Author's note:

I'm sorry I had stopped updating for a while. I am currently dealing with a long-term situation (I might make a nonfiction book about it, but I don't know yet). I do see the comments and votes. I do appreciate you guys. Thank you for your love and support. I will do my best to write and release the chapters. I want to say this book will be finished by the end of this year, but I don't want to make broken promises like I already have. Please forgive me. 

Side note: I am currently rewriting Book 3 (Crowned By The Devil). The chapters are labeled rewrite. When I update a chapter to the rewritten one, the app doesn't show the newer version unless I uninstall and reinstall. I don't know if it's the same for you guys. I love you all, and I hope you all are doing well!

P.S. Let me know what you think about this chapter. Sorry for the errors

-An Emotional Person :(:

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My eyes shot open, staring straight up beyond the darkness itself. Sitting up, I looked down to see I was lying at the bottom of the ocean. What was supposed to feel like unbearable pain and cold felt like warmth and peace instead. The sounds of the water moved beside me, and I looked around to see different types of fish, along with sharks from the depths, circling me. I could instantly tell they weren't a danger to me but rather here to protect me.  

Motion in the water came beside me, and I looked at a goblin shark holding my staff in its mouth. I gently took it from him and petted his head as a thank you. As I reached out to pet him, I realized my hand was starting to shimmer with a bright light. As I moved my hand in the water, the shimmer trailed behind my movement, following me. Looking down at my body, I saw my whole body was now shimmering, illuminating the area around me. It was the most beautiful thing I've seen. 

Snapping myself to focus, I recall why I was at the bottom of the ocean. I quickly communicated my thanks to the fishes. Using my powers, I swam straight up, inhumanly possible, and in the distance, formed a portal leading to the house where Victor and the guys were staying. I shot through the portal, which landed me right above the house. Closing the portal, I landed on the roof and double-tapped the staff, causing my entire body to dry. 

Looking to the horizon, I saw the sun rising. I sat down and admired the colors of the sky. For the past couple of minutes, I couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last sunrise I would see. There were so many things I felt I took for granted, and now here I was, about to face death, wishing I could've changed my past, but that is just wasteful thinking at this point. Right now, I had to focus on what was to come.

I looked over to see Liam still in his enclosure, unconscious for the most part. It was bizarre that despite Liam being immobilized, he could still Astro project himself to me. No matter what, I can not underestimate him. The lightning surge around him flickered, alerting me he was fighting to get out. Today was the day we kill down Liam. Teleporting myself inside the house, I saw everyone coming down the stairs, freshly showered and dressed. 

"Woah," someone gasped as they turned to look at me. I turned to the person and saw that it was Chase, who was eyeing my body. His eyes trailed to mine, and his eyes widened. 

"You're eyes," he muttered. Victor stepped up, gently grabbing my chin and causing me to look up. 

His eyes softened as they trailed over my body with a frown on his face. I looked down to see he was looking at my arms, which were covered in dark bluish-purple markings, probably from being struck by lightning. I then realized I wasn't shimmering anymore. 

"Should I even ask?" Victor grabbed my hand and gently turned it over to see my forearm, where the mark continued.

I shrugged, "It's just part of the process. No need to worry," I offered a smile. Before he could respond, I cut him off. "You guys should eat; when you don't, head through the portal, and then I will transfer powers over," I informed them as I headed to the stairs. 

"What portal?" Alex asked. I double-tapped my staff, which opened a portal to the house's backyard, where the creature attacked. Transferring my powers here would be too risky since Liam was here. 

"Cool," they whispered in unison. I headed to a bathroom and closed the door. Stepping in front of the mirror, I looked at my appearance. My hair was completely white, more than before. My face was clear from lightning marks, but my eyes were glowing blue. From my neck down, the lightning marks made their way throughout my body. The more I looked, the more fascinated I became with the outcome. Nature's effect was beautiful indeed. 

