28. The End of…

For hours, Ion had fought against the closed door of the basement. He lashed his wind against it, but nothing he did made a difference. There was still no light in even the slightest fraction, there was no other sound outside the loud booms of his attacks. The blonde had even attempted to break through the door with the power of the dragon, but when he reached for it, he was devastated to find it was no longer there. He staggered back, his breath leaving him in pants as he leaned on the wall. Slowly, he sank to the ground. Ion ran his hands through his hair, tugging at the strands as he did so. There was nothing he could do. Anika must have thought this out. Why on earth would she do this? Why would she lock him in here and go off to fight Darien without him? She needed him, he knew she couldn’t fight.

Ion could feel the fear sending ice through his system. He was beginning to panic, and that always meant bad things. He had always had a good hold on his feelings. There was never a time where he couldn’t mask the fear and anxiety inside him, shielding himself and others from it. He knew why it was so different thins time. Ion didn’t know what he’d do without Anika, she had been the only real thing in his life. His family had been crap, always casting him aside for his other siblings, but Anika had always welcomed him with open arms. If he lost that, then there was no meaning to his life. If Anika had never existed, then he would have never survived all those years.

There came a tentative knock at the door, and his head jerked up at the small sound. “Ion?” Erik’s voice came, “Are you all right in there?” Maybe he was worried because the sounds of a struggle had stopped. “Listen, you know that Anika had to have had a reason for this…I’m sure she’ll explain it to you when she gets back.”

“How do you know she’ll even come back? Come on Erik, just let me out,” Ion begged. He had never felt so desperate before in his life. He had never been so afraid of being in the dark, not like this. On a regular day, Ion would find this peaceful, a place he could get away to, but today it was a prison cell. “She needs me, she’s just being stupid. You know Anika wont make it without me!”

“She took Vincent with her, Ion,” Erik argued weakly, “He can protect her just as well as you can. She’ll be home in a few hours, and then we can let you out.”

A few hours…

“Her birthday…” Ion muttered in realization.

“What was that?” the angel questioned.

“Anika’s birthday… it’s only in a few more hours – it’s tomorrow…” Ion couldn’t believe he had forgotten that. He had been planning things to do for her that day since she had first come to the Void. Lady Luck was certainly a cruel mistress to them. Maybe it was just that birthday luck that would give Anika the little boost she needed…maybe she could do it on her own. “Hey, Erik?”

“Yes?”

“I hope you’re right…”

“Stay here with Kane,” Anika said to Vincent as she rose to her feet.

Both sets of eyes looked over at her in shock. She didn’t flinch from their stares, she had been expecting them. She knew that both had intended to enter with her. They both had automatically decided that they would assist her in fighting Darien. To be told to stay behind and wait was simply something that had never crossed their mind.

“You can’t be serious,” Kane retorted, “You can possibly be thinking about taking on Dairen by yourself! That’s suicide!”

“I have to be the one to fight this battle,” Anika replied, her words passive. She was acting as if she didn’t care for the fact that this was by far the most dangerous thing she’d ever do in her life. In fact, she knew very well, and was terrified, but she wouldn’t let the other two know that. “I won’t have anyone else get hurt on my account. This is supposed to be my story, right? This is my prophecy, and I’ll end it the way I think best.

Anika knew she was being selfish. The way she was about to settle this all was trading others lives for the sake of Ions. She knew this was a ridiculous choice, but she would not be dissuaded. Anika let her eyes linger on Kane and Vincent for a moment trying to work up the courage she’d need. “No matter what happens, you cannot interfere. So it’s best if you just stay out here, where it will be safe.”

“So you’re really going in alone…” Vincent muttered.

She turned from them and faced the church, her eyes examining the surface again. It looked just as it had in her dream. “Yes,” she answered after a moment of silence. She pulled out one of the many throwing knives Vincent had gotten for her.

“Tell me this, Anika,” the Vincent began again, “Do you plan on coming back?”

There was a long, painful pause of silence. Durring that moment, Anika ran through her plan in her head, picking through the details of the path she had chosen. There was a good chance she’d die, and then there was the chance she’d make it out alive. “I don’t know…I guess we’ll see.”

Without another word, Anika walked to the open door of the church. She paused only for a second before she slipped in, tiptoeing through the small gap Kane had emerged from before. Her hands started to shake first, but she called to the Void’s magic, pulling it to her, filling herself with it. Give me courage, she requested. She felt the warmth fill her veins as if she were summoning her dragon, but Anika knew full well that it would not release itself unless she gave the say so. There was no using the dragon in this battle, Anika would fight on her own.

Inside the church, it was silent. The light that filtered in was dim, dirty as the windows it peeked through. The church was just as she had seen in her dreams, pews all in a row, destroyed Bibles, and tattered Hymns. There was only new addition to the view was the figure that stood at the alter, laughing at the empty space where the cross had once been. Just the laugh that slipped past his lips was enough to tell her who it was, let alone the dark, tainted magic that she could sense surrounding him.

