The Last Saint

32: The End of Life

"Death hurts, doesn't it?" The familiar voice echoed. "I know, I've died once too."

Adam felt sore and tired. So sore that he could not even manage to open his eyes at first. He moaned in pain as he struggled to regain control of his limbs.

"Take your time, you've been through a lot," said the voice. Adam recognized it, but he couldn't quite remember who it belonged to.

Finally, he managed to force his eyes open. He found himself in the forest beneath the World Tree, in a small clearing. He could tell that he was close to the base of the tree, by the angle. He looked around. Eventually, a figure came into focus.

"I know you," Adam whispered, his voice hoarse and painful.

His fingers seemed to regain their strength, and he managed to drag himself to a sitting position. His memories began to return to him, and he clutched his stomach, where he remembered the First's sword piercing into him. He relaxed when he found himself unharmed. He then looked at the person beside him, and a name started to form in his mind. He recalled a memory that seemed long past, and as he looked at the person's face, a single word came to his lips.

"Kara." He said, finally.

She smiled. "How do you feel?"

"Like crap. What happened to me? Is this a dream?" 

Kara looked up at the tree. "You died. I don't know how, but you died."

"I'm dead?" He repeated, bewildered. "I... I remember Taiyang stabbing me... and Eve killing him. And then nothing. Everything went black."

"That's death. However, when I said you died, I wasn't technically accurate," Kara replied. "While your body definitely did experience a death, your soul hasn't actually crossed over, and now that your body is capable of sustaining life again, you've found yourself here."

He stared at her, and blinked absently. "So... what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Essentially you have a choice. You can choose to die, and thus give up on Eve and any chance of saving the world this time around. Or you can choose to return to your body and continue the fight. The obvious con to the first option is that the world might end. However, it would mean that if the end was staved off by another generation, you would reincarnate and get another chance to get it right. The second option means that you'll be able to continue your battle with Eve, however the downside is that, at the rate things are progressing, Eve might become your enemy."

He didn't have to think very long. "I'm going back. I started this with Eve, and I'm going to finish it. I know she's not perfect, I know she has the potential to be bad, and that she's teetering on the brink, but I believe in her. I have to."

Kara smiled. "I knew you'd say that. Very well Adam. Close your eyes, and let sleep claim you. When you wake up again, you will be back in the real world."

He nodded, and gently laid back down. "Thank you Kara." He closed his eyes.

"My advice? Take it slow when you wake up. You were impaled after all."

All Adam could think about was how much he wanted to return to Eve. Those thoughts stayed with him, even as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up, he was once again in the world of the living - the excruciating pain in his stomach was proof enough. He was dizzy, and faded in and out of consciousness for what seemed like a millennium. Finally, the fog which clouded his mind began to clear, and he realized that he felt a warmth gripping his hand.

"Eve?" He whispered.

The tear-stricken blonde answered by nodding. He looked up at her face, and saw the myriad of emotions she was experiencing at once. The poor girl was crying and smiling at the same time, feeling everything at once. Adam understood, just by looking at her.

"Thank god," she whispered. "I was afraid you might never wake up!"

He saw cuts on her wrists. They looked self-inflicted, and recent. "How long was I out for?"

"You were unconscious for three weeks. You've been in and out for the past 5 days," she replied.

He smiled at her. "Have you been by my side this whole time?"

"Of course!"

"What about Second?" Adam asked.

Eve smiled. "Without her regeneration ability, she's powerless. Cain's gone to finish her off, so don't worry about that. You just focus on recovering."

And that's exactly what Adam did. He spent his days with Eve, telling her childhood stories, and getting treatment from the doctors. He had a horrible scar on his belly, but the wound was healing fast - probably a side effect of his being the Fourteenth.

And several days later, without warning, the power of a saint entered his body, triggering another old memory.

This memory was brief. In it, he was standing side by side with Eve in front of a portal. She seemed hesitant, but he grabbed her hand, and reassured her that everything would be ok. The memory ended with them entering the portal.

He didn't know what it meant, but Adam was sure of one thing. Him seeing the memory could only mean that Freyja was now dead. Only two Saints remained.