Welcome back, my dear friends. This is it. The final chapter. We've finally reached the end. After 2 and a half years, I've finally finished this story. And a nice sense of fulfillment has settled itself inside of me. It feels so good to carry out all you wanted to do to a satisfying end.
First of all, I would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I really appreciate your time and effort in sharing your thoughts on my story.
Secondly, hope you guys are ready for some more because I'm planning a sequel. And another after that. I'm thinking of writing a quadrilogy, with this story being the first entry. If interested, stay tuned to my profile. I will be posting updates.
Thirdly, a disclaimer. I am in no way associated with the names, songs, the movie 'Drag Me to Hell' or its characters. All copyrighted merchandise belongs to its respectful owner. All I am doing here is trying to tell a story and entertain any reader taking an interest in it.
Lastly, I give you the faces of all the characters in this chapter: Elaiel (Sean Faris), Christine (Alison Lohman), Ganush (Lorna Raver), the stranger (Tom Ellis), Aella (Ellen Hollman), Repel (Justin Hartley), Sira (Virginia Gardner), Manael (Steven Krueger), Uriel (Scott Adkins).
Now, as always, enough stalling. The final chapter. Will Elaiel deliver Christine from evil? Will he finally overcome the powerful Lamia? Let's see.
CHAPTER X – ...DELIVER ME (part 2)
The volcano was settled, content with just releasing fumes and hot vapors into the atmosphere, contrasting with its usual activity of gushing magma from all its orifices while tremors swept the surface at regular intervals. At the base, the souls of the damned, locked in their cages, screamed madly, consumed with pain at the hands of the horrific torture of their captors.
Above them, a dozen feet high, a large entryway made out of twin, stone doors was crafted into the slope of the landmass, ornamented with carvings depicting human souls in agony and demons submitting them to all sorts of excruciating laments. On top of all of that was sculpted a massive representation of Lamia's head, as if he was overseeing everything that was happening in his domain, responsible for all the suffering of the damned.
Beyond the twin doors, there was a long rocky corridor, lit by torches left and right, and about thirty demons. Unoccupied with the exception of the occasional fights and brawls for bragging sake, they mostly just wasted time, hoping they would get their turn into feasting on the prisoners below.
Suddenly, the doors were blown to shreds. Taken by surprise, the hellspawns gathered close to the entrance to investigate what had occurred. Unable to see from the all the dust, one of them stepped forward. The only thing it saw was a sword being impaled straight between its eyes. As it turned to dust, the others backed away, unsure of what to make what they had just witnessed. At that same moment, Elaiel came out through the dust, in full battle stance.
(Author's note: Brian Tyler - Hamburg Invasion; MW3 OST)
Although left staggered at first, the demons, moved to engage the newly arrived, thinking him to be easy prey. And not even a single one of them was successful. The angel adroitly evaded their attacks, with considerable ease and employed deadly counterstrikes that proved terminal. Wielding dual swords, he proved to be too much for the creatures before him. Even when he remained weaponless, throwing his swords at two incoming opponents, he still managed to remain untouchable, using skillful hand to hand combat moves to disable, incapacitate and completely terminate every foe that dared approached.
Realizing that they were up against a vastly superior adversary, the remaining demons put several feet between them and the angel, in order to regroup and revise their strategy. To their dismay, Elaiel kept advancing towards them, displaying a grin on his face, as if he was more enjoying himself than being in a life or death situation. A small dose of fear installed itself within the demons, unable to figure out a solution to stop him. They knew they had to resort to supernatural energy strikes.
As they launched black orbs and dark waves at Elaiel, he threw himself on his back, successfully dodging the incoming attacks, and slid across the floor, reaching the forward most demon. Using his legs to trip it and bring him down, he caught the creature while falling and hurled it at its companions, destabilizing their ranks. Quickly getting up, he stole a sword from a hellspawn's hip and expertly waved it left and right, dispatching dozens of demons in the process. Their numbers were diminishing, only three more left to attempt to stop the angel.
With no other worthy strategy in mind, they opted to use their demonic speed to simply charge at the angel and bring him down. Seeing them approaching with immense velocity, Elaiel simply jumped in the air, allowing them to pass unchecked beneath him. Once back on the ground, he used his right foot to lift a fallen spear from one of his victims and launched it at the group that had attempted to run him over. It landed straight into a hellspawn's head, disintegrating him on the spot. Its two comrades stared at him horrified, but as soon as they realized they had taken their eye off of Elaiel, it was too late. Wasting no time, the angel reached their position and started to violently beat them to a bloody pulp. The demons could do nothing but receive punch after punch, kick after kick, reduced to mere punching bags. And Elaiel was relentless in his assault, sharing all his hatred towards them in brutal blows.
