Here we are, at the final battle! It's time for this saga to draw to a close! (You guys are all going to hate me by the end of this chapter…)

Previously on ATIS…

"What?" Sedna muttered, staring at Leif. "What are you doing here?"

"He came for us, Sedna," Sharzad said firmly. "He knew we were in trouble. He's just as much of a warrior as you or me."

Sedna bowed her head. "Thank you for your courage, Leif. Without you, we would have been defeated."

To hear praise from his chieftain, Sedna of all people, was the highest honor indeed. Leif smiled and held the Spirit of the Arctic out to her.

"What about the pirates?" Sharzad asked. "Where'd they go?"

"Let's not find out," Sedna answered.

-o-o-o-

Ahead, Aria saw someone. It was a man wearing a black robe with plated armor. His hair was long and brown, and his white face looked grim. He ran through the misty woods, giving them only a glimpse of himself.

Aria stared ahead. I've seen that man before… But she couldn't recall where. It was certain, however, that he did not belong in the Land of Dreams.

-o-o-o-

"I need you to go with my brother to the Glacian Castle," Sharzad said. "Help them cast the spell to release Aria from her prison."

Akna took the crystal in her hands, frowning. "But then who will take care of my child?"

Sharzad stared at Akna, her eyes beseeching. "Please," she said. "You are the only one who'll be able to take on that role. We're depending on you, Shamaness. We need you to help heal Aria."

Akna nodded slowly. "Then promise me this, Sharzad. Promise me no harm will come to my child."

"I will," Sharzad vowed. "You have my word."

-o-o-o-

They think I brought Angéle here because of the sins of her mother, Isolde thought. The truth was, she'd needed Angéle precisely because, she was the only known fairy trying to acquire Dreamix. After all, Dreamix was a difficult transformation to acquire; other than Desirée and some fairies whom Isolde could never have captured, no one else had that power. And thus, Isolde had taken a huge gamble in bringing Angéle here. But it looks like the Mind-Shifting Potion has worked. That, and the faith Aria and Angéle bestowed in each other.

And now my plan is perfectly in order. You poor girls have no idea what's coming.

Laughing, she reached the end of the hall, her mind filled with nothing but promised havoc for the future.

CHAPTER 24: THE SPIRITS OF THE ARCTIC

Aria closed her eyes, sitting cross-legged across from the frozen lake. She held the Axe to her chest, her mind meditating over her rage, her anger, her pain. For the first time, she felt a cruel sense of justice come over her.

It's time, she thought. Time for everything wrong in this world to be corrected. Time to avenge myself for all the wrong committed against me, by everyone who ever wanted me to fail! It is time for me to rise!

She could feel Isolde next to her, landing by her side on the snow. "When you're ready, open your eyes."

Slowly, Aria opened her eyes. She stared ahead at the hills that lay before her, leading up the castle.

Someone was walking towards her, in a cloak. The cloak was black and hooded, contrasting starkly against the white of the snow, and Aria stared in confusion. What is that… why is that thing walking towards me? Isolde glared at the black figure, her very voice dripping with hatred.

"That," she said coldly, "is the embodiment of wrong, the very essence of what has hurt you. You see, that person resembles betrayal and false love."

Aria stared at Isolde in confusion. I don't understand… Isolde sighed, shaking her head.

"You see, Aria," she said, "that is a person whom you know in real life, someone who has wronged you. You don't remember her, but she is here to ruin you, to render you a fool in front of everyone. For she will attack you, extracting your worst memories and displaying them in front of the world. You cannot let her! She will destroy you!"

Aria's heart lurched with fear. I can't let that ever happen again! Memories of Daewon, of Darius, of Cixi – all of them flashed through her mind. Isolde continued speaking, her voice a dead echo.

"But, if you attack first and reach into her subconscious, then you will win," Isolde continued. "Listen to me, Aria. This Axe has powers beyond what you know – the power to travel into someone's inner realm and embody their powers. And she is hiding someone within herself, Aria, a person who has committed numerous crimes. It's up to you to save the world from such people!"

