Chapter 174: Chapter 175

Chapter 86 – The Final Confrontation Pt. 2

*Im the hand of God! I’m the dark messiah! I’m the vengeful one! The Vengeful One‘ by Disturbed

Third Person POV

“Kiya is going to be fine.”

“I know.”

“She is a fighter.”

“I know.”

“Then, stop worrying so much. It’s making me itch.”

“Keep scratching, then.”

Moments after Kiya had left to confront Osiris, Anthony and Neron were alerted by the arrival of their warriors. Between the attack of Zircon Moon and losing many lives, Neron’s numbers were small, but Anthony’s soldiers compensated for it. The combined army laid in the outskirts of the forest hiding Osiris” home, their heavy feet rumbling through the forest floor. The Alphas and Avatars were in the front while everyone else followed close behind.

Neron’s right hand dug into his pocket to grip Kiya’s moon pendant, the anchor to his hope. Kiya’s presence had long since faded, but it lingered in the surrounding air. On his skin. In his nose. In his hands. His skin. flushed red in the memories of her hand in his own and the strands of her hair tickling his chin. His chest felt the phantom breaths of her gentle breathing as she slept next to him, safe and guarded from nightmares. As quick as he had her, his heart ached at letting her go once again.

“She shouldn’t have to fight, Neron thought. ‘She deserved rest, just like the rest of us.”

“Neron.” Asim walked up to him, matching his pace as they walked over protruding roots. “May I ask you a question?”

He nodded “Go ahead.”

“I hope this isn’t too personal, but are you and Kiya fated?”

Neron smiled small. “What gave it away?”

“The look in your eyes is the look only a man in deep love has for their mate.” Asim answered, matching the Alpha’s smile. “Don’t feel ashamed, I have the same look whenever I look at my Nailah.”

“Nailah?”

“My wife and my mate. She’s back home, waiting for my return along with my children.”

Neron hoped, internally, that one day, he’d reach where Asim was now. “And you’re here, risking it all to stop your brother.” A pleasant silence befell the men as the shuffling of leaves intermingled with the echoes of footsteps behind them. “Kiya and I are fated mates, but because of… circumstances in our past, we may never come together.”

“And you’re here, risking it all to help her.” Throwing Neron’s words back at him earned the Egyptian a playful scoff from the Alpha. “You’re okay with never having your mate?”

Neron reflected on his next words, running a hand through his black locks. “I’m learning to come to terms with it. It isn’t easy, but in an ideal world, I’d like her to accept me out of her own free will. Destiny be damned. Fate may bring us together, but I want it to be her choice to be with me or to choose someone else. She is a free woman in her rights.”

Asim was silent for a moment, pondering on his words as he kicked a stray rock to the side. “I don’t believe I could ever be that resilient. Displaying that level of strength and restraint is admirable.”

“I would die for her, Asim. I love her more than anything.

And he won’t ever stop.

Two minutes of further travel came to a screeching halt when the acute senses of the wolves detected a plethora of sour and acrid odors billowing in from between the tree barks. Nostrils flared from every member in the squadron, their stances bristling at the new arrivals. Above the dense canopy, many explosions rang in swift succession. Through the distorted holes between overlapping leaves and branches, silvery light shot across the sky like shooting stars,

Kiya’s signal.

On cue, witches and hybrids alike emerged from the trees. Sickening red stretched from the base of their necks toward their chins and ears like tree branches. With bloodshot and bugged out eyes, snarling lips, and fingers either holding claws or black magic, each enemy was ready to tear their new victims to shreds.

The clash of the armies had begun; sounds of battle kissing the leaves and rocking the roots of the trees.

Tricking him was a fool’s game. Osiris couldn’t see the conflict within the forest, but knew of it. He knew of his brother siding with his enemies, further proving his abandonment. His anger pumped and etched into the release of dark energy from his palms to his fingertips, demanding and desiring for both Kiya’s defeat and submission. However, the woman fought back with the energy of the celestial diamond. Silver and black fought for victory over the other. Light versus dark–a testament to ancient battles between the gods of

heaven and humans on earth.

With every flail of her dress, the snake spotted the golden weapon attached to her hip. The weapon that caused his accursed wound. Kiya had yet to pull it out, waiting for the perfect opening for the man to pay for his crimes. He sent most of his subordinates into battle, their energy humming through his veins as the darkness from them replaced the adrenaline in his body.

Yet it didn’t hold a candle to Kiya’s tenacity. She didn’t need to feed off others to become stronger. She was

strong all on her own.

That was, until he remembered something important. Kiya threw a punch, which he caught in his palm. The other came just as fast, but with both of her hands in his, both struggled in a deadlock. Osiris threw his head back with a deep, resounding cackle, confusing the hell of the smaller woman.

“What the fuck are you laughing at?!” Kiya roared.