At one point, he ceased his attack, as the creatures barely stood on their feet. Wishing to finish them off, he jumped at them in such a way that he grabbed the neck of one of them with his hands, while using his legs to do the same to the other. With one swift movement, he snapped both their necks at the same time, leaving their dust to fall to the ground and lay there forever.
Reverting to his neutral stance, Elaiel looked behind to check if any more demons had been left. To his satisfaction, the corridor was clear of any other enemy, him being the only one there. He smiled contently and resumed going deeper into the volcano.
/|\
Christine was in a medium sized cage that was hanging by the ceiling via four chains. Stone walls formed a pathway in front of her while behind, she could not see anything but another wall, meaning she was at the end of the confinement she was in. Torches made out of human skulls filled the side of the walls, lighting the place up relatively easy. The furthest thing she could distinguish in front of her was an arcing entryway, leading toward other rooms or corridors unknown.
She would not have paid attention to any other sound seeking to beckon her, but when she heard her name being called by a familiar voice, she was compelled to look and see who it was. And when she checked, she was shocked. In front of her, below, was no other than Elaiel. Shocked and surprised. How was it that he was there? How had he found her?
"Are you alright?" The angel asked her.
Before she could muster up the strength to respond, a horrifying visage showed herself before her, standing behind Elaiel. From that point onward, all she could do is scream in fright.
Elaiel got startled by her reaction but when he quickly regained his composure, he sensed a presence behind him. Wasting no time, he spun on his feet, only to see Lamia's face a few inches from him, grinning with abhorrently sharp fangs. He understood now. Round 2 was at hand.
Lamia proceeded to launch a powerful right hook at the angel, violently sending him into the wall. With lightning fast movement, he quickly reached there and grabbed Elaiel by the throat, maintaining him at his level of height. "I knew you couldn't stay away," the beast said joyfully. "That's why I let you escape. I knew your bloodlust would eventually lead you back to me." He started a horrendous chuckle that caused great pain to Christine's ears.
Elaiel struggled to break free of the demon's grasp but it was to no avail.
"Tell me, little angel, how would you like to revisit the sight of how I had fun with your Ahziel before I tore her to pieces?"
Elaiel casted a glimpse at Christine, but he was not looking at the blonde woman. He was gazing beyond her, at Sylvia Ganush. He turned back at Lamia and smiled. "Now I see. I finally see the bigger picture. But you..."
Ganush was hanging by the wall next to the cage and was getting ready to jump, in order to reach it. With a well coordinated movement, she leaped and grabbed the bars of the cage to hold herself there. The action, however, was not without sound, and it drew the attention of a very surprised Lamia. "What the fuck?"
"...you DON'T!" Elaiel finished his sentence and manifested two swords from his wings, which he used to stick them right in Lamia's eyes. The demon let go of his grip on him, as he started to wail in excruciating pain.
The angel recalled a moment from before.
Elaiel and Ganush were gazing at the large volcano, standing on a surrounding hilltop.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" The woman inquired with concern.
"Yes. If I put the concealing veil on you, it should mask your spiritual aura. Lamia will not be able to detect you or see you coming."
"Won't that put a considerable strain on your abilities?"
"It will. But don't worry about me."
"Very well," Ganush agreed with his plan. "Do you understand where Christine is being held?"
"Yes. Let's go get her!"
His idea had worked. Although the effort of maintaining the veil on Ganush took its toll on him, Elaiel breathed relieved that Lamia did not manage to sense the woman in any way. Once he had discovered her, it had been already too late. Therefore, to further incapacitate the demon, Elaiel performed a rotating back kick in the air, that sent his enemy crashing into the opposite wall.
In the mean time, Ganush had opened the door to Christine's cage. However, the blonde woman reacted frightened and backed away from her. Free to use his power now, Elaiel teleported next to them. "That surely pissed him off!" He declared, referring to Lamia, who continued to let out loud moans of agony.
"Stay away from me!" Christine cried in fear, gluing her back to the cage's bars, seeking to get as far away from the two as possible.
"It's alright. We're not going to hurt you. I promise you. Not anymore." Elaiel addressed her in the most reassuring and softest voice possible. "I know you don't trust me. You have no reason to. I treated you so badly... I hurt you... and I'm sorry... I am so so sorry... I wish I could take it all back. But I can't. The only thing I can do now is to take you away from here. For forever this time."