Quietly, carefully, Anika made her way to the center row between the pews. She stepped over fragments that would have crunched and given away her position. She was careful about where she placed her feet as she moved. Her eyes continuously flickered between the path she was walking and Darien’s back. She griped her throwing knife tightly, her breath stilling completely as she took aim. Please, she begged the magic she had brought inside her, Let me hit, don’t let me miss, guide my throw.

She flung her arm silently. There was no grunt or cry that followed the motion, no noise that would give away her attack. If one was going for the element of surprise, she had to be quiet. The sharpened metal flew through the air without even a whistle. Anika watched, waiting for the moment it would hit him.

Darien suddenly turned, catching the knife between two fingers without the slightest sign of effort. “Well, well, well…so nice of you to join me, Anika.” He smiled at her, the kind of smile a man would give an old friend at a high school reunion. “I wondered if that was you, causing all that ruckus outside. I see you left your friends outside; will you not be calling your vessel out to play? I would have loved to see him again.”

“He’s not here,” Anika retorted.

“Oh, really?” Darien looked both disappointed and happy at the same time. Things would be much easier for him if he didn’t have to worry about the dragon first. “That’s a shame…Oh well, maybe next time – wait, there wont be a next time, will there?” he chortled with actual glee, his copper eyes gleaming dangerously. “Well then…I guess you’ve picked your ending, let’s begin.” The second those words left his mouth, he threw the dagger back at Anika.

Anika dropped into a crouch seconds before the metal object stabbed into the wood of the wall behind her with a loud thunk! She pulled out two more knives, fitting them to stand out between her knuckles. She ran forward just as a burst of black flame shot up behind her. She heard its roar as it followed her down the aisle of the church. A black inferno shot up in front of her before she could reach Darien, and she threw both knives before dodging into a row of pews. She could feel every limb in her body trembling.

Stay calm, she told herself, you can get through this. The Void will help me…it will give me the strength I need to accomplish what I have set out to do… The tremors that ran through her body soon receded, and she took a deep breath. She knew her goal, she had to get close enough to break the sphere, that was what she had to do. That was all she had to do. Anika waited a moment until the sound of the flames vanished. She stood as soon as she pulled the knife at her hip out and ran. She rounded the corner and sprinted down the aisle. It wasn’t too hard; Darien never moved from his place, he didn’t feel the need to.

She knew what he thought of her, he had told her before in the dream. He thought she was a worthless waste of space. He didn’t think she was capable of managing anything on her own. Anika knew Darien had said these things to trick her into coming alone, but the fact was, this was how it should be. There would be no one sacrificing their lives for her, she would take care of this all on her own. She may not be able to do much, but she’d prove her worth.

Anika managed to close a lot of space before the flames started again. She dodged around some, using the violet mist that clung to her to provide what protection and speed she needed. The Void knew what she was doing, and it aided her in only the ways she requested. It could do nothing more. She leapt through the black combustion as it shot up in another wall before her. She felt the searing heat tear at her skin, lighting her clothes and hair while it left marks on her skin. The Void removed the threat seconds later, leaving her with the minor wounds that the leap had given her.

She swung her blade, but Darien took her attack with a grain of salt, batting her aside like an old plaything. Anika lost her grip on the knife when she hut the ground, but she didn’t care, not at that moment. She was close enough; she felt it in every fiber in her body. The pouch opened easily to her touch and she grabbed the sphere before she charged again, running straight towards him. Again he knocked her down, but this time, he slammed his foot down on top of her as if he were to crush her like the bug he thought of her as.

“Come now, Anika,” Darien scoffed, “Can’t you do better than this? Oh, right, you’ve never had to really fight before have you? No, you let other people fight for you…then you’re rather foolish to be taking me on for your first attempt, would have been easier to start with Kane. Oh well…It’s your funeral.”

“Maybe so…” Anika hissed, her breathing becoming rather limited by the crushing weight the man was exerting on her. “But I’m taking something with me…” With all the force she had, she smashed the glass ball into Darien’s leg. The fragments bit into her hand as it cut through the material of his pant leg, but it accomplished what she aimed for. The violet mist exploded into its proper size, engulfing Darien. It entered through his mouth, his pores, anywhere it could, and the magic invaded him. Steal his magic! Take away his abilities! Those were the orders given to this storm of violet mist; Take away the power he has been using against us!

Darien screamed with frustration when all but his element were stripped from him. His foot lifted from Anika only to kick her, the force of it throwing her back across the church. “You little wench,” Darien snarled as he stalked toward her, “So that was the little trick you were hiding? To bad it couldn’t do any better.”

