Milo's POV

I take on two other sorcerers and fight them for a while.

I don't think I've ever felt this strong, this powerful. It's such a new and wonderful feeling, and I actually feel hopeful right now.

I blast one of my opponents away and tie the other one up. Suddenly, we hear a voice echo through the halls.

"Caspian is defeated. Whoever was on his side, surrender now, and you will be shown mercy."

I smile when I hear Amon's voice. I knew he could do it.

Our enemies end up surrendering, and we tie them up as well.

I look around, trying to find Amon. I walk in the direction of Caspian's office. Then I see him. We rush up to each other and hug tightly.

"You're bleeding," he says as we let go.

"So are you."

He chuckles. "It's not that bad."

"Mine neither, don't worry." I look at him for a few seconds. "Is he... Alive?"

He nods. "Yeah. I tied him up. I..." He hesitates.

"What?"

He gulps visibly. "My glow... It was black for a moment. And I... I almost used the morsus curse on him. B-but I decided against it, and now it's purple again."

I smile at him and then pull him closer and kiss him. "I'm proud of you."

He smiles back at me, and I think I see a few tears glisten in his eyes. "Thank you."

I kiss him again. "Guess what."

"What?"

"I figured out my issue. And I fixed it. I finally believe in myself."

He looks at me for a second and then starts smiling brightly. He hugs me.

"I knew you had it in you. I'm so proud of you."

I chuckle. "Thank you."

"Hey! Lovebirds!"

We finally take our eyes off each other and turn away. It's Philo and Sophia, both smiling. Philo is bleeding a bit, but otherwise, they both seem fine.

"Are you alright?" Sophia asks.

"We're fine," I reply, "what about you?"

"All good," Philo replies, smiling.

"Good," I mutter, relieved.

People start putting our enemies into our jail cells. Amon and I heal each other's cuts real quick, at least as much as we can. It's still dark magic and not easy to heal.

But Amon's cut looks a little better, and mine doesn't hurt anymore at all. He smiles at me softly.

"Things are gonna get better now," he says gently and kisses me.

About an hour later, everyone is assembled in the hall, talking to each other.

"We don't have a leader anymore," I say and then turn to Amon, "What if you took over?"

Amon raises his eyebrows and chuckles. "Me? Yeah, no way. That would not go well."

"Why not?" I ask, surprised, "You'd do amazing!"

He smiles. "That's sweet, but no. I'm not made to lead. But you are."

I look up at him. "What?"

"You're great with people, you're considerate and compassionate... You'd be an amazing leader."

I blush a bit. I didn't expect that. "No, I... I'm not good enough for that."

"Yes, you are," Sophia butts in, "you're more than good enough for that, okay?"

"He's right," Philo adds, "this might be exactly the perfect job for you, Milo."

"Besides, it's in your bloodline," Sophia adds.

"I-I don't think the people would want me to-"

"Of course they do, Milo," Philo says, "They all loved your mom, and you remind me of her so much."

"Wait, really?"

Philo pats my shoulder. "Yes, really. Come on, Milo. You could make changes. You could create a bright future for the children. And we will support you. You don't have to do this alone."

All three of them smile at me, and Amon nods at me encouragingly.

"Also, you're hella smart," Amon adds and taps the brooch on my jacket. "That thing saved your life. You put a spell on it, right?"

I nod. "Yeah. In case one was looking for the other, the spell would feel it and point us in the direction."

Amon smiles. "See? You're smart. You think ahead. You have great ideas. You're perfect for this. You were born to lead this coven, Milo."

I smile back at all of them. "Thank you. I would have never made it this far without you guys."

"I can say the same thing," Amon replies and softly strokes my cheek.

"Come on, go to the podium and talk to everyone!" Philo says.

"Wait, alone?"

"Yes, alone," Sophia replies and shoves me a little.

I look at Amon, and he just nods, smiling. I take a deep breath.

"Okay, fine," I mumble.

I walk up to the podium and see that all eyes are on me. I make a megaphone with my blue glow and at everyone for a second, throwing one last look at Amon, who looks at me lovingly.

I breathe deeply one more time.

"Hi, everyone. I..." I gulp. Fuck, get yourself together, Milo. You got this.

"First of all, I wanna thank all of you for fighting with us. Together we could win the battle, and I'm very grateful for every single one of you. If you didn't fight and are still on our side, don't worry. It's okay. Not all of us can fight."

I glance at Amon, who puts both thumbs up and smiles big. I keep going.

"Now, it is time to look forward, to plan the future. It has been suggested that I take over Caspian's place. Of course, you can object. But I want to tell you about my plans first."

People nod, and I take a deep breath. I smile a bit because saying all this feels right. It feels like me.

"I wanna provide a safe and environment for all of us. And the same for the future and our children. I will undo most of Caspian's changes. I want everyone to be in the best possible situation. But for that, I need your help. I need suggestions, criticism, ideas, wishes... Anything. Everyone has a voice, and everyone is equally important."

I see people smiling at me, a few of them cheer, and I smile back.

"We're a family, all of us. I want everyone to take care of each other and be honest. Help each other wherever you can. You're all valuable pieces to the puzzle that is The Crimson Coven."

I look around the room again. Sophia, Philo, and Amon all smile at me proudly.

"So, now I need to know if everyone is okay with me leading this coven... Does anyone object?"

It's silent. No objections.

"No one? Well, uhm... Alright, then. Guess I'm leading this now." I chuckle a bit. "If you're unhappy with me or think something could be done better, please come to me, and we'll talk about it. My door is always open, no matter who you are. Thank you for your support."

People start clapping and cheering. I smile. God, I wish my mom could see this.

"Up where he belongs!" someone yells, and I chuckle. I tear up a bit. I didn't think I'd get support like that.

I look at my friends and see Sophia wipe away a tear. I chuckle. Oh, man.

"Oh, uh, and one last thing: Amon and I are dating." More cheering. I laugh softly. "I owe him my life, so... Give him the praise he deserves. The same goes for Sophia and Philo, who are two incredible people. I couldn't have done it without them. I love you guys."

"I love you too!" Amon yells back, and people chuckle.

I smile and shake my head a little. "Anyway, that's all for now. Rest, take care of each other. We'll see how things keep going from tomorrow, alright?"

People nod. I smile. "Thank you." They all clap again, and I leave the podium.

As soon as I step down, Amon rushes up to me, and before I know what's going on, he kisses me passionately. I close my eyes and kiss back, wrapping my arms around him and enjoying the moment. We eventually let go of each other and smile big.

A bit later, Amon and I are sitting on my bed alone, just resting a bit. I'm thinking about the future of the coven and the roles of the members.

I look at Amon. "Hey, what about you? You could train some people or something, help them fight or-"

"No," he cuts me off and looks at me with an earnest look, "I'm not gonna fight anymore. Not unless it's necessary. I'll end up doing something bad."

He sounds scared. "I understand," I reply softly, "You don't have to fight anymore, darling."

He nods and looks down, a sad look on his face. Then he looks up again. "Hey, can... can I be a healer? I'm a fast learner, and I wanna help people."

I smile at him. "That's a great idea. You're perfect for that."

He smiles back and then kisses me very softly.

"I love you so much, Milo."

"I love you too, Amon."

We kiss again, very gently and carefully. Then we lie down and cuddle for a bit.

So.

I'm the leader of the Crimson Coven. I am responsible for the members and have the chance to make everything better.

I smile to myself. I have a good feeling about the future.

Things are gonna get better.

I know it.