The Soul Keeper

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. I was bent over Aelith, my blade stuck in the ground where the seventh and final focal point used to be. I could hear her breathing, her chest rose with irregular breaths as her wide eyes filled with understanding.

"No! Agh!" Her voice echoed across the battlefield as she let out a cry of frustration and regret. She pushed the hilt of her blade to the side with whatever strength she could garner. The taste of blood filled my blood as I fell to the side and rolled down the stairs. I tried to dig my claws into the marble but found no strength to do so.

I eventually came to a halt, laying on my side. I wanted to move, but I couldn't. My muscles refused to follow my will. 

"You…" Aelith cried out. She pushed herself up on her feet and stumbled towards me. She kicked me, rolling me on my back, then reached down and pulled the blade of light out of my chest. "You…"

I think she said something else too, but I couldn't quite hear it. I coughed up some blood, and immediately regretted it as pain jolted throughout my body. 

I blinked a couple of times. Was there someone behind her?

She noticed perhaps a split second after I did, and quickly turned around to face that person. I saw a flash of purple and she was quickly pushed away from my vision.

The same person knelt besides me. I felt a cold, claw like hand carefully brush my hair aside. 

"Kai!" Someone shouted in the distance. Other voices soon joined that one, but soon I couldn't hear anything. My vision blurred, the darkened. I welcomed that darkness, it was a sweet relief from pain. The last thing I was before drifting into the sea of unconsciousness was the familiar silver haired figure standing over me.

Our victory was a bitter one, though I learned that a while after. 

I was surprised to have survived, but not exactly happy about it. It was hard to be happy about it after learning the price that was paid.

The Keeper's Acolyte, they called me. An extension of his power – the bridge between him and the mortal races. That's what I became. An immortal being that once was mortal.

I was told the events that followed the destruction of the Divine Pillar only after the fact.

Both armies had mostly died, only a handful of demon soldiers had survived, and Vixia had later gone on to hunt every single Ereth who tried to hide somewhere. I was told she was especially fierce. 

The world had changed, of course. With the introduction of magic and the arcane, of demons and Ereth and who knows what other races that existed in other worlds, the only thing that saved humanity from total chaos was Inspector John's firm, yet gentle guidance. And the threatening Delthur that accompanied him for a while. I mean, who would dare say no when such a scary demon stood by his side?

Mother and Fetheion had gone back home, along with Aoife. They turned the Dojo into a school of magic, and the first students were Mona and the rest of our group. Even Asher had joined, and he was one of the most successful people there. Aoife apparently refused to learn magic, instead following in Lucius' footsteps, and continuing to hone her skill with the blade. 

Erik had also woken up, though with severe memory loss, just like Vincent, Alina, Samantha, and Joshua. They remembered nothing, I believed that was for the best.

The worlds didn't break apart. The portal back on the island remained, and from what I heard from a certain demon, the Lord and the United Nations had come to some 'agreements'. Even Luhen, one of the few hundred free Ereth who now resided on the Demons' world had joined. I did not find it one bit surprising that the demons seemed to be getting the better end of the deal.

That same demon became the ambassador of the Demons, while humanity sent Inspector John as an ambassador. That was actually the first time I got to meet someone else other than the Keeper and Vixia during my recovery.

And that was also when the price I paid became painfully clear.

I didn't regain my human form and became stuck in this hybrid body. I'll be honest, it's not too bad. Having a tail was actually quite useful, and my claw like hands were closer to those of the demons', so after a short while, I regained my ambidexterity. The biggest annoyance was the two vampire like fangs. I bit my own lips more times than I'd like to admit.

Inspector John's expression, and how he fumbled to find words did bright a smile to my face, but his reaction after learning I wouldn't return to how I was before was heart breaking. He blamed himself for what happened. It took a while to convince him not to.

Once my healing was complete, I returned home. I was a bit scared to do so. What if they didn't recognise me, I asked myself. What if they found me repulsive, disgusting, terrifying, or any number of other things? 

It took courage to fly home, and even more courage to step through the gate.

The people minding their own business stopped to look at who had arrived. They paused, their expressions changed from indifference to confusion. Then, surprise. My heart raced with fear as I expected the next emotion to be fear or disgust.

Then, someone smiled. People called my name and came to greet me. Sure, some were wary. Some of them were curious, some found me handsome, while others joked about me becoming a vampire. 

It felt like some of the weight was lifted off my shoulders. But the real test, so to speak, was when Aoife stepped out of the door and noticed me.

She covered her mouth with her hands, and her eyes filled with tears. "Kai, you idiot!" She exclaimed as she ran towards me. Her hug, her smile, even the punch to my face after the fact, made all of the trials I had endured worth it.

She was safe. And I was home.

THE END