28. Final Sacrifice

28

Final Sacrifice

Merin

M erin's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the veil above them rip open, the fabric of reality tearing like a flimsy piece of cloth. And from that gaping, unnatural wound the demon emerged. The same twisted, nightmarish creature that had haunted his dreams, that he had seen locked away by the vikings.

"Fuck," he breathed, his voice barely audible over the roar of the wind and the crackle of dark energy. "This is bad, Roman. Really, really bad."

His mate nodded, his bear form rippling with tension and barely-contained power. "You don't have to tell me twice, Mer. That thing…it's like nothing I've ever seen before. Like pure evil given form."

Merin swallowed hard, his grip tightening on his bow as he watched the demon fully materialize, its grotesque form towering over them like a mountain of shadow and malice. It threw back its head and let out a roar that shook the very foundations of the castle, a sound of such raw, primal fury that it made Merin's bones vibrate and his blood run cold.

But before the echo of that roar had even begun to fade, before the demon could take a single step towards them…

It happened. A flash of silver, a blur of movement so fast that Merin's eyes could barely track it. And then, with a sickening crunch of bone and a spray of black ichor…

The demon staggered, a blade protruding from its back, piercing straight through to its twisted, blackened heart. It let out a shriek of agony, of rage and disbelief, its form shuddering and convulsing as it began to dissipate, to crumble into nothingness like a bad dream banished by the light of dawn.

Merin stared, his mouth falling open in a mix of shock and relief. "What the fuck?" he muttered, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. "Who…how…?"

But before he could even begin to form a coherent thought, before he could turn to Roman and demand answers, an explanation for this sudden, impossible turn of events…

Riordan stepped forward, a smile of pure, unadulterated malice twisting his lips. "Oh, you fools," he purred, his voice dripping with scorn and triumph. "You naive, pathetic little fools. Did you really think I would go to all this trouble, would orchestrate this whole elaborate scheme, just to let some demon take what is rightfully mine?"

He reached down, his fingers closing around the hilt of the silver blade that had felled the demon. With a wet, squelching sound that made Merin's stomach turn, he pulled it free, the metal dripping with black, stinking ichor.

And there, clutched in his other hand, was the demon's heart. A pulsing, writhing mass of shadow and darkness, still beating with a sickly, unnatural rhythm.

"No," Merin breathed, horror and understanding dawning on him in the same sickening moment. "Riordan, you can't. You have no idea what that thing will do to you, what kind of power you're messing with."

But Riordan just laughed, a cold, cruel sound that made Merin's skin crawl. "Oh, but I do, little seer. I know exactly what I'm doing. And now, at last, I will have the power I need to rule the realms, to bend every living creature to my will and my whim."

And before Merin could stop him, before he could even draw breath to cry out a warning, a plea, a desperate, futile attempt to appeal to whatever shred of humanity might still linger in Riordan's twisted, blackened soul…

Riordan brought the heart to his lips, his teeth sinking into the foul, pulsing flesh with a wet, tearing sound that made Merin's gorge rise. He devoured it whole, his throat working as he swallowed, as he consumed the very essence of the demon, the raw, primal power that had once threatened to bring the realms to their knees.

For a moment, there was silence. A stillness so profound, so absolute, that Merin could hear the frantic pounding of his own heart, the ragged, uneven breaths of his companions as they stared at Riordan with a mix of revulsion and terror.

And then, with a shudder that seemed to ripple through the very air itself, Riordan began to change. His body convulsed, his spine arching and his limbs jerking as if pulled by invisible strings. His skin rippled and bulged, muscles and bones shifting and rearranging themselves into new, grotesque configurations.

"Fuck," Roman growled, his voice low and filled with a quiet, simmering rage.

His gaze fell on Mira and Chrissy. The two girls were still huddled together in the center of the pentagram, their faces pale and streaked with tears, their eyes wide with a fear and a confusion that made Merin's heart ache.

"Roman," he said, his voice low and urgent as he turned to his mate. "We need to get them out of here. Need to get them to safety before Riordan finishes his transformation and all hell breaks loose."

Roman hesitated, his bear form rippling with indecision and the fierce, protective instinct that had always been at the core of his being. But after a long, charged moment, he nodded, his eyes meeting Merin's with a look of quiet, unwavering trust.

He turned to Vale, his hand coming up to rest on the unicorn's flank in a gesture of comfort and support. "Vale, I need you to take the girls and get them out of here. Take them back to the mortal realm, to the safety of our friends and allies."

Vale snorted, tossing his mane in a gesture of fierce, stubborn defiance. "Like hell I will," he said, his voice ringing with conviction. "I'm not leaving you two to face this bastard alone, not after everything we've been through together."

