𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

ⅱ 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔

TOYLA AND TAMAR LED THE GROUP FORWARD WITH JESPER AND WYLAN CLOSE BY. Breydon walked close with Kaz, Nikolai and who Brey learned were the Squallers Adrick and Nadia. "The Fold should have fallen by now," Nikolai thought aloud, the gash in his leg making him limp.

"Did she find the Firebird?" Toyla asked, looking down at Tamar.

"Long story. It's Mal," Tamar answered with a shrug.

"I'm sorry. Did you say Mal is a bird?" Jesper questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"An amplifier Jes," Breydon corrected.

"Still no sign of Kirigan," Nikolai graoned.

"He would be going after Alina," Breydon said.

They walked under an arch that led to a courtyard consumed by the fold. "We go in, we find Alina and Mal," Nikolai said but his voice was strained.

Kaz walked to Nikolai, holding out his cane. "Here," Kaz said softly.

"Don't you need it?"

Kaz shrugged softly, "I've got more experience with pain." Nikolai took the cane and Kaz walked back to Breydon's side.

"That was nice of you," Breydon muttered and Kaz shook his head softly.

They walked into the fold and chills ran down Breydon's spine. They stepped out into the open courtyard, growls of the volcra and rumbling thunder echoing across the sky. Dozens of shredded bodies scattered the ground and across the stone walls.

"Follow me," Toyla ordered, speeding up the pace as he ran to the second building. They walked through tight halls lined with small candles giving the halls a creepy glow. A volcra hiss tore through the silence and they paused. The winged beats turned, growling with exposed teeth.

"In there!" Breydon yelled, pushing Nikolai through the opened door to a a small church room. The others rushed through the door and Breydon reeled her arms back throwing out a pair of Cuts, tearing through the Volcra wings. Kaz grabbed Breydon's wrist, pulling her to safety and out of the way of the charging Volcra.

Tamar and Breydon pushed against the door as the sporadic Volcra pounded against it. Jesper rushed forward, squeezing between the girls and melding the hinges in place against the doorframe. Jesper shrugged softly as he stepped back. "That should hold the Volcra," Tamar said hopefully.

"We'll see," Jesper said softly.

"Well only one of them has wings and the other is missing a leg," Breydon said hopefully. A hissing made them spin and stare at the corner of the room, shadows spilling in and starting to form a shape. A second hissing copied the sound as shadows spilled from the roof forming a second figure.

"Everybody, back," Tamar ordered, taking Nadia's hand and shuffling her behind her.
Kaz pushed Wylan further back as his skin turned a sickly green. "Kirigan's shadow monsters," Kaz recognised.

Wyalm stammered as he wrung his hands together. "But without the blade, how do you kill a shadow?"

Breydon tapped her sides, her hands hitting her mother's journal. "Buy me time," Breydon ordered before taking the journal and moving to the candle's light. Nadia and Adrick knocked their arms together, sending out a strong wind force, partially separating the shadows.

It was quiet for a second before they reformed stalking closer. "Shield your eyes!" Wylan yelled and everyone covered their eyes before Wylan lobed a phosphorus bomb into the first monster as the siblings pushed back the other one.

"Yes! My man," Jesper shouted in excitement. "I mean- We haven't actually put a label on it, yeah?"

Breydon stepped back from the candle and pushed the book into Wylan's hands. "Hold that," Breydon ordered, pushing past Nikolai. Breydon crossed her arms before throwing them out, golden snakes flowing out wrapping around the monster. She slammed her hands together and the monster exploded in shards of time. Breydon weaved her hands and the shards turned to green light and disappear.

Breydon panted slightly as her hands shook. "Did that kill it?" Toyla asked.

"Yes," Breydon nodded before her eyes started to dart around. "Now where's the second one?"

𓅨

ACE FLIPPED THE SWORD IN THEIR PALM AS THE SHADOW MONSTER DISAPPEARED BENEATH THE BLADE. Ace tossed the long up in their hand and sliced the head of volcra off that they already sliced through the wing. "Nina!" Ace shouted, looking around frantically. Ace ran further out to a stone wall and slid into the sand under a volcra. "Nina! Can you hear me?" Ace stabbed through the beast and tore a vial from their neck and spilled it over the long sword. They hit it against the stone wall and the sword lit up with a deep red flame. Ace tossed it and sliced the volcra open down the middle.

