I can feel it, the end of the book is drawing near. After you've finished reading this chapter, i'm going to (hopefully) publish lots of chapters tomorrow because tomorrow are the final chapters to this book.

There will be the finale which MIGHT be next chapter, an epilogue for the upcoming book, an alternate ending with two parts and a sneak-a-peek of the upcoming book along with "A Thief's Quest, A Warrior's Mission." (Yes, I know that's a lot)

I'm going to be repeating this same message from this chapter to all chapters onward.

DO NOT SKIP CHAPTERS. DO NOT SKIP CHAPTER TWENTY THREE TO ONWARD CHAPTERS (that didn't really make sense but you get the point) DO NOT SKIP!!!

- - -

Eilene's POV

"Oh come on," George growled, "I just made a great show of stunning you all and escaping and yet you still managed to trap us."

"Perhaps it's wolf instincts," Conor gave an evil, twisted grin.

Eilene looked around at the Many who surrounded them. None made any effort to move towards them but they looked poised and ready. Ready for an order...

She glanced back at Conor who was the only one able to talk, the only one who is moving. She recalled Zerif being able to control others by using the parasites. Did that mean...

"So Conor," Eilene spoke, "I see the Wyrm has found his new leader."

"Ah yes, first Zerif and now I have gathered my own army, the Many," Conor replied with an icy calm tone, "It's a gift for the Wyrm to choose you out of all those infected to have others under your control."

More like the Wyrm controlling you to control others. Sounds more like a curse than a gift to me, she thought.

"And with controlling comes with many advantages," Conor fixed his cold gaze at her and Eilene started to get nervous about what he meant.

Just then, some of the Many started to move, revealing some sort of path. Someone was walking down that path towards all of them. Though she couldn't see him clearly, she knew exactly who he was.

- - -

John's POV

"Broken apart...compass...reunites...together...One...talisman...fix..."

He could feel it. Something or someone was trying to push through the fog that had covered his mind, his vision, everything.

"Broken...compass...Ursa...dead..."

He tried fighting it once more. He tried to follow the voice, straining to hear the words.

"Life begins...new...forms..."

He could feel his strength running out. The fog was fighting back, the voices of the Wyrm coming back.

"Power, John. Power, freedom, everything you want," the Wyrm growled in his mind.

He tried shaking the voice out of his head as he strained once more to listen to that other voice.

"I can give you everything you want," the Wyrm growled louder but John shook it away, "I..give...power..."

Gathering all his strength, he pushed for that voice, that voice which was trying to break the fog. He listened for that voice and the fog cleared for a moment. For a moment, he was surrounded by darkness, no fog, no more of the Wyrm's voices. The voice that had been trying to get through him was clear.

"Just how the group had broken apart, so does the compass.
Just when the group reunites, does the compass be together.
Just when everyone becomes One, does the talisman be fix.
The final battle ends where all life begins.
And where life begins, where a new life forms.

Break the compass. Fix the talisman."

That voice...He had heard of that voice before.

"John, tell them," he strained to remember, strained to hear the fading voice, "They're there, John, she's there. Tell them, tell her. She knows...fight it...running out of time..."

The darkness around him disappeared and he found himself gasping in pain from the effort, falling to the ground on his knees. For a moment, he had forgotten where he was. When he looked around, he was at the center of a group of the Many.

He saw Conor, then he saw the Keepers. He saw her, Eilene.

Her eyes wide with shock as he stared at him, "You...Y-You f-fought it. You-how-wha-"

"The compass," John interrupted, his voice hoarse. He could already feel the fog coming into his vision once more and he knew he only had a matter of seconds, "The compass. Break the compass. Fix the talisman."

"C-Compass..." he could tell that she was still shocked but they were running out of time. He needed to tell her now.

"Break the compass," John yelped in pain, the fog covering his vision and he desperately tried to shake it away, tried to find it, "Fix it... Get to the...get to the..."

"The final battle ends where all life begins."

"Where all life...begins..." he managed to say the last words when the fog started to cover his vision once more. But it didn't cover fully when it happened.

The ground shook as if there was an earthquake. Then John caught a glimpse of what had happened.

Water.

Then darkness.

- - -

Riley's POV

"Ivan..." Riley whispered, staring at the boy in despair, "I don't want to fight you."

"Greencloaks, Keepers, you're all so soft and forgiving," Ivan spat out in disgust, "You just make things so much easier."

"Ivan, please," Riley's voice turned pleading and desperate, "Don't give up now. Fight it, please Ivan, fight it."

"I've already given up, Riley, I've given up right in that room," Ivan's voice was dark and cold that it made Riley shiver at the unfamiliarity, "And so should you...give up."

Riley thought that she heard something in those last words. A pleading tone. She looked at him right into his eyes and she saw something flash. Though it was only a few moments, she knew what he was trying to say, "Please, kill me now."

He really had given up but he didn't want to kill them. He couldn't fight back, it was already too late. That's when Riley's heart seemed to start breaking, the pain she was feeling inside was greater than those she had received from enemies. The pain, the betrayal, torn with decisions.

Killing Ivan was worst then fighting him.

But what was the right thing? It was already too late.

Ivan raised his sword and launched himself right at her. Riley shut her eyes, bracing for the pain but it never came. She opened her eyes and what she saw next had completely broke her heart.

"Father..."

- - -

I know guys, this is all breaking my heart. (I swear, i'm trying to hold back tears right now). I'm tempted to just stay up late and find out what's going to happen next.

Of course I already have the ending planned out and all but it's not in full detail of course. So it's like i'm in this journey with the Keepers as well.

Please vote and leave a comment on what you guys think. Maybe, just maybe, the next chapter might not be the finale just yet.