Reluctant to heed his words, Christine attempted to make another step backward, but the bars halted any kind of progress. Beyond that, Lamia's unnatural shrieks further added to her anxiousness.
The demon slowly directed his hands toward the swords, in an attempt to remove them. Elaiel knew that if that were to happen, they would all be in grave danger. So, he trained his arm forward and the blades began to burn excessively hot, emitting a reddish color. As soon as Lamia touched them, he found the sharp pain to be overwhelming and let out even louder cries.
"Christine, please," Elaiel begged her. "We're running out of time. Come with us. Please, let me save you."
"Take her and go," Ganush added. "I will remain behind and buy you as much time as I can."
"What?" Elaiel barked irritated.
"I was never meant to be saved, to go to heaven... Not after what I have done. But she deserves to. She should have never come here in the first place."
"You gotta be kidding me. Now you come up with this crap?"
"Please, take her and go. While you still can."
Christine was beyond astounded at the older female. Not only did she appear and sound human for the first time in such a long while, she was even offering to sacrifice herself so as to assure her escape. Her behavior completely perplexed her, being in complete contrast to her usual ruthless and vicious disposition towards her. It had to be some sort of ploy, a twisted and cruel play concocted by Lamia to further torment her, get her hopes up and then sweep the rug right under her feet. It would not be the first time the demon amused himself while subjecting her to such merciless tortures.
But then, she noticed Elaiel's vexed reaction at Ganush's suggestion. He seemed tremendously crossed at the thought of leaving her behind. His eyes denoted plenty of fury and complete dismissal towards the other woman's idea. It struck her as suspiciously strange. Usually, Lamia's scenarios were pretty straightforward. Hope was presented as being there for the taking, without any kind of complication or setback. And soon after, like a snap of the fingers, the demon would pull her back into the real world where hopelessness and the lack of salvation reigned supreme. But now, the sight in front of her was chaotic, utterly different from Lamia's style. It was taking way too long to reach the point of absolute hope. It felt like a merry-go-round, spinning in the same circle without any actual enjoyment for a supposed torturer. And further emphasized by Lamia's howls of agony, so real, so angry, so frightening, it all created a trail of doubt that she could not process.
Could the two in front of her actually be telling the truth? Was this actually real and not just another illusion created by Lamia? It seemed hard to believe but then again, it was just as hard to dismiss. Although she had questioned her sanity in the past, deep down inside, she knew that now was not the case. It forced her to open her mind to the two's sincerity. She wondered hard if she should let her guard down and believe them. She rewound all that had occurred since Elaiel arrived. And each time, it felt more real, more tangible. All culminating with Lamia appearing visibly surprised when Ganush had made her presence known. She never had seen him express such shock. That was it. All the proof she needed. It was all real.
Suddenly, she comprehended what Ganush was attempting to do. It hit her like a brick, with an endless weight. The monster that had haunted her for so long was revealed to be fully human. A cold pang of sadness took hold of her, as she figured that Ganush had been suffering in hell just as much as she had. Despite being directly responsible for her being there, Christine understood her plight and saw her in a whole new light. She had no place to be in hell, as much as any human would. No one, not even the cruelest and vilest of souls, deserve to be there, to suffer for all of eternity. Both of them had been damned because they had been too selfish to consider the other. It was high time that changed. Therefore, awaken as if from a trance, Christine decided to intervene. "Mrs. Ganush, no! You can't do this."
"My child... my place is here... with the damned. I have committed a terrible crime. For that, I must carry out my punishment."
"But I forgive you," Christine yelled. "Is that what you want to hear? I forgive you. Will that convince you to come with us?"
Meanwhile, outside the heated discussion in the cage, Lamia was working through the pain, having gripped the swords in his hands and was now attempting to remove them. Smoke was stemming from his palms, his skin burning severely. Noticing this, Elaiel snapped his fingers. The blades exploded and Lamia was left with his face injured beyond recognition. He knelt, crying profusely, swearing all sorts of profanities at the angel. "You motherfucking, cock-sucking, whore lover! I will tear you in half and shit all over your carcass, you pathetic cunt..."
Realizing he is out of staling methods, the angel knew they did not have much time left. "Ladies, I so hate to interrupt this tender moment, but we REALLY need to get out of here, asap," he urged the women.
Ganush caressed Christine's cheek. "How come I did not see the gentle soul you are?"
