Heaven Door | The Finale of the Dragon Children Trilogy.

9 | Starfall

Euryale arrived in the rainy camp, where Sol's army would have rested. He took a look at the date and time, but the numbers were all jumbled up. Sol's desk had a picture of him, his wife and his daughter. Unlike the original universe, where his wife had cheated on him and left. Euryale walked outside of his office, and followed the one, single, straight path that stood in front of him. He heard a rumble beneath his feet, as the origins travelled behind him. "The hell?.." He turned around and saw a black void forming. The surroundings of it, were sucked into it. "I'm not supposed to be here.." The existence of Euryale within this afterlife wasn't supposed to happen. Him being there had disrupted time and space, entirely. With that.. "This place is collapsing in on itself." Euryale picked up his pace and sprinted along the dirt path. The rain splashed under his feet, as the black void behind him slowed down. Euryale approached a single, wooden cabin. He slid and crouched underneath a window, in which Euryale could see inside. There was sounds of dishes being put on the table, as a man shouted out. "DAFFODIL! Daff, dinner is ready!" Euryale recognised that voice. It couldn't be anyone else. Inside the cabin, the man called out once more. "DAFF!" The little girl ran down the stairs, stomping her feet on the ground. "Yeah, I know, dad! Geez, you don't have to scream so loud! The neighbours will hear!" Euryale looked inside the window. "Sorry, Daffodil. I'll be quieter next time." Euryale's eyes widened, as they started to tear up. He placed his hand against the window. "Sol.." Sol sat down at the table, with his wife and his daughter. "I love this family." He said. "Nothing could split us apart." His wife smiled. "Of course. I love you, and only you, Sol." Euryale looked closely into Sol's head. There was something missing.. oh, yes. It was the tumor. The blue horn in his head.. wasn't there? Clearly, this is what Sol wished for all along. Euryale felt a rumble behind him. "Shit.." The black void was coming toward him. Not only him, but Sol. He stood up and crawled over to the door. He raised his hand, but he just.. couldn't knock on the door. Sol finally had what he wanted, but Euryale was about to take it away from him. Sol felt the rumbling under his feet. "Daddy, what's happening?" Sol shook his head. "I'm not sure, baby. Let me go check." He looked outside the window. It's like he didn't even see anything. He shrugged, and walked back to the table. "I don't see anything. Must just be this weather." Euryale felt the ground shake more. He had to knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Sol stood up from the table. "Who could this be?" Euryale opened the door and stepped inside. He looked over, and looked at Sol. "Sol." Sol raised one eyebrow. "Who are you? You're not supposed to be here.."

In the white void by the Heaven Doors, Akuji and Stella were getting dressed. "Phew! Ever done anything like that?" Akuji smiled. Stella stayed silent. "Man, this world is absolutely beautiful!" Akuji stood up and looked around. Stella snapped her fingers, making the vision of the world disappear from Akuji's eyes. She turned around and looked at Stella. "Woah, now why'd you do that?" Stella remained silent. "..." Akuji turned around. "Why you actin' all weird?" Stella stretched out her hand, releasing beams from it. "Shit!" Akuji dodged them, as they kept going. "A training session?!" Stella shook her head. "No. Not at all. I hit my target." She smirked. The beams reached the Heaven Doors, and hit the 4 Doors the Holy Stones stepped in. There was nothing. Not a scratch on them. Akuji frowned at Stella. "Stella, what are you doing?!" Stella stood up. "What he asked me to." Akuji scoffed. "He?! Who's he?!" Stella turned her back to her. "Don't follow me." She walked away, opening what seemed to be a door of some sorts. Akuji watched her from afar, with one eyebrow raised. She was confused. She had no idea what was going on. Stella closed the door behind her, hiding her in the void. Akuji took slow, and cautious steps toward where Stella went. She reached her hand out, unlocking the door. "Stella?.. Whatever is going on, I'm sure we can talk it out." Akuji heard a rustle behind her. She summoned her weapon and swung it back, digging it into someone's stomach. Stella felt the sword dig through her stomach, as her mouth started leaking blood. "Stella.. ?!" Stella smirked. "Heheh.. My mission is complete. He asked for this.." Akuji stuttered. "W.. Who asked for what?!" Stella's body dropped to the ground. "Julius.. Julius.. He asked.. for the Holy Stones to be killed." Akuji held her body. "Julius.. Julius?! The old king?! What does the old king.. isn't he dead?!" Stella's smile grew wider as Akuji spoke. "Haha.. you're an idiot. Just enough time for me to gain your trust and then.." Her eyes went dark. "Kill your friends. Oh, Akuji.. how stubborn you are. You can't win this war. I can see it now.. Yes.. 3 of the Holy Stones die.. along with 3 of the Warriors. Ha.. haha.." Stella died in her arms. Akuji heard rumbling behind her. She sprinted outside the door and ran toward the Heaven Doors. "Shit.. no.." Stella's attack came into effect. "The Heaven Doors.. they're.." The Doors started breaking. "Collapsing." She flipped through a book that Euryale left with info about the Doors. "Damn it.. what happens if they fall apart?!" All 12 of the Doors were cracking, very, very slowly. A timer appeared in the sky. It said, 3 days. "Shit.." She found the page she was looking for. "If one's Heaven Door collapses.. their soul.. their entire existence.. disappears.." Akuji jumped back. "Once the collapsing begins, they have 3 days left to.. find a high and mighty lord who has the power to stop the collapsing.." She looked up. "Julius."