"Pretty badass," Ethan's voice came beside me. I turned to look at him and saw that he was admiring my look. "You've got to love getting struck by lightning," I joked, causing him to chuckle. Our laughter quickly died down. Putting down my staff on the bathroom counter, I hugged Ethan. Ethan hugged me back. 

After a few moments, we decided to leave behind a message for everyone else. We both didn't know what to expect today, so in doing this, it would be our goodbye if it came down to it. For the next 20 minutes, I sat in Victor's office back home, writing him a letter while Ethan was in another room making a recording. Once finished, I placed the letter and the flash drive with Ethan's message in the envelope. 

"This is it," Ethan sighed as I stood up. "It's been a crazy life, little brother," I commented, to which he hummed in response. We hugged again before I opened the portal to the house where I was supposed to meet the guys. 

"I know what you're going to do," Ethan said before we could enter the portal. I turned to look at him and saw a sad look on his face. 

My eyebrow rose in confusion at his statement. He sighed deeply, "I know you're planning to give them all your powers to weaken Liam. I saw it in your face. You forget, big sister. I know you better than anyone else. I also know you're scared," he softly admitted.

I felt my heart sink at his words. I tried so hard to hide the truth from him, thinking he'd try to argue with me about my decision, but by the look on his face, it was clear my decision was the way to go. 

"I know there's nothing I can do, but I will stay by your side the entire time," he assured me. I gave him a thankful smile. We walked through the portal only to see the guys sitting on the grass in the distance. 

As I made my way over to them, their heads turned before they stood up. They all stood in front of me, prepared for the impossible, as they were also armed with guns and knives. I could feel their emotions, and they were overwhelming. They were scared but willing to commit to whatever monstrosity may lie ahead. 

"Before we start, I want you guys to know you don't have to do this. If you're having second thoughts, I understand. It's okay to walk away from this," I broke the silence.

No one moved. No one glanced at each other. They were all willing to go through this.

"The second thing is this will be the most painful fight you've ever been in. I know you guys are used to killing, but this is different. You'll be up against people who have powers of all types. They might appear as soon as I transfer my powers, and Liam's enclosure will go down. Your job is to kill everyone before killing Liam. Watch each other's backs. You've all seen what I could do; you can do the same and much more. You have to focus and want it," I tried to explain.

They all nodded. No one had any questions, so I continued with the plan. I lined up each individually in front of me from left to right in a half circle, with 3 feet between them. As I lined them up, I gave each a hug. I lastly lined up Victor, who was the center man.

His hand tilted my chin up before he leaned down and planted a kiss on my lip.

"I love you," he whispered. I gave him a small smile before tiptoeing and kissing him back. "I love you too."

Victor released me; I headed 8 feet away from them and stood up straight. "Whatever happens, don't move until it's done," I warned. They all nodded. 

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused as I held the staff in front of me, standing up with two hands. I could feel the cold wind against my skin growing stronger. Opening my eyes, I looked up at the sky, which quickly turned grey. I needed to recreate the electric surge like yesterday. The wind grew more substantial, and soon after a few minutes, we were in the center of a tornado. I summoned the lightning, which struck the ground in front of us. Pushing myself more, the lightning struck the staff with me.

With continuous bolts hitting me, I watched as the staff started to turn into the same shimmer I had released when I was in the sea. It slowly floated towards each of the guys. I watched as lightning struck them simultaneously. They all yelp in pain but quickly stopped as it didn't hurt anymore. Holding my hands open before me, I focused my entire powers. I watched as my whole body shimmered before floating in the air to them, each having its link to me. My eyes rapidly trailed back and forth between them, rewriting their bloodline. A warm feeling took over me, and I knew it was working. A few minutes passed, and the storm grew more potent, with lightning surging around it. I felt my body draining from the power I once had. 

"DON'T DO IT!" Leo's voice shouted over the storm. My eye landed on him, as he could probably feel my energy now. "I don't have a choice," I murmured as I continued to focus.

"FREYA!" Victor's voice shrieked in panic. They went to move from their spots, but I used my powers to trap them in their place. Using everything I had, I forced my remaining powers into them while holding them in place. I focused and ignored their protests.