"Because you didn't meet me earlier. You can still get to do that if you come with us."
Much to Elaiel's chagrin, Ganush nodded negatively. And to further add to his grievance, he sensed a massive energy buildup from Lamia's location. He was using his powers to heal his wounds and regenerate. His face was quickly reverting to normal, his eyes being the last that needed to be fixed. Time was definitely up and Elaiel was fully aware of it.
(Author's note: Christopher Young - Lamia; Drag Me to Hell OST)
"Screw this!" He said and proceeded to grab the two women in his arms and fly away. At full speed, the three burst out the exterior of the volcano and hurried toward the mountain where the portal was located. Not far behind them was a very angered Lamia, chasing them in the shape of a colossal cloud spearheaded by his grotesque, goat-like head. Although the angel and the two women had a considerable head start, the demon was slowly catching up to them.
In addition to that, Elaiel was faced with another problem. Ganush caught wind of it. At this velocity, they should have been at the portal by now. "What's wrong?" She inquired.
"I can't find the damn mountain," Elaiel answered. "He must be altering the landscape so we won't get away."
Ganush figured it out while gazing ahead. It was as if they were moving in a circle, not reaching any particular destination. After all, this was Lamia's domain. He could do whatever he pleased with it, including reshaping it to confuse any victim attempting to escape. And considering the fact that he was gaining on them, his plan of stalling them was proving dishearteningly successful. Their chances of survival were seriously being reduced.
Christine peeked behind them and let out a gasp of terror, seeing how close Lamia was getting. "Oh my God, he's coming!" She warned.
"Shit," Elaiel cursed, visibly panicked and anxious. He had not managed to foresee Lamia using this hindrance against them. And the fact that he could not distinguish any noticeable known marks in sight to act as a guide, allowed him to become increasingly desperate. Therefore, in an attempt to gain more speed, he manifested his wings. But even with that, it seemed futile. No matter how hard he tried to put distance between them and the demon, the easier it appeared for the latter to outmaneuver him and continue getting closer. Elaiel hated how Lamia made everything so frustratingly impossible.
It all seemed hopeless when the demon was just a few feet behind them. He extended a massive arm forward, trying to grab them. Seeing this, Christine shrieked in horror while Ganush begged the angel to go faster. As for Elaiel, he released a loud roar, giving everything he had to his top speed. They were flying so fast that the landmasses beneath them passed by in the blink of an eye in a vortex of continuous movement.
At one point, Lamia was only inches away from grabbing Elaiel's foot.
Suddenly, the stranger walked outside the portal cave and watched the scene with an exasperated sigh. "Freaking angels," he declared and walked away while raising his hand. As soon as he did that, the portal grew beyond its rocky confinement, manifesting itself as an immense blue streak above the peak of the mountain, stretching upward and touching the clouds. Noticing its light shining the surrounding skies, Ganush pointed toward it. Elaiel immediately figured out what it was. He peered below, at the cavern entrance and spotted the stranger saluting him with two fingers before vanishing into thin air. He must have been responsible for revealing the portal to them in such a manner, helping them to escape in the process. Elaiel realized then and there that he had been on his side since the beginning.
Wasting no further time, the angel proceeded to fly straight to the thin, blue tear, to cross beyond it and leave hell.
Behind, Lamia was left bewildered at the sight of the enlarged portal. For a second, he pondered on how such a thing had been possible without his permission. However, upon noticing Elaiel and the two woman crossing over, he shook off any other thought and resumed his pursuit, going through the dimensional entryway himself.
(Author's note: Immediate Music - Sixty Voices Rise 1)
All Christine could see, beyond Elaiel holding her tight, was pitch black. She thought she could distinguish stars in the farthest reaches of her sight. But they were so far, they faded away, and she questioned if she was seeing things or not. Her hearing seemed to be afflicted as well. There was a deafening silence all around but she could clearly make out sounds in close proximity, like her breath or the flapping of her dress. The latter pointed to her that they were still moving, still flying. Glancing ahead, she saw a dim, white light, growing larger and larger. However, if they were still moving, it meant that...
Her fear came true when she looked behind them. Lamia was still chasing them and, as before, gaining on them with each passing second. All she could do was scream at the top of her lungs.
Elaiel ignored her, focused on the light at the end of the black void they were going through. He did not care for Christine's fright, it did not matter how close to them Lamia was. Everything except for reaching the light was of little consequence. Because that light was heaven. And if they make it to heaven successfully, their escape would be almost complete. That is why he concentrated as hard as he could do distribute all his energy to his flight velocity and move everything else in the background.