Sol summoned his staff, and pointed it at Euryale. "Who are you?" Euryale raised his arms in the air. "Easy does it, Sol.." Sol thrusted his spear at Euryale. "Answer me." Euryale looked into his eyes. "Sol, it's Euryale. I saved you. Remember? During the Tournament of Mist?" Sol scoffed. "What are you talking about?.." Euryale took off his glasses. "Sol.. you're dead. None of this is real. Artemis and Lucina died for their cause, you need to come back and fight this war for us, you have to kill Simetra!" Sol shook. "Woah, woah, what the hell are you on about?! War, Simetra, Artemis?! Who are these people, who are YOU?!" His voice shouted out. He looked back at his wife and daughter. "You two.. get out of here." Euryale summoned his chains. "Sol.. you have to come back with me. This afterlife will be consumed if you don't. Along with us." Sol's eyebrows went down. "Shut up. I'll kill you." Euryale's eyes widened. "What?" Sol thrusted his staff toward Euryale. Euryale barely dodged to the side, hitting his shoulder off the frame of the door. "Sol!" Sol summoned a large boulder above Euryale with his staff. "DON'T CALL ME SOL!" He dropped the boulder. Euryale used his chains to grab the boulder and throw it to the side. "DAMN IT, WHY WONT YOU LISTEN?!" Euryale gasped. "I.. can make you a fucking cure for the tumor. We can bring back the Omniversal Warriors. We can end this war and live in peace FOREVER! If you would just.." Euryale walked up to him and clenched his fist. "LISTEN!!" He swung his fist at Sol and knocked him down. Sol's lip bled, as he came to a realisation. ".." He stayed silent for a few seconds. ".. E.. Euryale?" He looked up at him. "Holy.. shit, I.. where am I?" His daughter walked down the stairs. "Sol, you're dead. You're in the afterlife. We need to get out of here, fast. The void is coming, if we don't leave—" He was interrupted by Sol. "Yeah.. I get the idea." Sol heard Daffodil coming down the stairs. He looked over to see his little daughter. "Daddy?.." She looked at him. Sol's eyes teared up. "Daff.." Euryale frowned. "You.. you have to say goodbye." Sol walked over to Daffodil and knelt down. "Daffodil.. I'm so sorry.. It's my fault you died.." Daffodil giggled. "What are you talking about, daddy? You're so silly sometimes!" He wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a tight squeeze. "I'm sorry.. I'm sorry.. I'm so so sorry.." He cried into her shoulder, squeezing her tighter. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.." That's all he could say. Euryale put his hand on his shoulder. "Sol.. we're gonna have to go." Sol kissed his daughters forehead, before standing up. "Dad?" Sol looked at her. "When you're back, could we play that card game with mommy?" Sol teared up once more, as he nodded. "Yes.. of course we can.."

Akuji was looking up at the timer. The 72 hours ticked down to 70. She bit her nails as she walked in circles. "What do I do, what do I do.. Okay, these guys are gonna save the Warriors.. that leaves us with 9 people.. So.. 5 of us can go look for Julius.. or.. maybe.. Gahhh.. I don't know! Damn it.." One of the Heaven Doors lit up. Akuji looked up. "Huh?!" He saw two people stepping out of Sol's door. "You.. you.. you made it!" Euryale and Sol walked over to Akuji. "I knew I could do it." Euryale winked. Sol smiled softly. "Hey. I'm.. I guess I'm back? Holy shit.. I'm alive." Sol.. had returned to life. Euryale looked around. "Say.. where's Stella? And what's that timer?" Akuji scratched his head. "Yeah. I got a few things to ask. Let's talk, all 3 of us."

Lilith stepped into Flora's world. It seemed to be an exact replica of Simetra's base.

At the war zone, a boy held a bow tightly in his hand. He heard 4 pairs of footsteps behind him. "Isaac, look out!" A girl called out. Isaac pulled the arrow back on his bow. Before him stood Axel, Phirana, Luna, and Rose. Axel grinned. "Now, now.. settle down."