But Roman just smiled, a small, sad thing that made Merin's heart clench and his throat tighten with sudden, overwhelming emotion. "I know, buddy. I know you want to stay, want to fight by our side like you always have. But this time…this time, we need you to be our ace in the hole. Need you to keep Mira and Chrissy safe, to be their guardian and their guide until we can put an end to this once and for all."

Vale hesitated, his dark eyes flicking between Roman and Merin with a look of quiet, aching understanding. And then, slowly, he nodded, his shoulders slumping with a quiet, weary resignation.

"Alright," he said softly. "Alright, I'll do it. I'll keep them safe, Roman."

"I know you will," he murmured, his hand tightening on Vale's flank in a final, parting gesture of affection and gratitude. "Now go, before it's too late."

Vale nodded, turning to Mira and Chrissy with a gentle, coaxing tilt of his head. "Come on, little ones," he said softly, his voice warm and filled with a quiet, unwavering strength. "Let's get you out of here, get you somewhere safe and sound."

Mira hesitated, her eyes flicking to Merin with a look of quiet, aching desperation. "But Mer," she whispered, her voice small and filled with a fear and a confusion that made his heart clench and his throat tighten with sudden, overwhelming emotion. "What about you? What about Roman and the others?"

Merin swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet her gaze with a look of quiet, unwavering conviction. "We'll be alright, Mira. We'll find a way to stop Riordan, to put an end to his madness once and for all."

He paused, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek in a gentle, reassuring gesture. "But we need you to be brave now, need you to go with Vale and keep Chrissy safe until we can come for you. Can you do that for me, little bird? Can you be strong, just for a little while longer?"

"Okay," she whispered, her voice small but filled with a quiet, unwavering determination. "Okay, Mer, I'll keep Chrissy safe, no matter what."

"Now go, before it's too late."

With a final, parting nod, Mira and Chrissy clambered onto Vale's back, their small hands clutching at his mane as they settled themselves into place. And then, with a fierce, defiant toss of his head, the unicorn turned and galloped towards the shattered remnants of the doors, carrying his precious cargo to safety and freedom beyond the walls of the cursed, crumbling castle.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, warm and strong and unfailingly steady. He turned, his eyes meeting Roman's with a look of quiet, unwavering love and determination.

"Together," his mate murmured, his voice low and intense and filled with a fire that could not be quenched.

"Together," he echoed, his voice ringing out clear and strong in the eerie, unnatural stillness of the chamber. "To the end of the line and beyond, Roman. No matter what."

And then, with a final, gut-wrenching roar that shook the very foundations of the castle, Riordan's transformation was complete. He towered over them, a twisted, monstrous amalgamation of demon and man, his eyes blazing with a malevolent, hungry light that made Merin's blood run cold.

"Fuck me," he breathed, his grip tightening on his bow as he stared up at the abomination that had once been Riordan. "He's even uglier than before, and that's saying something."

Roman snorted, a sound that was half laughter, half growl. "Really, Mer? That's what you're focusing on right now?"

Merin shrugged, a wry grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Hey, if I'm going to die today, I might as well go out with a witty one-liner."

Riordan attacked. With a roar that made Merin's bones vibrate and his teeth ache, he unleashed a wave of hellfire that swept across the chamber like a tidal wave, like a storm of brimstone and pure, unrelenting destruction.

"Move!" Roman bellowed, his bear form lunging to the side as the flames licked at his fur, singeing the tips and filling the air with the acrid stench of burning hair.

Merin didn't need to be told twice. He dove to the ground, rolling and tumbling as the hellfire surged past him, so close that he could feel the heat of it searing his skin, making his eyes water and his lungs burn with the effort of drawing breath.

He nocked another arrow to his bow and took aim at Riordan's twisted, monstrous form but he knew it was futile. Knew that they were outmatched, outclassed, outnumbered in every way that mattered.

"Roman!" he screamed, his voice raw and ragged with desperation as he loosed arrow after arrow at Riordan, pouring every ounce of his strength and his magic and his sheer, unbridled rage into each shot.

They fought. They bled and they screamed and they poured every last ounce of their strength, their courage, their unbreakable spirit into the battle. Because they had to, because there was no other choice, no other path but forward, into the jaws of the beast that sought to devour them all.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Merin panted, his chest heaving and his vision swimming as he dragged himself to his feet for what felt like the hundredth time, his body battered and broken and barely clinging to consciousness.

Beside him, Roman was in even worse shape. His bear form was gone, stripped away by the sheer, overwhelming force of Riordan's blows. He lay crumpled against the wall, his face a mask of blood and his breaths coming in short, sharp gasps that made Merin's heart clench with fear and despair.

Then Merin heard it. The sound of footsteps, of voices raised in a fierce, defiant battle cry that made his heart leap and his magic surge with sudden, wild hope.

