Chapter 77: Chapter 77

AVERY

The Lignum Virtutis, or as we called it, the Tree of Power, was more than just a creature—it was the beating heart of Antaris.

When Antaris was established, so long ago, it was gifted by one of the sky lords. A single Golden Seed was given into the care of Antaris.

From it grew the tree, rooted in the same sacred ground since the beginning of eternity. It was the guardian of the forces of good, intertwined with all the light that surrounded it.

And yet... I’d never heard it speak to anyone. Till today.

This fragile girl with snow-white hair—she was the tree. A creature of such purity that mere light enveloped her.

She broke through her protective magic, reached out... and touched Iris.

I saw the faces of the others. The shock. The awe.

Iris was the chosen one, even though she had doubted it. That sword was never meant to kill Abaddon.

It was a tool meant to enhance Iris’s own power. And my mate realized that right away.

She turned Abaddon’s own army against him with a will of iron. The beasts of the Isle of Hell obeyed her, turning on their master and tearing each other apart in a blind frenzy.

But Iris took advantage of the confusion to deliver the final blow. A surge of light burst from her, mixed with her own glowing red energy.

It rolled across the battlefield, eating its way through the ranks of the darkness like a blazing fire. I felt it inside me, so powerful that my skull threatened to crack.

An invisible veil that devoured all evil in a flaming blaze. Iris staggered back from the power she had unleashed.

Rushing to her, I felt a flash of pain as I touched her, wrenching a scream from me. My body tensed, every fiber burning, as if I were standing in her place, as if I were bearing her pain.

She gasped, whimpered softly, but when she felt me, she pressed herself against me as if I was her only support.

“I’ll help you!” I shouted, my purple aura flaring.

Magic blazed around us, a living fire that gave her at least a hint of relief. Yet even I was thrown back by the force of her power.

My feet slipped over the stony ground, my muscles trembling under the weight. I could feel Deva’s hand on my right shoulder and Evangeline’s on my left.

Both were behind me, giving me the support we needed. They braced themselves against me, holding me up as if to say... ~We’ll face this together.~

A buzzing impulse shot out of Iris, a thunderclap of pure energy that threw us all to the ground. The world became a blur.

But amidst the chaos, amidst the pain, I could feel her thoughts. So clear. So pure.

She loved us. The new family that she found in Antaris.

The countless friends that believed in her. The pure hearts of the children that she helped to evaluate.

Every single creature of Antaris. She loved everything that was good.

And that’s why the Tree of Power had chosen her—because she carried both light and shadow within her, yet chose the good.

And now she was fighting. No longer for survival but for the victory of her people.

We looked out over a sea of ash that rose behind the unleashed wave of light. The air shimmered, charged with twitching energy as the wave rolled on... Unstoppable, greedy.

The flesh of our enemies smoldered, then flared up—red fire born of Iris’s rage, of her will. One by one, they fell to the ground, crumbling to ash.

And the light spread out further. It ate its way through the ranks, a living storm that only hit the enemies.

Our soldiers remained unharmed, as if the Force itself were distinguishing between friend and foe. They stood frozen, their eyes wide open as they saw the enemy ranks crumble.

The creatures of darkness writhed, their bodies crumbling to dust before they could even utter a cry. Dark armor cracked, blades vaporized—everything that was evil was devoured by the glistening fire.

Abaddon’s whole army was burning. Every single being that had entered Antaris to destroy it... turned to ashes themselves.

And the waves continued to roll. It raced across the battlefield, a living landslide of purification that moved relentlessly towards Abaddon.

The air crackled, as if it itself were shaking from the power. Light ate through the last ranks of his army.

He was standing alone.

Abaddon’s eyes, once glowing with triumphant arrogance, stared back at us. His muscles tensed as he realized what was happening.

His lips twitched, as if to form a final, desperate command—but there was no escape. The wave fixed on him.

For a moment, I saw it—the break in his facade. The realization.

His plan, his army, his whole cursed war, all burned to nothing before his eyes. Abaddon’s hand twitched toward his sword, but even the blade seemed to know it was useless.

