Serene’s POV

Everyone fell, monsters, creatures, foes, only Meliana was left standing. She had shielded herself using different creatures and now she was raising more from the ground and a huge herd was emerging from the direction of the Dark Realm.

I was completely drained and fell to my knees, gasping for breath. "You alright?" Arlo asked in concern and I just nodded at him. He then wrapped his arms around my waist and helped me up and I couldn’t help but stare into his lonely crimson eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but Kilamin’s voice cut him off.

"I will stay with Serene, you people move. Finish what we came here to accomplish before she raises another army," Kilamin instructed Zilver and Arlo and he reluctantly let me go before rushing toward her.

"Drink, you have depleted a lot of your energy," Kilamin handed me a vial. Mariela Sensei had made us these Replenishing potions, which helped in gaining 10 % of our energy back.

I took the vial and unscrewed the cork to devour it in one go. "We have to go, we got no time to waste," I told Kilamin while opening my wings and flying in Meliana’s direction.

Artins Sensei along with others were fighting her. She had very limited creatures left which surrounded her now and this was our chance. I was hoping Zeph was near her with his sword because no ordinary weapon could kill her. Arrows after arrow rained on her by our fae archers but they had no effect.

"You people are pathetic, you can’t kill me," Meliana was using Queen Vilarja as her shield, Vilarja had a very powerful shield that manifested as a red crystal and surrounded the person. Nothing could break that shield, we had to somehow do the inevitable. Artins Sensei was waiting for Zeph to make his move, while I hovered near Kilamin. My bow was ready to launch a final arrow so I could end her miserable life.

She watched us from inside the crystal with a smirk as werewolves further killed the last of the creatures she had summoned. Then a deafening noise of a sword swinging and striking against the enormous red crystal was heard and we all saw it shatter into million pieces, her defense was gone and so was that smirk from her face.

Zeph had done it, he had shattered the last of her defense as I watched something stab Vilarja and she fell unconscious on the floor, no longer to be used as a puppet by Meliana.

But she moved quickly and caught Zeph which seemed like she had grabbed thin air. "You can disappear but you can’t hide from me" she spewed out as I observed Arlo move closer and cover her with his eternal darkness, we heard her choking.

"Zeph, go," I heard him shout and Zeph returned to visibility again as he stepped outside the darkness, coughing. My heart screamed but I kept my position, this was vital.

"Kill her, everyone stay back, she can still possess you people," the darkness subsided around Arlo and Meliana, and we saw him holding her by the throat.

"Kill her, Serene," he shouted again his eyes found mine and I steadied my bow. How was he not under her mind control, there was no shield to protect any of us from her mind control? Then I saw the crystal I had given him, gleaming under his clothes. He was finally using its full power to form his own shield, a powerful shield to stand against her. She was trying to overpower him but failing.

This was my time, this was my chance to finally end this once and for all.

"Arrow of Death," I shouted and a pitch-black smoky arrow formed and flew towards Meliana, it hurled closer so close, everyone watched with hitched breaths and shocked eyes as it traveled through the air but at the last second, she grabbed Arlo and shifted him in front of her.

The Arrow of Death pierced his body and then hers as well. A blood-curdling scream left my throat seeing what I had done as blood spluttered out his mouth, his eyes held mine for one last time as a small smile spread on his lips and he fell to his knees. Kilamin tried to catch me but I flew at full force toward him.

"NO, NO," I shouted everything had disappeared for me, I felt numb as the rippling pain of what I had done washed over me. Crippling me torturing me shaking me to my core. I trembled as I neared to pick up his lifeless body.

The effect of the arrow had lowered when it went through Arlo and hit Meliana. She was still alive behind him but I didn’t care. Zeph moved stealthily and with one swift move of his sword, he sent her head flying and plunged the sword deep into her heart, making it finally stop forever. A huge roar of victory and clapping went all around me but it was no victory for me.

I collected Arlo in my trembling arms and moved his hair out of his face. There was peace only peace on his beautiful face as if he was sleeping. Blood covered his chin as it spilled out his mouth. My tears fell in his eyes as I took his face in my hands and shook him, I cried out:

"Arlo, wake up, pleaseeee," but he was long gone, I had killed him.

"Serene...he is gone," Kilamin said softly.

"No, he is not," I shook him again. I could hear everyone rejoicing all around me for Meliana was dead but I didn’t care for any of it right now. I felt so numb, I felt drained of everything. A void was created inside my heart and I knew nothing will ever fill it.

I knew what I needed to do, if I could conjure the Arrow of Death, I knew I could conjure the Arrow of Life as well. I steadied my bow and tried to gather every ounce of energy I had left. I would bring him back.

But my bow was yanked from my hands by Kilamin. He knew what I was going to do.

"He is gone, we don’t bring back the dead. It’s the cycle of life," he spoke softly but firmly his eyes showing the emotions he was trying to control just to say this to me. Zeph had joined him and he handed my bow to Zeph. Who looked at me with sadness mingled with pain as if saying sorry.

"I don’t care, give it back," I shouted at the two men who clearly thought my life was more important than a vampire’s. My eyes flickered between them to have any pity but all I found was refusal. Artins Sensei had joined us and he bent down to pat my shoulder and said:

"Serene, I understand how hard it is but remember he died a hero. Saving us all."

"I don’t care about any of it. I want him back, I killed him and I will fix it. Zeph, give me my bow," I demanded but he shook his head. My eyes pleading them to not act so cruelly. As I hugged him closer, not wanting to ever let go.

"I can’t, you have no energy. You already used an Arrow of Death, depleting every ounce of energy you possess. What you are trying to conjure now will kill you and I am not ready to lose you."

At that moment I didn’t care about my life. I came here with a prepared mind that if it would take giving my life for my friends I would gladly give it.

They had no right to dictate my decisions.

"I need my bow Zeph, don’t make me ask again."

I replied in a threatening voice, tears streaming down my face as my heart filled to the brim with my raw emotions. It hurt, it hurt so much. I wanted to yank my heart and throw it away to stop the hurt it felt.

"Sorry, I can’t give you that," He was hardly able to keep eye contact with me. I slowly gazed at Arlo’s lifeless body and bent down to kiss his forehead before lowering Arlo to the floor so I could get my bow. But I knew I was fighting a lost battle, no one was on my side. I stood up but felt my body get bound by chains Kilamin had conjured.

"NO, LET ME GO, DON’T BE SO CRUEL."

I yelled at them and my eyes wavered from one face to another but no one heard my pleas. No one helped me, no one cared for him as I did. Everyone just stood there with their heads bowed. Zilver tried to step toward me but Ziva stopped him, knowing nothing will pacify me.

"I am not ready to lose you, Serene. I understand what you are going through but what you want to do is suicide. And I can’t have my only sister committing suicide. I promised father to bring you back in one piece and I intend to do that," Kilamin told me very calmly as everyone around us stared at him. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"It’s my mess, he died because of me, he died saving us. Don’t you people care about him even a little bit?" I screamed at them but no one spoke and just looked at me with apologetic eyes.

"Sedate her, Mariela," Kilamin ordered her and she moved toward me with a small vial with a syringe.

"No, Sensei," I tried to break the wretched chains that held me but I had no strength. My tears did not affect them.

"I am sorry Serene," she said with an apologetic tone and plunged the syringe into my neck.