The light was getting closer and closer. But so was Lamia. If he caught up to them, all would be over, no matter how little they had left to reach heaven. Christine and Ganush, even Elaiel, considered how disillusioned that would be. To be so near salvation yet have it plucked away from their grasp in a mere instant. The angel thought about Ahziel. If they were to fail and fall, than at least he would have successfully honored her legacy, fighting for the innocent. However, another aspect entered his mind. A concept that demanded more of him. Something that would not allow him to fail.
The gateway in heaven was in the form of a medium size, stone arc, with beautiful ornaments sculpted by impressive craftsmanship abilities. Painted in an immaculate white, it stood in the middle of what appeared to be a park, with marble alleyways and surrounded by trees and hills. They complemented the serenity of the sight, further developed by the sound of birds chirping from above and the gently blowing wind tickling the grass blades.
The scene was quickly disturbed however, by the appearance of Elaiel and the two women from the blue portal under the arc. The angel stationed there as a guard jumped startled. Aella, Repel and Sira quickly came to greet the newly arrived.
"You alright?" Aella asked.
"Where's Uriel?" Elaiel inquired in a panicked state, frantically searching for the Archangel with his gaze.
"He's on his way over, with Manael," Sira replied.
Elaiel's entire world came crashing down, his eyes widened in fear like never before. He set his sight behind him, at the shimmering portal. No sooner after that, he was struck by a heavy blow and sent on his back.
(Author's note: Immediate Music - 4 Horsemen 2.0)
Lamia stepped forth from the portal, releasing a loud roar, his visage seeming even more grotesque than before. His black body heavily contrasted with everything there, especially in the full daylight of heaven. He was like a dark stain on an impeccably white surface. And the fact that he was furious unlike ever before, made him all the more terrifying.
The angels there rushed to engage him. Taking advantage of that, Christine and Ganush attempted to flee. With one wave of his hand, Lamia threw all the angels standing in his way to a side like mere objects. Elaiel quickly got back on his feet and charged at the demon. To his dismay, the latter used his superior speed to outmaneuver him and hold him by his neck. As he lifted the angel at his face's level, Lamia used his telekinesis to stop the two fleeting woman and drag them back. They were powerless to resist, and found themselves choked by the demon's supernatural grip.
They weren't the only ones. Elaiel's neck was squeezed so hard that he mustered less and less strength to try to break free. His movements, at first erratic and forceful, became sluggish and dragged. The only thing left in his power was to softly hit his captor's arm. He was fading away.
"I am going to enjoy skinning you alive," Lamia said with satisfaction, grinning with his misshapen fangs. "While I rape and eat your friends back there. Over and over and over again. All of you are MINE!"
"Boy, are you SO in the wrong place." Uriel said, standing behind the demon. Lamia turned his head in utter surprise, only to see a punch incoming. It staggered him, forcing him to drop Elaiel to the ground and release the hold he had over Christine and Ganush.
Uriel proceeded to punch a helpless Lamia repeatedly, his blows being more than the latter could handle. As Elaiel regained composure, he witnessed what was happening and marveled at the sight. Finally, someone that could overpower Lamia and drive him back, so easy in addition. A lingering feeling of pleasure instilled itself inside, watching the demon get pummeled in such a fashion.
Uriel's punches were not without purpose. He was pushing Lamia toward the portal. With only a few feet left, the Archangel delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that sent the demon rolling toward the blue gateway. Fortunately for him, Lamia was able to stop inches away. He got back on his feet in order to keep fighting. But when Uriel unfolded his wings, the beast was suddenly overburdened with a strong feeling of doubt and fear.
The Archangel's wings were large. Much larger than Elaiel's or his friends'. Spanning almost six feet from the outline of his torso, they were truly magnificent. Beyond that, he had three pairs of wings, all of them glowing with a much brighter light than that of regular angels. Same could be said of his eyes, shining ever so vividly, with the gleam of a trillion stars. A testament to his colossal power and divine heritage. The two women stared in wonder while Elaiel and his friends felt proud. As for Lamia, the glare he was getting from Uriel deeply terrified him. Just like that, all his urges to continue fighting and retrieve his prey turned to dust, replaced by an irresistible desire to flee. He spun around and leaped through the portal faster than anyone thought he could, cowering in his return to hell.
The Archangel folded his wings, making them disappear into his back. He flipped his hand and the portal from the arc vanished completely. "Everyone alright?"
