The Forest Guardians

58. The End Chapter 3

Mike's POV

I lunged at Damon with a roar.

"Shouldn't there be something that you should focus on?" He said. "The lunar eclipse is about to descend."

"What are you saying?" I seethed as he locked me in a chokehold. "You had her killed!"

"And? What's at stake here, little Guardian? Avenging her or stopping everything from being rewritten?"

I paused. I watched as Dark Shadow consolidated all the hearts into a gem before starting the process of inserting it into Imagination. The glass window overhead showed the moon moving into Earth's shadow.

"Once that process is done, there's no going back. So, listen to me, you bring her body closer to Imagination while I distract them."

"Shouldn't this be something that you want?" I asked him.

He made no answer. Instead, he threw me towards Omen's body. With a roar, he unleashed his true demon form and dashed straight at Dark Shadow and Countess. I looked at Omen's lifeless body, my tears dripping as I dragged her towards where Imagination was. Perhaps, Imagination might have a way of bringing her back.

Strangely, as I got closer to Imagination, the hole in her chest started to close. Tiny golden tendrils began to drift into where her heart should be. Yet, I could not feel her soul. I looked over to Dark Shadow, who focused on merging the items. I have to stop him.

"Traitor!" I could hear Countess's screams. "After so many preparations, you would stab us in the back?"

"Why would I not?" Damon scoffed. "I'm a demon. And I don't take kindly to lies. Dark Shadow has lied to me."

I aimed at the man who brought death and destruction to all the realms and universes—the man who insisted on this dead path.

"And how have I lied? By the way, you forgot there's a rat here." I gasped as a hand clasped over my throat suddenly. "Ah, Ravenna's successor."

No.

My bow was knocked askew, and the arrow flew off course. Laughing clowns flooded the room. A laughing clown was holding onto me, but Dark Shadow's voice was coming out.

"As expected, only puppets are loyal." Both Countess and Dark Shadow were pinned down.

"Dark Shadow!" Damon roared at him. "You were the one who killed my lover!"

A dark chuckle reverberated across the room while the lunar eclipse descended upon us.

"Yes, I did. She wasn't meant to die in the story, but I wanted your power. Of course, you didn't disappoint me." At his command, the Clowns stabbed through them. Countess gave a shrill scream before it died. Dark Shadow, who was preoccupied with Imagination, stared at me maliciously. "It is commendable that you managed to show Damon the truth, but it's too late. Now, you shall be the only audience to witness the birth of a new story."

I struggled against my captor while summoning my bow. With a swift movement, the Clown broke my legs.

"Argh! ...That wasn't me!"

The gem, together with Countess and Damon's hearts, merged with Imagination. The ball of light turned a bloody red.

"Oh ho, that is a surprise. Then how did my demon know of my true actions? Well, never mind, he is dead. What matters is my goal."

A sudden roar came out from the ball of light as the lunar eclipse descended upon us. I dropped my hands and helplessly looked at what he was doing. The Laughing Clown was too strong, and there was no way to stop this from happening. A string of words was uttered from Dark Shadow as the ball reacted to him, shaking more and more furiously as he went on. Suddenly, I saw Omen's fingers twitch in the corner of my eye.