Aria clenched her fists. I'm not letting her get away with this… Isolde continued to speak.

"Once you enter her mind," she said, "her subconscious will try to stir you away from your mission. Do not let it. Instead, you must enter the Land of Dreams, to which she has a portal to within her mind. You will find the man she is hiding there. Enter hither, and bring him back here – we will bring him to justice! Do you hear me?"

Aria nodded. "I will not fail, Your Iciness." She turned towards the black cloaked figure, pointing her Axe at her head.

She could feel herself connecting with the person's subconscious, a magical line between them both. The figure cried out in pain, but Aria ignored it, focusing on her powers. I will not let her win! She closed her eyes.

She felt her spirit departing as she moved into the girl's subconscious. She could hear thought amongst thought within her mind, a black expanse of nothingness. Then she heard a voice, loud and distraught.

Please, Aria, it prayed, please don't do this!

Aria halted. Where had she heard that voice before? It sounded so familiar, so impassioned. The voice continued to cry out. I know this isn't you!

Get a grip, Isolde's voice snapped inside of her head. This is your mission in life, to help me cleanse the world of evil. How do you expect to do that if you listen to such a voice?

Aria frowned. But I know that voice… Isolde snarled, her voice furious and angry.

Of course you know that voice! You know a thousand other voices just like this, people who will swindle you! So don't listen to this liar! This is your only chance to prove your worth!

Aria's eyes narrowed. I cannot let this person take me over… Focusing on her powers, she concentrated on finding the portal to the Land of Dreams, the place that this girl stored somewhere in her mind.

She could feel it. It appeared slowly, then began to materialize right in front of her. A gate to another world, it beckoned to her, white and swirling. Time to go… She dove into the portal, gasping as it sucked her spirit in.

She could feel the walls closing in on her, the whiteness of the place she had entered. She closed her eyes, feeling the energy rush against her. Then she felt herself crash, and everything went dark.

The portal crackled open, slamming Arishtat into the ground. He bit the snow hard, wincing as his mouth swelled up. Ow… But there was no time to combat the pain. He turned around and caught Daewon in his arms before he could crash as well.

"Thanks, mate," Daewon said lightly as Arishtat put him down.

The others were getting out of the portal. Maire landed feet-first on the snow, her eyes narrowed, and Atete fluttered gracefully behind. The other warriors and dogs landed, their weapons poised for battle. The last to land were Darius, Akna, and Saraswati, their eyes wary as they gazed ahead. Arishtat turned in front, and gasped.

Isolde's ice castle was immense. Towering high above their heads, it was made entirely of enchanted ice. It was the exact same shade of blue as the Gates of Glacia had once been. The gates surrounding the castle were as sharp as icicles.

"Umm"… Maire voiced what everyone else was thinking. "How are we going to get into that castle?"

"We're not." Darius gazed up at the castle, his eyes narrowed. "The portal led us to outside of the castle, so Aria must be outside only. She'll be around here somewhe" –

A bugle sounded. Arishtat looked up in horror as guards began to match towards them, shooting at them shards of ice.

"Wind shield!" Maire shouted. The whipping wind moved into her hands, and she created a barrier with it, stopping the ice from hitting them. Her eyes flashed, and Darius moved forward, drawing his sword. "Priestess Saraswati, do you sense Aria anywhere nearby?"

"I do," the old priestess nodded. "She is that way." She pointed to the east, past the perimeter of the castle.

"Then take the rest of them and go!" Darius dueled a palace guard, his eyes determined. Grabbing his own sword, Arishtat ran forward.

He forced all worry out of his mind as he clashed with the guard. All that matters is getting them there. He continued fighting, his mind blank as he faced the armored man.

They're depending on us…

Sedna curled her lip, posing her spear towards the enemy forces. Her warriors were fighting valiantly; the men on the ground, the women in the air. But this won't last forever… Swallowing, she scanned the forces, looking for some sort of central authority.