“I was so caught up in trying to punish you I forgot about the trick up my sleeve.” He leaned in to where their noses almost touched. “My weapon worked wonders in dismantling your friends before, and it shall do it again. I’ll slaughter all you love without touching them!”

Confusion contorted her expression before flattening into shock. Furious, Kiya hopped and using Osiris‘ arms for leverage, she wrapped her ankles around his neck and twisted her body, using her lower body strength to throw the man on the ground before landing on her hands, hopping back on her feet. Her back screamed at such a feat, but pain be damned when a literal war machine is on his way to kill her family.

“Watch out, everyone!” She shrieked through the mind–link connecting her to her friends and family. “Cerberus is on his way!”

As Kiya got tackled again, her bundle of friends adorned paled faces during their fight. Memories of their brutal beat down festered like an infection, even more so as the familiar, unhesitant stomping drew closer to the battlefield. Neron remembered the tremor of Cerberus‘ colossal feet and the horrible stinging of his claws through his chest. Anthony confirmed his fears when he raised the alarm, reiterating Kiya’s message to the troops, concern rolling through the men and women.

“Oh, fucking hell.” Darien muttered in fear.

Cerberus‘ colossal figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, the sunlight highlighting his deep wrinkles as he slapped away the hybrids and witches in his way. His stomping grew louder and rapid once he spotted his targets. Both the Zircon and Garnet Moon members readied themselves for another brutal onslaught until an unlikely friend rolled in with furious thunderclaps and dim clouds.

A storm?

A magnificent boom splintered the sounds of battle, startling the soldiers by its sudden appearance. A sweet, pungent aroma of rain tickled nostrils, but rain didn’t accompany the smell. Instead, singeing the leaves and branches was a powerful bolt of lightning impaling the juggernaut through his broad chest. A savage roar erupted from his throat as he fell to his knees with a large, burning open wound exposed to the world.

“You aren’t fucking with my friends, today!” Heads turned to see Violetta with her hand humming in lightning, her hair taking on life as the storm bent to her will. She summoned another bolt of lightning to hit the beast, aided by a mighty thunderclap. Rain fell to calm the seared leaves so a forest fire doesn’t happen.

“You can control storms?!” Sapphire asked, mouth agape.

“What can I say? I’m a hurricane on two feet.” Violetta shot a wink, lips curling into a smile.

Some soldiers shuffled away from Violetta, in awe at her raw power. A thought struck Neron as he bashed the head of an offensive hybrid against a tree. If an army of wolves couldn’t stop Cerberus, then could avatars? A sly smirk settled on his face–he wanted revenge against the beast, but he was saving his uncontrolled anger

for Osiris.

Asim, understanding that the beast is his little brother’s creation, was blessed with renewed vigor. The ground suddenly erupted with tremors until deep violet light erupted from the soil, sprouting objects with a loud clanking. Metaphysical chains delineated with violet danced like entranced snakes, thrusting forward and locking around Cerberus‘ wrists and ankles.

Phoebe emerged from the distant trees, sporting black hair as a sign she had channeled her partial avatar abilities. Violetta smirked as her blue eyes shimmered, nodding with heavy enthusiasm. When the witch got closer, the taller woman yanked her into a hug.

“Glad you could join us!”

Phoebe turned to Anthony, who sported intense confusion on his face. “I… I couldn’t stay away. I needed to be here.”

“We’ll talk later, Phoebe.”

“Let us end this for good.” Asim added, his dominant arm glowing a fiery gold. Throwing his palm on the ground, enchanted sunlight mapped every crevice in the dirt, rushing to Cerberus. The gold shot up in a thick pillar of light, swallowing the screaming beast within. The female avatars caught on the idea quick. Honoring Goddess Hekate’s torches, Phoche summoned a pyre of orange and red, commanding it to swirl around Cerberus–reminiscent of the fire that nearly claimed the lives of her found family. Everyone watched the grandiose spectacle of light, including the hybrids and witches, who cowered away at the extreme power.

Cerberus let out a last scream to mark his death when Violetta struck the flaming pillar with her lightning. Three unique elements encompassing various forms of light were too much for him to handle. Three avatars defeated a beast made of the blood of avatars.

The explosion rocked the forest before dying in wisps of smoke and burning flesh. Everyone shielded their eyes from the flash of light before looking at the chains resting on top of the gigantic pile of steaming ash.

Cerberus remains.

“Good riddance.” Jacqueline spat out, dislodging a wad of spit at the ashes. Neron breathed a heavy sigh of relief, the world lifting off his shoulders. That beast won’t harm anyone ever again.

It’ll be that much easier to defeat Osiris.

“AHHH!”

Kiya’s scream flowed between the trees and touched the tip of the trees, igniting every sense and instinct; human, wolf, and everything in between within Neron. He abandoned all rationale. His body rocketed through the forest, shoving every obstacle in his way; wood and flesh, toward his woman’s destination, ignoring the shouts of protest behind him.

