The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 530: Those who Return

Chapter 530: Those who Return

The Remnant lunged at Luke, its spear slicing through the air with terrifying speed. The weapon’s point plunged into his chest, piercing him through. A horrified gasp escaped my lips, but it died in my throat as Luke’s form flickered and vanished, and I realized it had just been an afterimage.

The real Luke materialized behind the Remnant, knife outstretched. The creature exploded into darkness, dissolving back into the mists of Haven. I stared, open-mouthed, as Luke sheathed his weapon and met my gaze, his dark eyes reflecting the soft golden glow of my own.

"No," I whimpered, hugging myself, tail wrapping protectively around me. "Why...? Why did you...?"

"Xiviyah!" Luke rushed to my side, cutting down another Remnant that materialized between us before it could fully form. "Are you alright? They didn’t hurt you, did they?"

"You left me," I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. "...so alone... so cold..."

His hand touched my shoulder, and I jerked away from the unexpected warmth. His touch was hot and fiery, unbearable against the chill that permeated my body. Even worse was the cruel twist in my heart as he feigned concern, gripping my shoulders tightly as he checked me for injuries.

"Damn it," he swore roughly, "You said she’d be fine! How is this fine?"

I dimly sensed Jessia in the room, battling another Remnant.

"Not my fault!" she retorted. "How was I supposed to know this time would be so much worse? She recovered after like a minute in the camp!"

Her blades caught the starlight as she sliced through the creature, and a chilling realization washed over me. They had come back. Of course they had. Luke wasn’t trying to destroy this world, just conquer it. Now that the Remnants had wreaked enough havoc to cripple the city, they had returned to ensure there was enough left of the city to take control of. To stop things before they got out of hand. To finish it personally.

Luke paused, his brow furrowed as I stopped struggling. "Xiviyah? Speak to me. Is everything alright?"

A strange sense of peace settled over me as I lowered my head, letting my tail go limp. This was probably for the best. As long as I lived, as long as Haven remained a threat, my friends and loved ones would never be safe. Ror and Sari would never have a chance to grow up, Elise would never heal from her scars, and Korra would never find happiness with Gayron.

"Do it quickly," I whispered.

"What?" He followed my gaze to Jessia’s knife and recoiled as if it was my touch that burned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He sounded genuinely outraged, but there was a touch of confusion in his voice. Was he surprised I’d caught on? Not that it mattered. Nothing much did, at this point.

"Don’t... don’t lie to me anymore," I choked out, breaking into a sob. "Just kill me and be done with it. I know that’s what you planned from the start. You don’t have to pretend to care anymore. It just... it hurts..."

Silence fell over the room. I heard the flex of leather as Luke drew his knife, and my breath hitched in my throat, muscles coiling tight. I had been cut many times before, both in battle and under the inquisitor’s blade; I could handle it once more.

Instead of the icy touch of a blade, Luke’s arms enveloped me in a fierce hug, driving the cold from my body. A startled gasp escaped my lips, a tiny sound lost in the sudden rush of his embrace. His hand pressed against my back, pulling me close against his chest. The other hand found its way to my hair, caressing the back of my head in slow, soothing strokes. His touch was so soft and gentle it was nearly unbearable, every instinct screaming at me that something was wrong.

And yet...I couldn’t stop myself from collapsing helplessly in his arms, allowing him to cradle me even as my shoulders shook with sobs. He was so strong and warm, offering respite from the bitter cold and darkness that continued flowing from my soul’s depths.

"Xiviyah..." he whispered, rocking me gently. "It’s alright, we’re here now. I won’t let anyone else–."

"Maybe now’s not the best time to promise her something else," Jessia said quietly, "Not after what we just did to her."

I barely heard her, nor did I care. But Luke glared over my head at her.

"I told you not to do it," he hissed.

"And you didn’t stop me," she retorted, though there was no real condemnation in her tone. "We just did what we had to, the same as we’ve always done."