I have to fight their leader. Determination rose inside of her. I have to kill him or her. Without a leader, the Glacian forces will scatter. And that will be the end – at least, until Darius and his people can do their part. She gazed at the fields, frowning, but couldn't figure out who was in charge. They're hiding their leader so that we don't target –

"Well, if it ain't the lassie I seen before."

Sedna whipped around. Standing behind her was a distinctly familiar man wearing a Glacian military uniform. Although he'd somehow shoved his body into the uniform, his hair was disheveled and his breath still stank. You're one of the… "Pirates," she snarled, her voice filled with hatred.

"Ain't it a miracle?" the man grinned. "Her Icinis summont us from de Infinite Ocin, finally, for a place in 'er military. Ya people were fightin' and breakin' the Gate, an' so she sent us to fight the tribes. An' Ragnar's our regimen' leader! Ain't it great?"

"Your queen must be desperate if she's sending hooligans like you to fight us," Sedna snarled, whipping her spear in her hands. "You are a fool if you think you can defeat us. We are bound together by mutual unity and a purpose, while your forces are only bound together by fear of Queen Isolde! Once she's gone, there will be no reason for you to stay together."

The man flicked his ears. "Well, it was a deligh' talkin' ta ya. Now if ya'll excuse me, I gonna kill some" –

He never finished his sentence. Slamming her spear down over his head, Sedna let out the full fury of her weapon. He's going down… Sending a Sirenix spell into him, she sought his life-force, angrily fighting.

He struggled under her touch, gasping for air and unable to fight back. He was weak, but Sedna couldn't afford to show him mercy, not when he and his men had nearly killed her in the Infinite Ocean. It's payback time… Her spear breached through his helmet, and went into his head.

Then he shuddered, and fell to the ground.

Sedna stared down at the man. I killed him… But she couldn't give it a second thought. Scanning the forces, she stared around, searching for Ragnar Bloodaxe, the ruthless man who would stop at nothing to kill everything and everyone in this tribe who she loved.

We have to take him down.

Aria stared around, struck by the familiarity of the land she had just entered. I know this place… Staring, she looked around at the world she had just entered.

She was in a gloomy forest. The mist was thick and eerie, clinging to everything. The bare branches made her shudder – against the night, they were the scariest things she had ever seen. They should rename this the Land of Nightmares. Nervously, she walked into the woods.

She could see someone in front of her. Clad in black, wearing a suit of armor, his face was as pale as a ghost's. His figure seemed solid, more real than anything she'd ever seen in this realm.

He's brought his entire body here, Aria realized. His physical, mental, and spiritual self rests in this land – whereas I only have my mental and spiritual. She felt a glimmer of fear. The man let out a hiss, glaring at her.

"You are not welcome here," he spat, his eyes glimmering. "This is my land."

That's him, Isolde's voice rang in her head. That's the man you're looking for!

Aria glared forward. I'm not letting him get away with this… She flew towards him, shooting an attack spell at him, which he effortlessly dodged.

"I am the heir to the Sekuko estate," he snarled. "I have accumulated more magical knowledge in the past few years than you ever will in a lifetime." He lifted his arms. "Night sphere!"

Black energy shot out of his hands. She screamed as she was hit, blasted to the ground. A dark bubble appeared around her, and he laughed cruelly as she whimpered.

The memories of the night hit her like stone. Exploring this land with Angéle yesterday. Comforting her as she lay weeping about her father's death. Those memories hit her like an icicle, stabbing her as she remembered how Angéle had led her astray all along, how she had never loved Aria enough to stay with her in life –

Fool! Isolde snarled in her head. Fight against him!

I can't! Aria cried. More and more memories of Angéle descended upon her, and she cried out. I – can't!

Why do you think you have an Axe in your hands? Isolde snarled. So you can deal with fools like these! Now give him what he deserves!

What do you mean? Aria thought, confused. I don't have – She stared down at her hands. The Axe was still resting against her, its top gleaming dangerously purple.

