It’s okay, Viola,” he said gently. “They made it… I can’t believe it, but they made it…”

She nodded slowly, the light emanating from her eyes and hands dimming, and she relaxed against Phoenix.

“It’s over!” I heard Vita gasp.

“It is.” I gave her a warm, reassuring smile while Draven held me tight, both of us heaving sighs of relief. He’d been through enough. He’d thought death was going to be his only option. I couldn’t blame him for enjoying every lungful of air.

We all looked at one another, a mixture of befuddlement and joy settling onto our faces.

Vita was the first to drop to her knees, shuddering as she burst into tears. Aida quickly leapt to her side, hugging her. They both finally allowed themselves to cry freely. It wasn’t from pain or grief; it was pure relief. I completely understood, as I swallowed back tears of my own.

We heard footsteps from below, and we turned our heads to see Bijarki rushing up to the platform. He stilled at the sight of us. He blinked several times until he noticed the charred body on the stone floor, as well as the other dead Destroyers that had not been tossed over the edge during our fight.

Bijarki had been injured, his right eye swollen almost shut in a dark, shimmering gray. There were multiple cuts on his arms and chest, and a sword stained with crimson in his hand. He’d had to fight his way up here before Azazel was taken down, apparently.

“Is that… Is that Azazel?” Bijarki croaked, but didn’t wait for a response, as he saw Vita on her knees, crying. “Vita!”

Her head shot up at the sound of his voice, and she immediately sprang to her feet.

“Bijarki!” she cried out.

He shot across the platform and took her in his arms, holding her tight and dropping dozens of kisses all over her face. He shuddered in her embrace, hiding his face in her hair as she ran her hands down his back and cried some more.

I exhaled, leaning farther into Draven, who dropped a few more kisses on my forehead, holding me tight against him.

“It’s actually over…” I whispered.

“I know, it’s… It’s unbelievable,” he replied gently.

“What’s unbelievable is that you and these other five Druids are perfectly comfortable standing here, buck naked,” Jovi shot back with a glorious smirk.

I couldn’t help but giggle, while the others burst into laughter. I glanced over at the Druids, now flustered and using their hands to conceal their private parts, while Phoenix and Field tore their shirts into several pieces. They handed them over for the Druids to temporarily cover themselves. They nodded their gratitude while their gazes darted across the platform.

Jovi helped Abrille up, as she’d regained consciousness and was quietly listening to us, a smile blooming on her pale face.

Thadeus and Patrik shook hands, then hugged, apologizing to one another for the fight they’d had to endure while under Azazel’s blood spell.

“Don’t feel too bad.” Patrik grinned. “You held your own in this. I truly appreciate your ability to show some restraint despite his control.”

“Same goes for you, Patrik,” Thadeus replied, patting him on the shoulder. “You had plenty of chances to kill me, but your mind proved to be a little bit stronger than your body.”

“I’ve been mentally fighting for years to regain control over my actions,” Patrik said. “The blood spell was strong, but I’d already conditioned myself to resist Azazel’s control. He would’ve had to kill me, eventually, because he wasn’t going to be able to hold me down forever.”

“He’s dead,” Phoenix said, taking Viola in his arms. “I still can’t believe it. It feels like a dream…”

“Yeah, but it’s all coming into focus now, isn’t it?” Field smirked as Aida came to his side. He held her tight, running his fingers through her hair as she settled into his embrace. “He’s gone. The fighting is done.”

“Eritopia is free.” Hansa finally spoke, looking at Draven and me.

We all went quiet, and gazed around us. Black smoke billowed from the fires below, but there weren’t any swords clanging. Thousands of voices could be heard on the ground, but there was no more fighting.

One of the shifters came to us, sniffing Draven for a moment before it huddled over to a dead Destroyer. It unfastened the wide belt around the beast’s waist, which had been fitted with a short layer of black fabric, then brought the garment over and dropped it next to Draven.

We gawked at the creature for several moments. The shifter’s eyes glowed violet, and the benevolent look on its face felt out of place, given its otherwise ferocious nature. Nevertheless, the gesture implied something extraordinary, a sense of true friendship and allegiance from the shifters.