"We're fine sir," Repel responded, being helped up from the ground by Manael. Aella first checked on Sira and then breathed relieved upon discovering Elaiel and the others alive and in one piece. The guard was wondering if he ever have had such excitement while being posted there.
Uriel walked toward Elaiel and helped him on his feet. "Thank you, sir," the latter expressed his gratitude.
"Just glad you're safe." Then, the Archangel peeked at the two human women standing there. "I think we should leave you take care of your business first. I'll be expecting a full report from you after you're done."
"Definitely, sir. We have much to discuss."
"I bet we do," Uriel acknowledged and walked away.
The next thing Elaiel saw was his friends staring at him. "Hell of a ride, Elaiel," Repel confessed.
"We'll catch up with you later at the tavern," Aella declared while urging the others away from the scene in order to leave Elaiel alone with the human women.
(Author's note: The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony)
Christine noticed a glow emanating from Ganush. A radiant light sprung from her face and enveloped her entire body. When it faded away, Sylvia Ganush was totally different, with her entire aspect changed, for the better. Her hair was neatly arranged and smooth, flowing down like the water of a clear spring. Her face's skin was no longer emaciated, but clean and unwrinkled, the blush having fully returned in her cheeks. Her teeth were not jagged, yellow and irregular anymore, but level and white. The most notable change was in her right eye. The grey color that marked the illness that had plagued most of her senior life had now went away. Her right eye was just as healthy as her left one. From the horrible, vicious looking monster she had been, Ganush was now, for the first in a long time, appearing as a human would. As she was meant to be.
"Oh my God," Christine could barely hold her joy, "Mrs. Ganush... You look so beautiful. And the sickness... it's gone."
Sylvia Ganush felt her face and noticed how soft and smooth her cheeks felt. Furthermore, she could see clearly with both her eyes. "I can see... I can see now!" Overjoyed and full of strong emotions of happiness, she allowed several tears to wash her face. Afterward, she proceeded to gaze at her hands. Her nails were clipped and in good health while the skin was, by the looks of it, in the same good condition as the one from her face.
However, what she saw beyond her hands caught her full attention. It was Christine, as gorgeous and stunning as the first day she had seen her long ago, at the bank. Her floral dress was not dirty anymore, as if having been fixed up by some kind of cleansing magic. Her golden hair simply sparkled in the daylight. She was well and safe, and it made her unquestionably glad.
In a pure rush of ecstasy, the two women grabbed their hands and started bouncing, delighted of their new circumstances. Seeing them so happy, Elaiel could not refrain from smiling. As far as he was concerned, all of them should celebrate in a victory dance.
"What happens now?" Christine asked him.
"Now? Now you get to enjoy the peace and comfort of heaven. Go! Paradise is waiting for you. You are safe... forever."
Christine approached him. "I cannot thank you enough... for everything. You are... You're truly amazing, you know that? We've been more than lucky to find someone like you. A messenger of hope, a great champion of the innocent and the helpless, a light in the darkness... Without you, we all would have perished. So I say again. Thank you so much!"
"You're safe," Elaiel replied. "That's all that matters."
With immense gratitude in her heart, Christine leaned over and kissed Elaiel's cheek. After sharing one last look with him, she turned to Ganush. The elder woman extended her hand. Christine reflected on everything that had happened but could not feel anything dark or negative. Not even a lingering sentiment of trauma. All she could feel was peace and calmness... A great calmness. Nothing else. And she breathed relieved. The nightmare had finally ended.
Taking Ganush's hand, they both started walking away. A spring of white light appeared around them and made them vanish into thin air, taking them into their rightful resting place in heaven.
As for Elaiel, he watched the two women in utter content. He was completely elated that he had managed to save Christine. That he had managed to save all of them. His thoughts turned to Ahziel, to what she cherished above all else in her life. It was her legacy. And he would carry it onwards for as long as he could. It was a vow he swore he would keep from that moment until he would die. He would keep it with Ahziel's memory, his respect and unending love for her. He still missed her terribly but as long as he would continue honoring her legacy, he would have her close to him every single time.
He pointed his view above, to the clear blue skies. The rays shined brightly with a pleasant intensity, making it a beautiful and wonderful day...
ENDING CREDITS
(Author's note: SECOND CREDITS SONG: Pendulum - Granite)
Can't believe I did it. Thank you again to every reader who stuck by this story till the end. Your attention means the world to me.
As I said before, stay tuned, I will be posting an update with the sequel to this story. Until then, stay safe and may fortune guide your journey.