Can I – use this? she thought. Use it to break free of this sphere?

She didn't know if it would work – all she knew was that she had to try. Unless she tried, she would surely die. Closing her eyes, she concentrated all of her power on breaking the prison bubble.

She could feel it cracking, the purple energy soaring as the memories released her, disappearing to the back of her mind. It's going away… She forced the bubble aside, opening her eyes as she stood on the ground. The man was staring at her, his mouth agape.

"That"… His eyes were wide. "How is this possible?"

Aria slammed her Axe on the ground. A crack appeared in the earth, lengthening as it extended dangerously towards the man. Gasping, he turned around and tried to run, but the impact of the spell made him fall. Aria flew up to him, smirking.

"Not so strong now, are you?" she sneered. "Why don't you take some of this?" She shot a solar beam into his backside. He screeched with pain, and she let out a cruel, satisfied laugh.

"Come with me," she said, her eyes dancing. "It's time I brought you to visit my mistress."

Binding the man with musical beams, she focused her powers on transporting them out. Let us leave that phantom's subconscious! She held her Axe, concentrating on pulling them both out of the land.

She could feel her energy draining at the spell, the power it required to transport them from the spiritual to physical dimension. I… can't… do… this… While it wouldn't be so much of a problem to carry her spirit back to her body, she had to transport this man's spirit, mind, and body back to the physical world.

Draw into his power-source, Isolde told her, the same way you did with that phantom girl. Even if you don't have the power to get him out of this land, he does! If he was able to transport his entire self here, he'll be able to transport himself back!

Aria focused her energy outward rather than inward, penetrating into the man's mind. I've got to make this happen… She grimaced against the power of the Axe, pushing and pushing.

The man's resistance was much stronger than the phantom's had been. But I've got to do this… She barreled her very self into his mind.

She could see a portal ahead of her, the same portal that had taken her here. Now! she thought. Focusing all of her energy, she forced the man into the portal.

She could feel his anguish, the pain at being forced into the portal, but she didn't care. Time for us to go… Turning all of her power outward and inward, she flew through the portal.

A blinding flash of white came over her eyes. Having used all of her energy, Aria collapsed, feeling her physical sense come over her like a weight of stone. It's over now… She fainted on the spot.

A white flash lit over the snow. Isolde watched as Aria's body twitched, her spirit presumably having returned.

Looks like Angéle's part is over… She blasted the girl away from the field, sending her out of sight. Then she stared at the flash, moving forward to see what it would become.

The man she hadn't seen in sixty-three years appeared on the ground. It was a shock to see him after so many decades, and her heart jolted almost instantly. So that useless girl cast the spell correctly… unbelievable… With his ripped black suit, his ornate armor looked like a mockery of his grandeur. A wide smile appearing on her face, she flew towards him.

"So, dear husband," she said, spitting out the word, "long time no see." A drop of spittle appeared on the man's face, freezing almost instantly. The man gasped in alarm, staring in horror up at his former wife.

She floated down to him, her icy-blue dress glittering with the fury of vengeance, her blue crown framing her pale hair perfectly. She kneeled down, holding his chin in her palm and scratching it with her long fingernails.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment," she whispered, "so long." She glared down at him.

"For so long I have waited to see you," she spat. "To inflict upon you the pain you deserve, the pain you have caused me. You betrayed me, and you took my daughter away from me as well!"

"I had to!" Izō said weakly. "You never would have taken care of Yuki properly. In the best interest of our child, I had to take her and raise her as a Sekuko!"

Isolde slammed her ice into him. He cried out in pain.

"Your best interest right now would be to surrender!" she snarled. "Surrender, and your death will be less painful!"

But he was too strong for her. Lifting his arms up, he lashed at her, sending darkness over her eyes.

She laughed as he blinded her, taking away her ability to see. As if I need to see to locate the man who broke my heart… Focusing on his warmth, his life-source, she concentrated on freezing it, killing him for the very blood that ran through his veins.