Lightning struck me, and I let out a grunt as I collapsed to my knees, feeling the shock. My eyes gazed to the side where Ethan's spirit faded in and out of my view. He frowned as he bent down beside me. Giving away my powers meant losing the vision to see Ethan. Would his spirit even be here anymore? Would he be permanently dead now?

"Don't cry." His voice was calm in the storm as he reached to touch my face, but his hands went through me. "What if I never see you again?" I cried out, causing lightning to strike around me. 

"We will always see each other again. It may not be today or tomorrow, but we will meet again. Perhaps in another universe or timeline," he offered a heartwarming smile as he faded in and out.

I didn't want to see him in another universe or timeline. I wanted to have my brother with me forever and always. Losing him would kill me in another way.

"I'll find a way," I promised to bring him back. I know you will," he leaned over and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on keeping Ethan here with me at this moment. Through the blurry tears, I could see Ethan fading in and out before me when I opened my eyes.

"You're dying. Let go," he softly whispered. I shook my head in denial. "It's okay. Let go," he reassured me with a whisper. 

Pushing myself beyond the limit, I fought for Ethan's spirit, but within a blink, he was gone. The last of the shimmer left me, and I let out a scream of pain as I felt my heart being ripped out of my chest. A shockwave exploded from me, causing the guys to fly back along with me. As my back hit the ground, I let out a grunt of pain I hadn't felt in a while. 

Staring up at the sky, I watched as the grey storm clouds disappeared along with the lightning, and the wind settled into a soft breeze. As peaceful as the sky now looked, it was by far what I felt inside. A hand quickly held mine before pulling me off the ground. I looked up to see Victor standing before me while the rest of them surrounded me. 

"What were you thinking?" Victor scolded me as he grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it to my face.

He wiped my cheeks and then under my nose before dropping his shirt. I looked down to see that he had wiped the blood from my face. I had cried blood, and my nose bled. I looked around beyond the guys, searching for any sign of Ethan. 

I looked back up at Victor frantically, "Can you see him?" I asked, referring to Ethan. He looked around before looking down at me with an apologetic look. I lifted my hand to my chest as I felt my heart being ripped out of my chest again. Taking in deep breaths, I knew I didn't have time to grieve. 

"Okay," I softly mumbled, trying to pull myself together. 

"Why did you give up your powers?" Oscar's voice came out with concern.

I sighed heavily, trying to compose myself and push my feelings aside. I needed a clean mind to win this fight against Liam. "It was the only way to weaken Liam. I knew if I told you guys, you would all try to talk me out of it, especially you," I looked up to Victor. 

His eyes grew dark with anger. "Damn right, we would! You almost killed yourself in the process, too," Victor shouted with his hands in the air before passing them through his hair. 

For the first time in a long time, I felt belittled by my actions. I usually did, but the look in Victor's eyes made me second-guess myself. Was this my most intelligent decision? Did I just kill us all because of this? These guys wouldn't even know how to use my powers. They have no time to practice, either.

Someone then cleared their throat. "So what's the plan?" Richard asked, breaking the silence. The guys all looked at me before looking to Victor for some guidance. 

"We protect her at all cost. Like she said, we don't have much time before he shows up with his little asswipes. We kill everyone and watch out for Liam. Save him for last. Be aware of your surroundings, but most importantly, always keep an eye on her," Victor pointed to me. "Keep the fight around here or in places where it wouldn't have people," he briefed the guys. 

They all nodded. I watched Victor as he continued to talk to everyone. My mind zoned out as I watched the back of his head. It felt weird being powerless. I was fully human. My body was mortal again. I thought I was missing out all this time, but I only miss my little brother, Ethan. 

I gaze around the open field, searching again for any signs of Ethan. I held on to whatever hope I had left. My plan had many flaws that I didn't even consider until now. How was I going to get my powers back from the guys? What if I never get my powers back and stuck like this? My powers were preserving Ethan's body, so does that mean he's rotting right now? Shouldn't the guys be able to see Ethan if they have my powers? What if, this whole time, I was projecting Ethan's spirit because I couldn't bear the pain of losing him? 