A volcra screeched and circled around a stone wall as another stalked closer through the sand. Ace threw their sword out, driving it into the beast's side. Ace slid under one of its wings and grasped the sword, dragging it out. The other volcra dived for Ace and they grabbed a vial, throwing it into the volcra's face. It writhed against the ground, trying to shake the acid off as Ace walked around the side of the wall. "Nina!" Ace shouted, dropping by her side.

Ace pulled their silk jacket off and pressed it to the gash on the side of Nina's head. "Nina, can you hear me?" Nina's fingers twitched but she didn't move. A pained scream tore through the volcra growls and then pillars and rays of light shot through the darkness. Ace grabbed Nina tightly and held onto the stone wall as the wind picked up, pushing the remaining volcra back before they disintegrated under the light. The shield of light Alina had made expanded further, overtaking the darkness and ridding the world of shadows.

𓅨

THE SECOND MONSTER APPEARED, GROWLING AS IT FORMED BEHIND KAZ. "Kaz!" Breydon shouted, pushing him aside. The monster growled and tossed Brey through the rows of chairs before she slammed into the stone wall. Toyla and Tamar stepped up, swiping and cutting at the shadows.

Kaz cursed and ran to the unconscious Breydon, pulling her away from the fighting and closer to the wall and windows. Wylan pulled out a second bomb but the monster swiped out, tossing one of the wooden chairs at him. It smashed into his legs and Jesper grabbed him before he fell. Jesper pulled him back, resting him against the wall, grasping his hand tightly.

Light poured through the window and Nadia smiled softly. "Saints! She did it," Nadia said happily.

"Why is it still here?" Tamar ground, her axe's held high as she faced the monster.

"The sun can't kill it!" Toyla recognised.

Toyla swiped at it but the monster backhanded him into a pillar, sending him against the ground. "Tolya!" Tamar called, rushing to his side. Nikolai rushed out, swiping at the monster with Kaz's cane, keeping it back from the Shu siblings. The monster swooped around Nikolai, grigging its clawed hand into his shoulder. It striked down at Nikolai as it lifted him high against the pillar. Nikolai held the cane up, shielding his face. Tamar and Toyla rushed to him, swiping at the solid parts of its hands.

𓅨

THE SUN SHONE AGAINST ACE'S MIDNIGHT HAIR AND THEY SMILED SOFTLY. Ace shook their head and turned back to Nina, shaking her shoulders. "Nina, Nina, the folds gone," Ace pleaded and Nina's eyes fluttered. "Nina wake the fuck up!"

Nina ground and pushed herself up onto her knees, Ace holding her arms. Her eyes widened as she took in the sun and she smiled. "Ace..."

"I know." Ace stood, unsheathing the relentless blade as the monster's hissing returned. Three stood around the pair, gurgling at them. "Keep your head down."

Ace rushed out, flipping the sword as they sliced through one at its torso. The others growled and stalked towards Ace. Ace grasped the handle of the sword and pulled it back, lining it up at their shoulder by their ear, their fingertips grazing the tip of the blade. One rushed forward and Ace sliced down, slicing it down the middle but costing a scrape of its claw against their arm. Ace hissed but continued, they struck forward, grazing the second monster and then spun left, tearing the slice to the sword. The monsters melted as Ace stood straight. Ace spun the sword to their left hand and sheathed it in a simple movement.

"Nina!" Alina screeched, her voice cracking.

Ace gripped their coat before reaching for Nina. "Come on," Ace said, taking Nina's hand, and letting the girl drop part of her weight onto Ace. Ace led Nina back to Alina, and Nina dropped to her knees next to Nina.

Mal lay in front of Alina, blood stained on his mouth and a large army knife sticking out of his chest. "Oh, Saints. How long?" Nina gasped.

"Just now. Can you save him?" Alina questioned in a rush.

"Ace, come here," Nina ordered. Nina did a quick movement as Ace knelt by Nina. "Take the knife out and hold pressure on it." Ace folded their coat tight and reached for the knife in Mal's chest, sliding it out quickly. Ace pressed the coat against the wound, looking up at Alina.

"Take that," Ace ordered, holding the knife out to Alina. Nina pulled at Mal's heart, trying to stitch the wound back together.

"Now... you know sacrifice," The Darkling cooed and Alina stood to face him.

"Beyond anything you've ever known," Alina snapped. "And look what it did."

"Indeed," The Darkling agreed, his eyes moving to Mal. "Look what it did." Alina glanced at Nina and Ace, who worked slowly to heal Mal.

"Mal and I changed the world," Alina said, her voice cracking. "We tore down your Shadow Fold."