But he resisted her power. Shooting a cosmic ray at her, she cried out as he slammed his energy at her, forcing her to her knees.

"I am a Sekuko," he snarled. "The blood of the Ancestresses runs through my veins. If you think you can beat that so easily, then think again, woman! I will defend my blood with my last breath!"

"And so will I," Isolde retorted. She froze his cosmic ray, and he gasped in shock and outrage.

"Bring it on!" she snarled. Flying into the air, she barreled at him, determined to end her foe for once and for all.

Leif stood with the shamen of the tribes, watching as the warriors tussled and fought in mortal combat. Heart sinking, he stared at the battle around him, trying to make sense of what was going on.

The battle was at a complete stalemate. Neither side was advancing, but neither side was losing, either. The chaos was at its highest point, higher than Leif had ever seen in his life.

He caught sight of his fellow trainees. Qimmiq was fighting from his sled, slashing at enemy warriors and stealing their weapons. Siqiniq was sending solar beams everywhere and confusing warriors with the blinding light. And Tapeesa was using her ice to defeat enemies, her eyes narrowed like that of a warrior.

And… Sharzad? What was she doing? Where was she, in this endless expanse of battle?

Leif caught sight of her in the air, holding the Breath of Lightning over her head, her silver dress lit up with her power. She was dueling a Glacian witch, spearing her with lightning and creating a storm in her wake. Leif watched, awed, as she fought valiantly, the witch no match for her power.

She's awesome, he thought. When this is all over, I'm going to tell her how I feel, and we're going to go out together. If only she'd have me.

He remembered what they'd done together. Remembered the feeling of her skin against him, their nervous movements as they entered each other, tentatively and awkwardly. And yet, they still didn't belong to each other. Sighing, he looked down at the snow.

"This is no time for your brooding, boy," Shaman Aput snarled, his eyes narrowed. "Look ahead!"

Leif turned around. Three trainees were carrying a wounded warrior on a stretcher, setting him down on the ground. The shamen rushed forward to heal him. Leif picked up the Spirit of the Arctic, but Agloolik stopped him.

"The Spirit cannot be used to heal indefinitely," he said. "It can only be used when a person is in dire need, and even then, not so often. This man is not in dire need; the shamen will help him."

Agloolik was right. Leif watched as Shamaness Nuliajuk focused her energy on the man, her healing spell running through him. He opened his eyes. Aput helped him to his feet, offering him a space in the tent and a change of clothes.

"He cannot fight any longer," Agloolik answered. "Although the shamaness has healed his wounds, he will still need rest."

"Then what's the point?" Leif kicked the snow. "What good am I here, if I can't even use the Spirit of the Arctic? Why can't I just go ahead and help the fight?"

"You are not to enter the battle," Nuliajuk said firmly. "Chief Sedna has forbidden you. You are to stay here and help us, as Agloolik's assistant, and help us healers do our work."

Leif wanted to snap at her. I just got my tongue back, and it's brought me absolutely nothing… Out of habit, he remained silent.

Why can't I help them? he thought miserably. I healed Sedna in the Tower of Spirits. Is that all I'm good for? An image of Sharzad dueling the witch entered his mind, and he lowered his head. Why can't I fight like Sharzad?

Suddenly, a screech filled the air. The battle halted, and everyone turned to look at the voice's bearer. Leif whirled around and had the shock of his life.

Ragnar Bloodaxe was standing in front of them, holding a baby in his arms. More specifically, a baby from the Adlivun camp. How did he manage to penetrate the barrier? Sedna gasped in horror, moving forward, but Bloodaxe stopped her with a menacing laugh.

"Make one move and the babe is dead!"

"This way," said Saraswati, flying over the snow, her robes clinging tightly to her skin and her hair undisturbed.

She was the only one who still had composure. Maire was breathless, and her hair was all over her face, but she couldn't care less. We have to find Aria… She followed close behind Saraswati, the spirit crystal tight in her hands. Let's go –

Something soft came over her feet. She yelled as she tripped, falling flat on her face into the snow. Grimacing, she stood up and turned around, staring at what it was in front of her.