"Cavalry's here!" a familiar voice called out, echoing through the chamber like a clarion call, like a promise of salvation in the darkest hour.

"About damn time!" Merin called out, his voice rough with exhaustion and relief as he staggered forward to join his friends, to stand with them against the darkness that threatened to swallow them all. "Was starting to think you'd forgotten about us!"

Jimmy snorted, his tail lashing and his whiskers twitching with amusement. "Please, like we'd ever leave you to have all the fun. Besides, I couldn't let you hog all the glory, now could I?"

They charged forward, their weapons flashing and their magic crackling around them like a living, breathing thing. Ready to face their fate, ready to meet their destiny head-on and fight like hell for the chance to see another dawn.

"Fuck!" James swore, his metal arm sparking and sputtering as he strained against the crushing force of Riordan's grip, as he fought to break free and rejoin the fray. "We're not even making a dent!"

Peter nodded, his face tight with strain and fear as he poured every ounce of his shadow magic into the fight, into the desperate, futile attempt to find a chink in Riordan's armor, a weakness they could exploit. "We need a new plan, need to find a way to turn the tide before it's too late!"

Riordan struck again. With a roar that shook the very heavens, that made the earth tremble and the stars flicker and fade in the sky above, he unleashed a wave of pure, unadulterated power that slammed into them like a tidal wave, like a force of nature given flesh and form.

Merin felt himself flying, felt his body being tossed and tumbled like a ragdoll in the wind, like a leaf caught in the maelstrom of a storm beyond reckoning. He hit the ground hard, the breath leaving his lungs in a rush of pain and desperation as he struggled to rise, to fight, to do anything but lie there and watch as his friends, his family, were scattered like chaff before the reaper's scythe.

"No," he whispered, his voice hoarse and broken as he watched them fall, one by one, their bodies broken and their spirits shattered by the sheer, overwhelming might of the monster they had dared to challenge. "No. This can't be happening, this can't be how it ends."

Then he heard it. A sound that cut through the chaos and the carnage like a blade through butter, a voice that he would know anywhere, in this life or any other.

"Merin!"

Merin's head snapped up, his eyes widening with shock and disbelief as he saw her. Mira.

She was standing in the middle of the chamber, her small form dwarfed by the towering, monstrous figure of Riordan. But there was no fear in her eyes, no hint of hesitation or doubt as she faced down the creature that had brought their world to its knees.

Instead, there was a fire. A blaze of pure, unbridled power that seemed to fill the air around her, that made the very stones beneath their feet tremble and shake with the force of it.

Mira began to change. Her body shimmered and rippled, her form twisting and warping as the fire within her burst forth, consuming her in a storm of flame and light and sheer, primal magic.

In a matter of seconds, she had transformed fully, her phoenix form rising from the ashes of her human shell like a beacon of hope, like a promise of salvation in the darkest hour.

"Alright, ugly!" Mira called out, her voice ringing clear and strong above the chaos and the carnage. "Let's dance!"

And with that, she lunged forward, a blur of fire and feathers and sheer, unbridled fury as she tore into Riordan with a savagery that made Merin's blood sing and his heart race with a wild, reckless joy.

He pushed himself to his feet, his body screaming in protest and his lungs burning with the effort of drawing breath. But he didn't care, didn't even feel the pain and the exhaustion that threatened to drag him back down into the darkness.

All he could see was Mira, all he could feel was the fierce, unshakeable pride and love that filled his chest like a warm, golden light.

And with that, he threw himself back into the fray, his arrows flying and his magic crackling around him like a living, breathing thing. Ready to fight, ready to bleed, ready to lay down his very life if that was what it took to keep Mira safe, to bring an end to the darkness that threatened to swallow them all.

But it wasn't just him. It wasn't just Mira, standing alone against the tide of evil that crashed against them like a wave, like a storm that would never, ever end.

They were battered and they were bloodied, their bodies pushed to the brink of breaking and their spirits tested to the very limits of their endurance.

But they were not beaten. They were not broken, not shattered like so many fragile, worthless things beneath the heel of a monster who knew nothing of love or loyalty or the sheer, unshakeable power of the bonds that tied them all together.

"Let's show these bastards what real magic looks like," Mira called out, her eyes flashing with a fierce, untamed fire.

Merin gritted his teeth, his bow creaking in his grip as he nocked another arrow, as he poured every last ounce of his strength, his magic, his very soul into the shot. "We can't give up," he said, his voice rough and raw with desperation. "We have to keep fighting, have to find a way to bring him down before it's too late."

"Damn it all to hell," Christian snarled, his fangs bared and his eyes blazing with a fierce, desperate light. "We need a miracle, need something to turn the tide before we're all nothing but bloody smears on the ground."