"You have my sympathies... for what comes next, when you realize that what you've done solves nothing. The world doesn't need a Saint to protect it. It needs a monster. And while I remain-" His speech cut short with a violent cough and he pressed more pressure to the wound on his torso. "Let me be your monster."

"You think that after everything, I'd still stand by you?" Alina scoffed.

"There is no light without darkness. Without me, you have no counter, no balance. Let me carry the hatred of this world."

"Hatred," Alina repeated. "Because of the choices you made."

"Choices you too will make... in time."

"I will never walk your path."

"I know you believe that now," The Darkling said in a strained voice as he stepped forward. "But soon... Soon you will have no equal. The years spent alone will grind you down, they will harden you. And who will be there to shield you from it? Who will be there to save you?"

The Darkling reached for Alina but her hand came up, grasping his wrist tightly. "I will save myself. Your legacy is already written. There is no redemption." Alina shoved him back and The Darkling dropped to his knees.

One of his shadow monsters pulled itself from his body. It raced for Alina, grabbing her throat and lifting her high. "Leave her alone! No!" The Darkling yelled, trying to run forward but the monster tossed him back. Ace stood, grabbed the relentless blade and tapped their fingers against the handle before swiping at the air twice, two golden sword strikes rushing out and slicing through the monster that stood meters from them. The monster turned to golden dust and dropped Alina to the ground.

Ace turned back to Nina, holding the coat in place again. "How did you do that?" Nina squeaked but kept her focus forward.

"Fabrikator trick," Ace shrugged.

"You can't control them, can you?" Alnia asked as The Darkling walked closer to her. "You can't control any of it."

"I thought I could control it all once. Find peace. And for a moment, I swear I did." Alina stood, gripping the knife tight in her hand and stabbing through The Darkling's stomach. He coughed and sputtered as black blood dropped from his mouth.

"Without me, know they will come for you," The Drakling sputtered.

"Let them come," Alina hissed. She tore the blade out and The Darkling fell backwards, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

Alin dropped the knife and walked over to the Darkling. "Alina," The Darkling sputtered, "you make sure there is nothing left of me. Please. Please... Blue skies. My Little Saint."

𓅨

THE MONSTER THAT HELD NIKOLAI TURNED TO A GOLD LIGHT, DISAPPEARING BEFORE HIS EYES. He dropped Kaz's cane and fell to the floor, Toyla catching him before his head fell to the floor.

"Kirigan must be dead!" Nadia realized.

"Tamar," Kaz called, still kneeling by Brey. "Can you help her?"

Tamar rushed to Kaz's side, rolling Breydon onto her back. Tamar held her hands over Brey's chest, speeding her heartbeat and making Breydon groan. "Sankta Breydon?" Tamar called, shaking her shoulders.

Breydon pushed herself up, resting against the wall. "I'm not a saint," Breydon groaned, her head pounding.

𓅨

"COME ON YOU STUBBORN BASTARD," NINA GROWLES, HER HANDS MOVING TO PUMP MAL'S HEART. Alina dropped the blade and rushed to Nina and Ace. Alina dropped to her knees and grabbed Mal's hand holding it tight. "He's putting up a good fight, this one. Like something's holding him on the other side."

"Give him a reminder then," Ace suggested. "It matters what they hear."

Alina took Mal's hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles and holding him close. "Mal. Come back," Alina begged. She glanced back at The Darkling,  before moving one of her hands to Mal's cheek. "Please..." The veins on Alina's hand turned a dark black and Ace drew their hands back.

Mal gasped suddenly and Nina reeled her hands back. Alina laughed in disbelief as she dropped her head to Mal's neck, holding him close. "Saints, you had me worried," Alina cried.

"How?" Mal panted and Alina looked up at Nina. Nina cautiously stepped back, taking Ace with her.

Ace looked up at Nina, whispering, "Did she just-"

"Use Merzozst?" Nina finished and she nodded.

Inej rushed to Nina and Ace, taking their hands. "Saint's Ace," Inej cursed, looking over the bloody gashes on their arms.

"I will be fine," Ace assured.

Zoya walked slowly to The Darkling's body, looking down at him. "What do we do with him?" Zoya asked.

"Will you wait with him until we return?" Alina asked, looking up at her. "I don't want any heretics to find the body and make a martyr's relic of it. We'll burn him where he fell. We're on the other side of this now. There's no turning back."

𓅨

❝ i am never bound by 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 ❞