He seemed about to respond, but a particularly violent shiver shook me, and I huddled against him, clinging to him desperately. His expression softened, and He gently gathered me in his arms, lifting me from the bed and cradling me against his chest.

"We’ve got to get her out of here," he said, "R’lissea will know what to do, right?"

"It’s too late," I murmured, blushing a bit as my tail acted on its own and curled tightly around his arm, refusing to let him go. "It’s already done. Haven’s free, and I won’t be able to stop it."

My last few words were lost in the wind as the two leaped from the inn to the streets below. Blurry as my vision was, the world seemed filled with fire, shadows, and death. Corpses littered the street, and almost every building in my view had jagged holes torn from the walls and roofs. The sound of battle was harsh against my ears, the screams piercing my heart.

A remnant materialized around me, only to be cut down by Jessia.

"Damn, how many of these things are there?" she complained.

"Hundreds," I managed to respond. "These are just..." I took a breath, finding it hard to keep talking, "...the weaker ones."

Before I knew it, we were nearing the edge of the city, joined by hundreds of fleeing men, women, and children. Almost every single civilian sported wounds of some kind, from cuts and scrapes to limbs torn free by a remnant’s attack. Mine and Jessia’s disguise still held, but even Luke’s horns and tail drew no attention in the chaos. Not even the heavy patrols of guards rushing toward the spreading battle stopped to question us, nor did the inquisitors who flew by in a blaze of sun magic.

"Hurry, she’s getting even colder," Luke cried, "Are we close enough to teleport? That wolf should meet us outside the walls. I doubt it’ll stand by while she’s in danger."

"Not yet," Jessia said, voice equally strained. "I couldn’t even teleport there myself, much less take you with me."

We were moving faster than I ever had before, save for when I flew on the wings of the Arbiter, but it wasn’t enough. Even if we made it to the camp, there was nothing anyone could do. The darkness had grown thick in my soul, and I’d stopped shivering. Not because the cold had lessened, but because my muscles simply lacked the strength for the movement.

The surging shadows came to a head. Luke must have sensed something, because he abruptly stalled, nearly dropping me in surprise. Countless tendrils exploded from my chest, forming above me in a pitch-black gate. The gate swirled up higher, swelling in size until it dominated the skies above the city. I cried out in pain as it began to draw on my soul, using my mana to sustain itself, emanating a ninth-level aura.

Jessia, along with the entire city, gaped at the sky. "Is that...?"

"...a demon gate? But how can it be so massive?" Luke finished, eyes wide. Though his grip never wavered, a slight tremor wracked his body.

They both turned their gazes down toward me, a new emotion–fear–in their eyes.

"What happens when it breaks?" Jessia asked in a hoarse whisper.

I shook my head, unsure of the answer myself. Their expressions darkened, and Luke opened his mouth, glaring at the Apostle of Secrets.

"I told you this was a bad–"

Before he could finish, a pulse of mana erupted from my soul. My eyes widened as energy flooded my mind, driving back the lethargy that had gripped me since Brithlite. For the first time, I raised my head and felt perfectly normal, my body and soul filled with power. A single, familiar sensation rushed through my bond with Haven, the call of my realm, of the spirit who had fallen silent.

"I can give you a chance," its comforting voice whispered before the presence vanished back into the bond, taking my place in suppressing the realm.

They both stiffened as tears began to gather in my eyes again, but this time, they were tears of relief. Without an explanation, I raised my hand and opened it, fingers extended, to my left. A golden gate, untainted by darkness, spiraled into existence, rising about the height of a man.

Luke was struck dumb by its appearance, mind reeling with shock. I managed to squirm out of his slackened grip and stumble forward, knowing I had little time. Haven had shouldered the burden I’d been unknowingly holding, but he wouldn’t last forever. Judging by his strength, I had only a day at most before the rift tore into Enusia.

But the fact that the spirit had appeared after all this time meant something. I didn’t know what it had been waiting for; only that time was now. I had this one chance to make it right, to prevent this calamity, and to save Haven.

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