Dominic nodded, his face grim and his hands crackling with the raw, primal power of the storm that raged within him. "We've thrown everything we have at him, and it's still not enough. What else can we do?"

Mira screamed. A sound of such raw, agonized fury that it made Merin's blood run cold, that it sent a shiver of pure, unadulterated terror racing down his spine.

He spun around, his eyes wide and his heart in his throat as he searched for her, as he tried to catch a glimpse of her through the chaos and the carnage that filled the chamber like a living, breathing thing.

And there she was. Wreathed in flames that burned brighter than the sun, her form shimmering and pulsing with a power that made the very air around her crackle and hum with energy.

"Mira!" he cried out, his voice raw and ragged with fear and desperation. "Mira, what are you doing? Get back, get away from him before it's too late!"

But she didn't listen. Didn't even seem to hear him, her eyes fixed on Riordan with a look of such fierce, unwavering determination that it stole the breath from Merin's lungs and made his heart clench with a sudden, terrible understanding.

She was going to sacrifice herself. Was going to pour every last ounce of her strength, her magic, her very life force into one final, desperate attack…and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

"No," he whispered, his voice breaking on a sob as he staggered forward, as he reached out with a hand that shook and trembled like a leaf in the wind. "No, Mira, please. Don't do this, don't leave me. I can't…I can't lose you, not like this."

Then he felt a vision coming, a glimpse of the future that flashed before his eyes like a bolt of lightning.

Mira, her face soft and sweet and filled with so much love, so much warmth, that it nearly broke his heart to look upon it. Mira, her eyes shining with tears and her lips curving into a smile that was sad and joyful and achingly, impossibly tender.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice little more than a sigh, a breath of wind that brushed against his cheek like a kiss, like a benediction. "Thank you, Merin, for everything. For being my friend, my family, my guiding light in the darkness."

"But this is my destiny," she continued, her voice growing stronger, more certain with every word. "This is what I was born to do, what I was always meant to be. A guardian, a protector, a flame that burns bright and fierce and true, no matter how deep the shadows grow."

Merin felt his throat close up, felt his heart shatter into a million pieces as he stared at her, as he tried to find the words, the strength, to say goodbye, to let her go.

But he couldn't. Couldn't bear to watch her slip away, to fade into the ether like so much smoke and ash and the bitter, aching memory of all that could have been.

"Mira," he choked out, his voice little more than a ragged, broken whisper. "Mira, I…"

But before he could finish, before he could give voice to the love and the grief and the sheer, overwhelming tide of emotion that threatened to drown him where he stood…

She was gone. In a blaze of fire and light and sheer, unbridled magic, she surged forward, her form colliding with Riordan's in a burst of flame and fury that shook the very foundations of the castle and made the stars flicker and fade in the sky above.

Merin heard her scream, heard the raw, primal roar of a creature unleashing the full might of its power, the full force of its rage and its love and its sheer, unbreakable will upon the world.

And then silence. A stillness so profound, so absolute, that it seemed to swallow the world whole, to leave nothing but a yawning, aching void where once there had been life and light and the fierce, unbridled joy of a phoenix in flight.

Merin stared, his heart pounding and his breath coming in short, sharp gasps as he watched the smoke clear, as he waited for the dust to settle and the world to right itself once more.

And there, in the center of the chamber, where once there had been a monster, a dark and twisted thing that had threatened to consume them all…

Was nothing. No trace of Riordan, no hint of the darkness and the evil that had poured from his every pore like a sickness, like a plague upon the land.

It was over. The battle was won, the realms saved from the brink of oblivion by the courage and the sacrifice of a girl who had given everything, who had poured out her very soul in one final, desperate act of love and defiance.

But at what cost? At what terrible, unthinkable price?

Merin felt his knees give way, felt his body crumple to the ground as the grief and the loss and the sheer, overwhelming weight of what had just happened crashed over him like a tidal wave, like a storm that would never, ever end.

"Merin," a voice said softly, breaking through the haze of his grief like a beam of sunlight through the clouds. "Merin, look."

He lifted his head, his vision blurred with tears and his heart heavy with sorrow. But as his eyes fell upon the sight before him, as he took in the wonder and the mystery and the sheer, impossible magic of it all

He felt his breath catch, felt his heart stutter and skip in his chest like a deer in the headlights, like a man caught between disbelief and a wild, reckless hope.

There, floating in the air where once Mira had stood was an egg. A small, fiery thing that pulsed and glowed with a light that seemed to come from within, that made the very air around it shimmer and dance with possibility.

"Phoenix," Benjamin whispered, his voice filled with awe and wonder as he stepped forward, as he reached out with a hand that shook and trembled like a leaf in the wind. "She's…she's going to be reborn, Merin."