“Shit.” Anthony growled. He looked at his members and ordered them to go ahead after Neron, in which they all took off running, including his parents. “Phoebe, are you sure you’re well enough to be here?”

“I am.” She nodded, confident. Dark witches unfazed by the death of Cerberus tried to attack, but met with a massive force full of fury. Hekate’s presence flowed out of Phoebe and encircled the disgraces to witchcraft, forcing them to kneel in submission. Many resisted, but none can go against the embodiment of the goddess they abandoned. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Goddess Hekate will deal with you traitors later.”

“And for good measure…” Violetta summoned thin, golden nets out of nowhere, thanks to Amphitrite’s

blessing, and trapped the witches against the trees, knocking them out cold. “Good?” She asked Phoebe.

4/6

the white wolf occurred, leaving behind the army to clear way to the rest of the trash.

Osiris‘ fist narrowly missed Kiya’s face. He leaped in the air and tried to punch her down with his powers, but Kiya dodged by jumping backwards, his fist hitting the dirt; the impact leaving tremors in its wake. “I created a marvelous world for you! An escape from the mortal realm! Everything I’ve done was for you to never feel pain again!”

“Liar!” Kiya shouted back, summoning a ball of silver, and hurdling it toward the man, hitting him in the shoulder. “All you wanted was to control me! Your revenge was not mine, and you turned me into a war

machine!”

“You’re supposed to be mine! I did everything to keep you at my side and you betrayed me!”

“I’M NOT AMBER!” Kiya shricked, infuriated with the amount of lies Osiris convinced himself to be the truth. “Underneath your faux desire on loving me, you tried to recreate Amber from me! I’m nothing like her and you need to deal with that!” Darkness encircled her form like a thick rope, tightening as if someone were pulling from the end. Air left her lungs, but she continued to speak. “We may have gone through similar shit at Zircon Moon, but in no way, shape or form, does that make me anything like you! If Amber was alive today, would she approve of what you’re doing?!”

Kiya!” The woman jerked her head around to spot Neron emerging from the shadows of the trees, the bodies of others gradually growing from the distance. His blue eyes saw the predicament and prepared to run toward her until she shouted at him to stay back.

“No! Stay back–FUCK!” Kiya rolled her head to the side, exposing the mark on her neck growing and branching out in crimson anger. The pull to Osiris became intolerable, just like when she fell into the depths of her darkness. Her pained whimpers burned Neron’s ears like fire to flesh. “Osiris…!”

A deep chuckle rang from Osiris, his gleeful smile commanding the darkness to take hold. “Oh, does it hurt, Little Moon? Come to me and I’ll make your pain go away.”

The others had arrived in time to watch in horror as Kiya’s legs carry her to Osiris‘ side. It was a surreal moment for everyone, thinking the unthinkable that they’ve lost their little warrior to darkness again. Kiya stood at Osiris‘ side, allowing him to gloat at his apparent victory.

Until karma finally made its landfall.

Once the darkness coiled around her lessened, Kiya unsheathed the dagger at her thigh and committed an act

so shocking that it left everyone with their mouths agape. A battle cry rung out from her lips and she swung the blade across Osiris‘ face, blood splattering on her own.

Kiya had slashed Osiris in the face, the imprudent scar running from his chin to his temple over his left eye.

An eye for an eye.

Osiris unleashed a barrage of painful screaming, his hands shoving Kiya away before flying to his bleeding wound, desperate to stop the pain. The woman tumbled into her friends and turned her head to watch her manipulator fall to his knees, body hunched over to hide his face. Her hand clutched the blade tight as her

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desire to hurt Osiris more leaped from her chest as he fell to his knees. Slicing his face wasn’t enough to compensate for the pain he put her through, so she waited for his next move.

But there was more to Osiris than meets the eye.

Shielded by the blades of grass, Pepi’s huge body slithered to his master’s knee. The snake bit out a chunk of flesh from his thigh and burrowed himself deep in the layers of muscle and fat. Osiris‘ screaming had lessened, but the almost undetectable change to laughter caught everyone off guard, especially when parts of Osiris‘ body began bulging out in boils.

“Brother!” Asim screamed in horror. “What have you done?!”

Osiris didn’t answer. He cackled like a madman. Darkness sprouted from the ground and shot into the sky, creating a dome over the forest to block out the sun as the earth rumbled. The presence of great evil ensnared around everyone’s throats and squeezed, even more so with the avatars who dropped to their knees.

A disembodied roar echoed through the clearing.

Violent bursts of energy shot toward the group of righteousness.

The force threw everyone back farther into the ground.

But a bright white light was their saving grace.

What would emerge will decide the fate of the final conflict.

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