Automoi 41st, 991 A.D.

A refreshing breeze swept over Tom's face as he stooped down on one knee and laid a bouquet of white lilies at James Raska's gravestone. He felt little in his heart but raw emptiness. The death of one of his closest friends coupled with the betrayal and death of his true love weighed heavily on his mind and pushed out most other thoughts. Without them, life lost much of its savor.

Tom finally wiped his eye and rose to his feet. He glanced back at the Martin brothers who had also come to pay their respects to their fallen comrade and dear friend. Jay's lifeless eyes were dry, but Tom could only guess the tears were still flowing inside. His heart itself must have been bleeding in his breast without any visible indication.

Trevor, on the other hand, hardly had a spot on his sleeve not drenched from wiping away copious tears. Tom sighed and pulled Trevor into an embrace, which he vigorously accepted. Tom could practically feel sorrow as a tangible force emanating from his friend's body just as much as he felt his shoulder moistening from Trevor's weeping eyes.

A long moment later, they drew apart and exchanged a glance that carried more meaning than words could express. Melancholy was to be found there, but mixed with it was gratitude and some sort of camaraderie. Tom patted Trevor's shoulder and trudged across the field toward the handsome dark-wooded house in the middle of the property.

Indeed, Tom had succeeded in gaining possession of the old Holt residence, and having just finished helping the previous residents move their belongings out, he and the Martin brothers were set for the task of transforming it into an academy.

The crunch of grass under foot behind Tom prompted him to look back and see that Jay and Trevor were following him back to the house. A silent march onto the porch followed. Tom passed by a bright green shrub, beside which he and Alice Delquez had buried the Alcontean artifact in order to hide it away and prevent anyone from using its power.

Tom, Jay, and Trevor ascended the porch steps, and immediately the front door opened with a charming creak. Out of the open entryway emerged Alice Delquez and Jay's pregnant wife.

The slightest hint of a smile drew to Jay's lips at the sight of his brown-haired wife, and he readily opened his arms to embrace her. Meanwhile, Alice stepped up to Tom with a sympathetic gaze and laid a kiss on his cheek. Tom smiled at the sensation, but barely.

He put an arm around Alice, stepped over to the porch's railing and stared into the distance wistfully. Tom realized the story of his life was a rocky one full of disappointments, sorrows, and tragedies, but the Lord had always given him blessings amidst the difficulty. And now, he was ready to turn the page to a new chapter.

Keely Ellesante was dead, and that still pained him greatly, but he had come to realize Alice's faithful friendship could become something more. James Raska had also come to an untimely end, but Tom resolved to honor his fallen friend by training up a new generation to hold to the ideals and values they shared. Traveling the rocky road made the paved path feel all the smoother. 

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A/N: And there you have the last camera shot, if you will, of Tom Holt's story! Hopefully I was able to convey what I intended, that bittersweet feeling that terrible things have happened, but there is hope of a brighter future to come. Again, thank you so much for reading, and I truly hope you've enjoyed this story/series so far. Book 4 will be up sometime in the coming weeks, and maybe I'll see you there! Even if not, I appreciate you sticking around, and I hope you have a great day! 😁