Anika stated to push herself back up, grabbing the small dagger she had hidden at her ankle. “I think it id just what I wanted it to,” she retorted as she lurched forward. Darien was close enough; there was no way for her to miss. The knife dug into the man’s side, drawing blood to the surface. There was a slight grunt on his end as the metal cut into him, but he backhanded her all the same, knocking her away. As she stumbled away, she pulled the knife with her. She held it with a death grip, once this one was gone, she had maybe one more left, and then she was weaponless.

The redhead stumbled back as Darien swung at her, flames encircling his hands. The fire singed the front of her shirt, but was not close enough to light it. As soon as his hand followed through, Anika took another swing at him, the blade running across the skin of his arm, cutting deep. In retaliation, a ball of flames shot out at her, shoving her violently towards the alter her back had been facing. She fell, her hand loosing its grip on her knife. She would have retrieved it if it was her last weapon, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, she pulled out the last knife on her person as she stood, holding it tight in her hands, and waiting for Darien’s next move. She watched as he stopped to look at the blood that was leaking from his wounds with absentminded curiosity.

His copper, yellow-rimmed eyes lifted to meet her gaze, and Anika felt a chill run down her spine. “I’m getting tired of your little games…Kale!” he called. To his left, there was the crash of something falling over, and seconds later, Kale was there beside Darien. “Take care of this nuisance, I’m sick of her.”

Kale turned to her, a malice grin spreading across his lips. He did not touch the broadsword strapped to his back, but walked towards her, his steps inhumanly quick. His soulless eyes locked onto her frame as he moved, finding the way she flinched at his appearance amusing.

He seemed to have evolved.

Anika shook her head; she had to remember that this wasn’t really Kale. Kale had died weeks ago, this was just his possessed body. That didn’t mean she’d have no problem in fighting the face of her friend, no, it would kill her to just hold up the knife to him.

That little problem was solved when Kale smashed his clawed hand into hers, forcing her to drop her weapon. The redhead stumbled back, mindful of the steps behind her, as she pulled her now bleeding hand away from his claws. Being only human, Anika was to slow to protect herself. The blow soon followed her attempt at a retreat. One after another, Kale slammed his fists into her, knocking her around like a punching bag.

She had never expected it to be like this. Anika had known that Darien had kept Kale somewhere close by to finish her off if he chose to do to, but she had thought that Darien would have ended it quicker than this. After all, he didn’t want the dragon to come out, but right then, Anika didn’t think she’d get the chance to release the dragon, let alone defend herself. A blow to her torso resulted in the cracking of a rib, and Anika screamed yet again.

As if she were his doll, Kale let her stay standing, holding her up with a single hand as he had his fun beating her senseless. Soon enough, that hand gripped her throat and threw her to the ground, slamming her face into the wood flooring of the church. She could hear light footsteps of Kale picking his path around her as Darien laughed in amusement at her pain. She could feel the blood on her face, the ach in her body as it took the abuse it was given as best it could.

Carefully, slowly, Anika pushed herself to her knees. She tasted blood in her mouth, from where she didn’t know. Carefully, she spat a red glob from her mouth, proving that it was indeed blood that she had tasted. Her blue eyes lifted from the red on the floor to look at Darien. He was watching her with as much amusement as a child would have when watching a Saturday morning cartoon. “What are you waiting for…?” she muttered weakly.

The man gave her a curious look, accompanied by the tilt of his head, “What was that?” he asked, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite hear you.”

“What are you waiting for?” she asked again, her tone a little louder this time.

“Oh, what am I waiting for,” Darien echoed as if the question didn’t have any morbid meaning to it. “Let’s see, what am I waiting for? Huh, I’m not sure. Maybe I’m waiting to see how long it takes for your friends to come in and try to save you.”

“They won’t…come…” Anika muttered, concentrating on her breathing, “No matter…what happens, they said they would…not enter…”

Darien frowned then, sighing, “Well, that’s no fun.” He crossed his arms and leaned over to whisper something to Kale who listened respectively to his master. “Now, let’s end this, since that’s what you seem to want, Anika.”

Anika lifted herself to her feet, and they waited as she swayed. Her eyes were on Kale rather than Darien, waiting for whatever was to come next. Without a signal Anika could see or hear, the brunet shot forward, drawing out his broadsword as he moved. The redhead stiffened, bracing herself for the words.

There was no slice and dice like she had expected when he drew the sword. Instead, Kale rammed into her shoulder first and flung her across the room. She hit the back wall hard, and the second she hit it, she felt something else. Something that pierced through her, pinning her there. Anika stared at the ceiling as her mind began to register the thing that was there, impaling her through the stomach. Although she was frightened to, she lowered her gaze to look at what had done this to her. Slowly her eyes widened, brimming with tears that then spilled over her cheeks in salty rivers.

