When the scythe finally drew in the last trace of the escaped dark power, a heavy stillness fell over everything, an eerie, deafening silence broken only by the sound of the rain.
Clair slid the weapon back into its den, and with the last of her strength drained, her body gave way. Ark caught her before she collapsed, lifting her gently into his arms. Together, they descended toward the penthouse, now battered and barely recognizable.
"How's... Zach?" she asked, her voice a fragile whisper.
"He's alive... and so am I," Ark answered softly, glancing down at her with a weary grin.
A faint, exhausted laugh slipped from her lips.
Ark touched down gently on the floor of their room. With careful hands, he settled Clair into a cushioned chair Eifrit had prepared in advance. Just a few steps away, Zach lay unconscious on the couch, his skin marked with cuts and burns.
Filbur was already tending to his wounds, his focus sharp despite his own exhaustion. Eifrit knelt beside him, silently assisting.
Ark looked up, the sky above them still roiling with dark clouds, thunder rumbling in the distance.
"It's not over," Clair murmured, her voice barely cutting through the sound of the rain.
Ark turned to her. There was a grim stillness in her eyes, the kind that came with knowing what was to come.
"They will come," she said, her tone quiet but certain as if she could already feel their presence moving beneath the storm.
Per materialized in the air and dropped down fast, her landing light but tense. The moment her eyes took in the wreckage, the scorched walls, shattered glass, and her wounded friends, a wave of guilt hit her hard.
"What happened here?" she asked, her voice strained with both panic and remorse.
"Clair's power blew - completely out of control," Ark said, glancing toward Zach. "Almost took the whole place with it. But we got it under control... thanks to Cerro. Well, his blood in Zach. Took a beating, but we managed."
Per's breath hitched as she rushed to Clair's side. Her heart sank at the sight of Clair's mangled hands, which Filbur was carefully treating now.
"You should've called me. I was just a few blocks away!" she said, her voice trembling with frustration.
Clair, bruised and barely upright, managed a faint, teasing smile. "So... how did it go?"
Per stared at her in disbelief. "Seriously? That's what you care about right now?" she snapped, her voice laced with exasperation and concern. She then reached for the antiseptic bottle and a cotton pad from Filbur's bag, her hands steady but quick. She moved toward Ark, her grip gentle but firm as she took hold of his right arm.
Ark exhaled in mock relief. "Ah, finally, someone's looking after me," he said with a smirk, trying to mask the discomfort.
Per said nothing as she cleaned his wounds, her gaze remained distant. Ark observed her, noticing how tightly she held herself, the faint tension in her shoulders.
After a moment of silence, he couldn't help himself. "So, you really went out with that doctor?"
Per's eyes flashed, and she immediately looked away. "I'm not talking about that right now," she replied, her tone clipped.
Zach stirred back to consciousness, his body gradually pushing him upright as he scanned his surroundings. Memories of the chaos flooded back in an instant.
Ark sat beside him, his arm casually draped over Zach's shoulders.
"Did it work?" Zach asked, his eyes instinctively moving to his left hand wrapped in bandages.