It trembled in his grip, as if refusing to fight against such a force. His breath hitched.

The last Dolor flew toward Abaddon—a desperate attempt to find refuge in the shadow of his master. But the flames caught him.

A shrill cry, sharper than shattering glass, then it too crumbled to ashes, blown away like dust in a storm. Abaddon stood there, his head raised, but his gaze was full of fear.

One last look over the nothingness that was left of his troops. No armies, no power, only the glowing wave of Iris’s light that washed all evil from Antaris like a tide.

Abaddon backed away, not with the pride of a ruler, but with the clipped stride of a beaten man. His cloak swirled as he turned, a fleeing shadow, chased by the light that was devouring his realm.

One more moment, and the flames would reach him. One more breath and all was lost.

He hurled himself into one of the witches’ portals. Not on purpose, not with cunning, but just with the blind instinct of an animal that sees the trap snapping.

The magical edges of the portal wrapped around him, pulling him away into uncertainty. To somewhere.

Abaddon was on the run. No retreat. No tactic.

Just the naked, shabby fear of a defeated creature. The portal burst behind him with a bright flash, as if the darkness itself had been shattered.

The soldiers who were still trying to catch up with him stumbled into the void. Their swords struck nothing but air as the gateway crumbled into nothingness before their eyes.

Then Iris’s mighty wave of light faded. Like a fire going out, like a final sigh before Antaris breathed again.

And then silence. Just our shared breathing, heavy and irregular.

Iris clung to my arm, her fingers trembling, as if she were chaining herself to me. But then...

Cheering. A thunderous, wild roar of joy that shot through me like lightning.

The warriors shouted, sobbed, and fell into each other’s arms.

Cries of relief, of disbelieving survival. We had won.

My gaze met Iris’s. Her eyes were full of tears, shiny, as if she was about to break.

“You’ve done it,” I whispered, my lips touching her forehead.

But then she broke. She threw herself against me, her arms wrapped around me so tightly as she cried.

Not softly. Not heroically. But with everything that was inside her.

Through the noise, Devas’s voice emerged. “Hurry, Keijou!” he shouted.

Our heads turned to him immediately. Evangeline knelt beside Aidan, his body lying motionless, his face bloodied and pale as a corpse.

His chest barely heaved. Iris screamed loudly, then lunged, staggered, and fell beside him.

“Aidan!” she cried out. Her cry split the air.

But he… was smiling. Blood beaded on his lips, but his gaze was clear.

I pulled Iris back as the healers rushed in. Their magic flared, a white-gold web of life closing in around him.

Even his amicus, Rapex, landed next to us, his flapping wings kicking up dust as he pushed his way to his soulmate. Everybody was working.

Everyone was fighting to save Aidan. I tried to comfort Iris. “He is strong, Iris,” I encouraged her.

But her pain shattered me when I felt it. The time stretched.

Seconds felt like hours. Then… finally, the healers stepped back.

Aidan’s chest rose. Deeply.

His eyes opened.

“You missed our victory,” Devas said, his voice raspy, as if he were about to cry.

“Better late than never,” replied Aidan.

Devas pulled him into a hug so fierce that Aidan groaned. But then he laughed, weak, but alive.

Iris threw herself over both of them, her tears drenching Aidan’s hair. Devas’s eyes met Aidan’s, and in that moment it was all there… relief… pride… and pure love.

I turned away, letting them have their moment. My gaze slid across the battlefield—across our battered, victorious Antaris.

The air smelled of burnt grass and magic, of blood and tears. The blood moon cast its light on the wounds of the earth… on shattered shields, on shattered weapons, on the lifeless bodies of those who would not rise again.

We had won. But the price lay ahead of us, plain to see.

Here and there, warriors knelt beside the fallen, still holding hands, whispering words of farewell. Others dragged themselves through the field with wounds, looking for survivors, for friends who might still be saved.

The cries of celebration had faded. Now the silence of exhaustion, sadness, and heavy relief reigned.

Abaddon was defeated. But we, too, had suffered losses.