Sharp Teeth - Sleep Token/Vessel FF

Final Chapter

Waiting patiently in the library was anything but easy, but I had promised Vessel I would, and I meant to keep that promise. This was his battle to fight, not mine. As much as I ached to help him, I knew I'd only get in the way. My powers were nothing compared to his or Sleep's. But I could be useful in another way.

For the past two months, I'd immersed myself in research, trying to find a way to connect this realm to Earth, anything that would allow Vessel, II, III, and IV to travel here without needing to drink the scarlet liquid. And at last, I found it.

The Book of the Realms—ancient, revered, and heavily protected—held the answer. It was guarded by the same strange creature that had found me the day Vessel and I were separated, and after days of struggling to bypass its chambers, I finally managed to claim it. Its pages revealed a truth I hadn't expected: the one who guards the gates of this realm can open them at will, if they understand how.

I was the new guardian. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't activate the gates. Was it because I didn't yet understand the nature of my power? Or was Sleep somehow suppressing it?

I didn't know the answer yet, but I refused to stop trying. From the moment I discovered the possibility of manipulating the gates, I dedicated every waking moment to honing my power.

While Vessel battled Sleep, I poured every ounce of focus into that mission. If things went badly, I would summon II, III, and IV to his aid—it was my secret plan B. I hadn't even told Vessel, and I wasn't sure he would have approved, but I had to try.

Then I heard it. Vessel's scream, raw and agonizing, filled my chest with horror.

I sprinted toward the garden, only to see him trapped in battle with Sleep hovering over him, victorious. I tried to run to them, but an invisible barrier sealed the garden, isolating it completely and blocking me from entering. I screamed Vessel's name over and over, but he couldn't hear me. Sleep had turned the garden into a battlefield for two. I could only painfully watch my lover become undone by a selfish God.

My heart shattered with every passing second. I realized then that I couldn't bear to live in a world without him.

Then, through my tears, I witnessed the impossible: Vessel driving his fist through Sleep's chest, breaking what I instinctively knew was the God's heart. The power inside Sleep cracked, and something shifted in me again. I felt part of that power surge into my body. Golden light bloomed in my hands, pulsing with heat, magic, fury, and purpose.

I didn't wait for the fight to end. I already knew Vessel was victorious. I turned and ran, channeling the borrowed energy into the gates. My hands still glowed as I poured my will into them.

Moments later, II, III, and IV emerged, drawn by something deeper than just my voice calling to them.

"Ava!" II called, breathless. "Are you all right? Where's Vessel? How did we get here without the scarlet liquid?"

"He's in the garden," I said quickly, my voice shaking. "And I think Sleep is dead."

There was no time for talk. The four of us ran together toward Vessel, hearts pounding. And there, we witnessed not just a victory, but a transformation.

Vessel stood alone at the center of the battlefield. Bloodied, radiant, and powerful beyond anything I'd ever seen. Sleep had vanished, his form reduced to ash on the wind. The garden itself had changed—calmer, brighter, as if the realm had been holding its breath and had just exhaled.

But we still couldn't reach Vessel, as another God had appeared. The One Below stood with him, speaking in hushed tones we couldn't hear. Yet it was clear: He was offering Vessel something.

"Why can't we enter the garden?" II asked, worry etched across his face.

"Sleep blocked everyone from entering," I replied, my hands still tingling with power. "But I can feel the realm shifting and the barrier weakening."

The realm was reshaping itself, adjusting to a new divine force. But not the one we expected.

"I wonder what The One Below will turn this place into now that it's his," IV murmured. "It already feels lighter somehow. Maybe he's a benevolent God, unlike Sleep."

"Whatever it becomes," II said grimly, "we'd be wise to remember that Gods should never be fully trusted, even the kind ones."

Before we could speculate further, The One Below vanished. Gone without a sound, as if he'd never been there at all.

Vessel turned to us then, and for the first time since the battle began, our eyes met. He opened his arms, and I was pulled to him, weightless, like gravity had ceased to exist. Just like the first day we met.

Only this time, when he caught me, he held me like I was everything. Like I was home. And I gave that love back without hesitation.

"Vessel!" I cried, clutching his face. His blood was still warm on my hands. "You screamed! I thought I lost you! You're bleeding, and I don't know what this power is—"

"My dearest Ava," he said softly, brushing a bloodstained thumb across my cheek, "breathe. I've never felt more alive. These wounds will heal."

II, III, and IV rushed to him too, wrapping him in fierce embraces.

"I brought them here," I said, my voice shaking as I rushed to explain. "I found a way. I studied the Book of the Realms. When you struck Sleep, I felt something pass into me, a piece of his power. It let me open the gates. They don't need the scarlet liquid anymore. I think I'm the one who decides who enters now."

He smiled, fingers brushing through my hair. "My love. So powerful. Thank you for letting me fight this battle alone. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you." He paused and looked to II, III, and IV. "Any of you."

"What did The One Below say?" IV asked, cutting in. "Why are we still here if Sleep is gone? Doesn't the realm belong to The One Below now?"

Vessel sat down in the grass, his gaze drifting over the dreamlike horizon. "You're right. The realm could have been his, but he decided he didn't want it. Also, apparently, I'm a God now."

"What?" III gasped. "How? What does that mean for us?"

II and IV exchanged a look, their concern unspoken but shared.

Vessel's voice was calm and steady. "I didn't know either. But it turns out, killing a God makes you one. It's ancient knowledge, hidden, almost forgotten. Even The One Below wasn't sure it would work. That's one of the many reasons he made the bargain with me: To see if the legend was true."

"So... we're not going back to Earth?" II asked, scratching his tilted head.

"We could," Vessel said. "But we also have a chance to start over. To shape this world and build something better."

III's eyes lit up. "Wait. If we're staying... can I bring my cats?"

IV laughed, and II groaned. "Seriously?"

"What? They're family just like you lot," III said with a shrug.

Vessel laughed, a deep, warm sound that made my chest ache with relief. "This world is ours now. We can shape it however we want. Bring anyone—or anything—you love. Will you stay with me, brothers? Will you be the Knights of this realm?"

The three of them exchanged a look, and then, without hesitation, nodded at the same time.

It was done. We had a new home. A place free of tyrants. A place where we were free to dream. A place we could finally call our own.

I leaned my head against Vessel's shoulder, peace settling over me at last. "If we're staying, we should give it a name."

He rose, his eyes lifting to a sky painted in colors no Earthly sunset could ever dream of.

"I agree," he said softly. "Let's call it Eden."