Under the snow lay a person. It was a figure in a black cloak, lying still on the ground. Curiously, Maire knelt over the cloaked figure. Who is that? She pulled open the hood.

It was a dark-skinned girl. Her curly black hair was covered in snow, and her face was ashen. Tears were frozen on her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered, and she looked up.

"What's going on?" she whispered.

Atete moved forward. "Who's" – She let out a gasp as she saw the figure, staring down.

The girl stared up at her. "Priestess Atete?"

"You both know each other?" Daewon stared at Atete. "How?"

Akna knelt down and placed her hand on the girl's chest. Her eyes fluttered again, and a blue light shined through her. When she was done, she pulled back, and the girl sat up.

"Angéle du Maurier," Atete whispered. "What in Mierve's name are you doing here?"

"I was captured by Queen Isolde," the girl whispered. "She used Aria, so that she could reach into my Dreamix power and find someone who's been hiding in the Land of Dreams. And now Aria is forever gone." She let out a whimper and fell back to the ground.

"What do you know about Aria?" Maire demanded. "How do you both know each other?"

"We fell in love," Angéle breathed.

Maire let out a gasp and turned back to Atete. So that's why we felt Aria's capacity for love! Atete had realized the same thing. She turned towards Angéle, and helped her up.

"If you were in love with each other, then why did she attack you?"

"This cloak," Angéle breathed. "It hid me from Aria, and she thought I was someone else – Isolde must've convinced her otherwise. She was able to invade into my subconscious. She… she didn't know what she was doing. If she'd known it was me, she would never have done that." Tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Impossible," Atete declared. "If she truly loved you, no cloak would've been able to conceal you."

"I quite disagree," Saraswati said, frowning at Atete. "But now is not the time for debates. We need to make haste if we are to have any chance of breaking the spell on Aria."

"You mean… you can save her?" Angéle breathed.

"That's what we're here for," Maire answered, clenching her fists. "That queen is gonna be sorry she ever messed with us."

Atete helped Angéle to her feet. Following Saraswati, Maire raced into the night. She thought she could feel Aria's spirit closer, the crystal guiding her to Aria.

We have no time to lose.

Sharzad whirled around. Horror struck her soul as she stared at what was going on, letting out a cry as she stared forward.

It was unmistakably Ragnar Bloodaxe. He stood ragged yet determined, his eyes filled with bloodlust as he held Akna's child above his head. The baby let out a wail.

"No!" Sedna shouted, and Sharzad could see the anguish in her eyes. "Not my sister!"

"Oh, so it is your sister?" Bloodaxe's cruel laugh made it clear that he'd known all along. "Be a shame if I dropped it. Or how about I step on its head?"

"You criminal!" Sedna snarled. "My sister is not part of the fight! It is the coward's way to threaten an innocent child's life, and my warriors are ready to attack you and defend the righteous way of battle!"

"If you make one move, this child will die," Bloodaxe said softly. "One step is all it takes. Say the word, Chieftain, and the baby is gone."

Not one warrior stirred. Sedna stared at Bloodaxe, and Sharzad could see the anguish in her eyes. Bloodaxe smiled.

"So who will it be then, Chief Sedna?" His voice was deadly. "Your sister, or your tribe? If you wish your sister to live, you must surrender all of your forces, unconditionally and completely. Choose, now; don't keep us in suspense. Who will it be?"

Sharzad watched Sedna, who lowered her eyes in pain. She knew exactly what Sedna was going to do; she was going to let her sister die. That was the kind of warrior Sedna was, the kind of leader she had to be. The decision would kill her, but at the end of the day, her tribe came first.

And I can't let her. Determination rose in Sharzad, and she stared at Bloodaxe. I won't let her. I swore to protect Akna's child, at all costs. She held the Breath of Lightning tightly in her hands.