The other two shifters immediately ran to the other side of the platform, each stopping to circle Phoenix and Aida, while Field and Viola confusedly watched them. The creatures purred and sniffed both my brother and Aida, resting on their knuckles, until Phoenix reached out and patted one on the head. Its eyes glowed violet with delight, its creepy grin with sharp fangs meant to be a smile.

“Guess you’ve been busy tearing Destroyers apart below.” Phoenix smirked.

Draven used the belt to cover himself as we finally stood up.

“Eritopia is free, Draven.” Hansa finally repeated her previous statement, emerging from her haze.

She walked over to us and took us in a tight bear hug, her arms wrapped around our necks. I couldn’t help but laugh as I responded to the embrace with one of my own. One by one, the rest of our group joined in.

Jovi and Anjani. Phoenix and Viola. Aida and Field. Vita and Bijarki. Even Jax, Thadeus, and Patrik completed the hug, along with the six young Druids, while the shifters watched us with curious expressions.

The five former Destroyers stood awkwardly to the side as we laughed and cried and thanked each other for everything that we’d managed to accomplish, until Hansa pulled back and broke the group hug to look at Draven and me.

“You’ve managed to do something that many Eritopians didn’t think was even possible anymore,” Hansa said. “You stood up, and you brought the people together. You gave them hope. You fought back hard, and you wiggled your way through every tight turn. Even when your friends and family were in danger, you didn’t surrender. We all stand here today, free… because of you.”

“No.” Draven shook his head slowly, prompting Hansa to frown. “We’re here because of all of you. I did my part, and Serena helped keep us together.”

He gave me a sideways glance as he said that, then nodded at the others. “But you all had a crucial role to play in this. You all believed in me. You believed in Eritopia’s right to freedom and peace. You were brave even in moments when you thought it would all come crumbling down. We all made it happen. We are all responsible. And we all deserve to celebrate and come together as we rebuild our world.”

He then turned around to face the Druids on the edge.

“And you,” he added. “You cannot be blamed for everything you did while you were under Azazel’s control. You deserve freedom as well. You deserve a chance to start anew. Eritopia needs its Druids, even if there aren’t many of us left. Will you stand with us before the people and dedicate your lives to rebuilding this marvelous world?”

A few seconds went by before the Druids nodded and bowed respectfully.

“Thank you,” the female said. “We never thought we’d see this day, and yet, here we are, breathing freely for the first time in centuries. We are forever in your debt.”

“You’re damn right you are,” Jovi muttered, stifling a grin. Anjani clicked her teeth and gave him a nudge in the ribs, hard enough to make him groan and raise his hands in an apologetic gesture. “I was kidding…”

The young Druids joined the former Destroyers and shook their hands, welcoming them into the fold.

“There are a lot of wrongs that need to be set right,” Ori said, one hand covering a wound at the back of his head. “Eritopia is free of Azazel, and his control spell has come undone. Much chaos and uncertainty await, so we must act fast and restore balance across the kingdoms.”

We all nodded our approval, as Jax stepped toward the edge of the platform.

“The worst part’s over,” he said, looking below. “The head has fallen and the body will flounder. Whatever Destroyers were left across the other planets of Eritopia have now been returned to their original Druid forms. They must all be very confused right now. But Druids are inherently good creatures, save for a few rotten apples.”

“Like Goren.” Hansa grinned, patting her broadsword, its golden scabbard glistening under the afternoon sun. We’d left Stonewall in the morning, and by dusk we’d freed Eritopia. I was still grasping the concept, readjusting to a world without Azazel threatening our lives.

Anjani came to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You’ve fought well, Sister,” she said.

Hansa snorted and took Anjani in a tight hug, surprising the young succubus.

“I’ve had you to look after,” Hansa said. “You were the fire on my heels.”

“I think it’ll take a while to adjust,” Field mused, half his face hidden in Aida’s rich, curly brown-and-gold hair. “We’ve been on the run and fighting for our lives for quite some time. It’s been so intense, we’ll need a few days just to readjust to our freedom.”

“No more hiding inside a mansion,” Aida added.

“No more marinating inside glass bubbles.” Vita scoffed. Bijarki dropped another kiss on her lips, his expression soft as he looked at her.

It was over, and I felt like I could breathe again.

I’d been so close to losing Draven. So close to losing this battle. But I hadn’t. We had stood strong and trusted each other to do the right thing, even when it all seemed to tumble down a path to certain death.

We were finally free.