Kale’s broadsword had her pinned to the wall by her stomach.

At first, she didn’t feel it, it was just there, protruding from her stomach in a display that made her feel sick. Then, in a rush, Anika felt it. She felt the pain of it all, the blood leaking from her, the ripped flesh, and the stabbed organs, all of it. Blood bubbled to her mouth and spilled form her lips in a ruby waterfall. She coughed and gagged, trying to keep herself from sobbing, the action would only make things worse.

Darien’s laughter reached its peak as it snaked through the air to invade her mind, “How’s that, Anika? Do you like that?” He kept his eyes on her as Kale moved in for the kill. “In a few seconds here, Kale’s going to finish it all, so there’s no real need to worry about the pain you’re in. Now, since I’m going to take care of all my problems with this last move, I think I’ll be nice. Do you have anything to say before you die?”

Anika had to clear her head of the pain before she could remember what she was supposed to say. She had this all planned, there was a way to do this, she had seen this all. There was something important she had to say before she died, something that would help the others in the future. “I d –” she paused to spit out another round of blood that pushed itself up to her mouth.

Kale was right there now, his hands gripping her head, lifting it to expose her throat. He leaned forward, jaws parting to rip her throat out.

Darien still had the amused look on his face, his eyes gleaming as he watched, “You better hurry, Anika.”

“I declare Kale as my dragon’s vessel.”

Not even a second after the words left her mouth she felt Kale’s teeth break through the flesh of her neck and he ripped it out, blood spraying freely from the open wound. She felt the rush of the blood leaving her throat; making her feel light those few seconds she would have left. Her head dropped, her wide blue hues staring straight ahead. Darien continued to laugh, he didn’t seem to care for the fact that her words had cost him his control on Kale, after all, the boy was only a pawn.

He was disposable.

In those last few second of life she had as her blood spilled from her, she saw Kale. His eyes suddenly reverted back to normal, a black mist slipping from his mouth, followed by blood. His emerald orbs locked with Anika’s fading ones, and tears mixed with blood streaked his cheeks. He began to shake, fear breeching the surface of his visage, “I don’t want to die.”

Regret.

Anika had been wrong.

Kale really had been in there the whole time, trapped under the shadow that had taken over his body. He had died once, and had been given a second chance by Darien’s dark abilities. Now he was dying again. He watched Anika breathe her last before he felt the pain explode inside him. He screamed and fell to his knees as his insides began to rot. “Brother!” he screamed. Where was Kane, he was supposed to be there, he was always supposed to be there. He heard the door creak in a loud protest as it was forced open further and he turned his head.

There in the doorway, staring right at Kale was Vincent. Kane had been left outside, but Vincent was there, one foot inside the church, his wide amber eyes staring at Kale. He knew. Vincent now knew that Anika had been wrong, and he felt his stomach twist painfully. “Kale?”

“I don’t want to die!” Kale shouted, his body shaking as his fear consumed him. “Vincent!” He could feel the blood spilling from his mouth as he spoke, he could feel the blood that meshed with his tears as they had when he was dying before. His internal organs twisted and rotted inside him, the spell eating him from the inside out.

Darien laughed a joyous laugh, watching the little soap opera before him. “Wonderful! What do you think, Vincent? Isn’t it lovely? Anika said she’d be taking something with her, but I never thought she’d kill her little friend a second time.”

“You son of a bitch!” Vincent snarled as he turned to the other male. It was about time he got revenge for what Darien had done to them all. He had nearly been killed by Darien all those years ago, and had done the same to Erik before that. Now it was time to return the favor.

Before the fire demon could lash out, Darien called his flames, pulling them out from the dark crevices of his reach. They blocked Vincent’s path and spread across the church hungrily. “Not today, Vincent. You’ll have to wait your turn like everyone else,” Darien scolded with a crazed smile. He turned and exited the church through another door that lead straight into the Ease Village.

Vincent was torn. He had to catch Darien and finish this once and for all, but he had to stop these flames lest they never retrieve Anika and Kale’s bodies. The demon was forced to retreat as his abilities did nothing to the black flames Darien had summoned. Not even his flames could best the black inferno that spread across the entire surface of the church. He watched helplessly as Kale’s figure stilled and fell over, signaling his end for a second time before the flames consumed him. Soon after, the fire reached up and claimed Anika’s body as well, charring her body. Vincent exited the building before the flames could circle around and trap him, on his way out, he ran into Kane on his way in.

“Kale, Kale!” the elder sibling shouted as Vincent scooped him up off his feet. “No! Vincent, I heard him! He’s in there! He’ll be burned alive!”

“No,” Vincent retorted as he slung the boy over his shoulder and continued to walk from the burning church. He’s already gone, Kale.”

“But what happened to –”

“She’s dead, Kane. Anika is dead.”

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