She only had a second to make a move. But it had to be a well-calculated one; although she had to immobilize Bloodaxe, she couldn't let her lightning electrocute the child. I'll have to contain the energy, then. Pointing her spear at Bloodaxe, she sent a surge of lightning at his head.

It happened too fast. Bloodaxe yelled in pain, his head abuzz with electrons. Sharzad focused on containing the energy only to his head, sending all the volts she could as she flew forward. In pain, he threw the child in the air.

No! Sharzad sped forward, using the full power of her Enchantix wings as she flew. She flew forward, catching the child just in time. The baby stopped crying as she placed her in the nearest warrior's hands, gently stroking her face. She turned back towards Bloodaxe.

"That was despicable," she snarled, fury and hatred ringing through every part of her tone. "That was the most cowardly thing I've ever seen. And now you're on the losing side." She turned back towards Sedna and the assembled tribes, all glaring at Bloodaxe with the same furious intensity.

"Says who?" Bloodaxe said boldly.

"Says I." Sedna flew downwards and scooped the child up from the warrior's arms, giving her to Nuliajuk. "Your kind doesn't belong here. And now that we've eliminated the threat to an innocent baby's life, we will not hesitate to attack." The warriors stirred.

"Your power is over, Bloodaxe," Leif said quietly. "You no longer have complete control over us – over me. Nothing you do will ever hurt me anymore."

"Is that so?" Bloodaxe purred.

The silence only lasted a brief second. Then, suddenly, Sharzad felt something sharp pierce through her flesh, one that broke into her back and shot through layers of tissue and muscle and bone. Her eyes wide, she stared up at the sky, the beautiful arctic sky – the stars gleaming coldly down at her, the black expanse cold and mirthless. She reached for the Breath of Lightning, desperately trying poise it to defend herself, but nothing worked. No electricity tingled through her fingers, or shot through the end of her spear.

Then the ground lurched. She fell on her side, blood trickling down her body. Realization seeped into her, as cold as ice. For a second she saw Bloodaxe's eyes, cold and triumphant, gleaming over her like a leer. He had defeated her unequivocally, and no one had been able to stop him.

And then she saw Leif.

He knelt in front of her, anguish in his eyes as he stared down, pure pain and sorrow. "Sharzad"… His voice was barely a whisper. "We can fix this; I've got the Spirit of the Arctic right here"… He held it above him, but nothing happened. She shook her head.

"I'm… dying," she said. The words were barely audible, and she felt her voice slip away, but Leif cried out.

"You can't leave me!" he sobbed. "You're all that I have left! I – I love you!"

"It's my time"… Staring upwards, her vision beginning to fade, Sharzad looked at the Spirit of the Arctic, and then at the sky. It was then that she saw it.

The Spirit began to glow with an intensity it never had before. Colors swirled out of the stone, and Leif stared down at it in astonishment. "What"… The neon colors danced and swirled in the air, rising up into the night.

And then they hit the sky.

The cosmic lights were beautiful. Sharzad stared at the pink and green and blue and orange nebulas, at a complete loss for words.

"The spirits have returned to us at last," Sedna whispered, her voice filled with awe.

Sharzad closed her eyes. She could feel something beckoning to her, a greater need that filled her spirit. It was a wordless plea, something indescribable and unimaginable, but she thought she could understand what the spirits were telling her.

Come to us, Kallik. Come and join us in the sky, looking over your tribemates. For you are one of us now.

Opening her eyes slowly, she whispered, "I love you too." Then she let out her last breath, a sense of peace coming over her. Everything around her dissolved, and her physical and mental self slipped away, her lifeblood seeping into the white expanse of snow and ice.

Goodbye…

Our heroine dies! *cries* Honestly, I have no words to say.

Next chapter:

- Leif faces Bloodaxe in the ultimate battle.

- Maire and her friends work to enact the circle.

- Angéle struggles to save Aria from Isolde's grasp.

I will likely post the next chapter sometime this week, and I would ideally like to finish posting by next week. See you soon.