There were too many questions about my flawed plan and no answers. I don't know what would hurt me more. Surviving this and not being able to get my brother back or not surviving this and leaving this world to be ruled by Liam, who would probably kill millions of people if they didn't follow him. I held my hand to my chest as I felt my heart beating rapidly and my breathing shortening. What was this feeling? Was I having a heart attack? Was I dying again?

I fell to my knees as I felt everything around me spinning. My fingers dug into the grass before gripping it as if it would help me. What a joke. Less than 10 minutes without my powers, and I'm going to die. So pathetic. What a disgrace. 

A hand touched my shoulder, causing my eyes to look up. The pair of green eyes pierced into mine with a concerned look. I've never realized how soft his eyes were in the sun. My head crocked to the side as he kept talking. Unable to hear anything he said, I stared into his eyes. The more I looked, the more I saw the spots of hazel hidden behind the green that would appear when the sun wasn't on him. 

"Freya?" his voice called cautiously. I hummed in response, unable to form my words. "Baby, I need you to focus right now, please. I know a lot is on your mind, but I need you here." His lips frowned as the words left his mouth. 

I nodded my head as he helped me to my feet. I looked around to see all the guys looking at me, waiting for further instructions. I turned to look at the enclosure we had Liam in. The more I focused on it, the more I could see the force field flickering. We had at least 15 minutes before he was set free. I turned to look back at the guys.

"Okay. You guys have all seen what I could do. To use your powers the way you want, all you have to do is be determined. Focus and trust in yourself. Think of what you want to happen, and it will happen. It really is as easy as it sounds. Just have some faith in yourself. We're going to have a practice right now. I want you to hold your hands out before you in a cupping motion," I ordered. They each did as told. 

I reached into the grass and yanked out some dirt before scattering a little in each of their hands. "I want you to grow a flower. Just focus and picture what you want to happen," I advised them. They all looked at the dirt on their hands. Within a few seconds, a flower bloomed from each pile of dirt.

Excitement took over their faces like little children. I smiled at how adorable they all looked, nudging each other to show the flower they grew, each with a different one. 

The celebration was quickly stopped as a loud crashing sound came from the deep end of the woods at the end of the yard. We all looked to see trees being knocked down as if a giant was pushing through them with brute force. 

As it pushed its way to the frontlines of the woods, a tree was ripped out of the ground and thrown towards me. I shielded myself with my hand and felt like an idiot as I realized this tree was going to kill me. Arms embraced me, and I saw Victor jump in front of me and shield me with his body while Leo jumped in front of Victor and held his hand up, causing the tree to stop 4 feet away from us. He then waved his hand to the side, causing the tree to fly to the right of us and crash into the other side of the woods almost 100 years away. 

I softly thanked them. Victor released me, and the guys all stood alongside one another. I stood between Leo and Victor as we looked towards the woods. 

A man with black hair emerged from the woods with a group of ladies and men behind him. As they exited the woods, I could tell this fight wouldn't be easy. There were 27 of them. Some flew up, while others fell to the ground. They all waited for command. 

"Give us Liam!" the man who first emerged shouted across the field. His voice was like a sonic speaker. His eyes didn't wander to the guys. Instead, they remained locked onto me. 

Seven of us versus 27 of them. My hands reached for Leo and Victor's hand. Our fingers intertwine with one another. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the other guys holding each other's hands on the left and right.

"I am honored to call you guys my family," Kyle commented on the left. "Likewise, brother," Chase responded from the right.

"Let's show them how we handle business here, shall we?" I could hear Richard grinning as the words left his mouth.

The guy whistled, causing everyone to charge towards us. 

"Twenty bucks to whoever gets the most kills," Chase grinned as we released hands. 

"Make it fifty," Leo smirked before running toward the enemies at full speed.