𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐒 {spirit animals}

19. Collateral Damage

{Hi everyone! To all my friends on here, quick note at the end of this chapter that I'd really appreciate you all reading <3

Enjoy the chapter}

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Serik was dead.

A scream caught in Rae's throat at what had happened in the mere seconds where she let her guard down.

For a moment, everyone seemed to be frozen with shock. It was a complete blur of a silent moment where no one knew what to do. The six of them just stared at the lifeless body with a blade through his heart, the hissing serpent near unconscious on the ground next to him.

And then just as quickly, the silent moment past.

"No," Rae shook her head, her body trembling slightly, "No, NO, NO!"

The blade had been aimed at her. She could have been the one now lying dead on the ground.

But Serik had shown up. When he had initially been the one to betray Greenhaven and work for the Darkcloaks. He showed up. And he saved her life.

Rae rushed forward and collapsed next to his body, somehow convincing herself that maybe he was alive. But he wasn't. She checked for his heartbeat, his pulse, breathing, anything to tell her that maybe he didn't just die to save her. Nothing.

She couldn't hear herself finally scream, couldn't see through suddenly blurring vision. She couldn't feel Ikaito nudge her with his snout, growl quietly as the canine reached for her with a giant paw.

It was Shen who walked up from behind her, a surprisingly comforting presence as he knelt down next to Rae. The prince of Zhong didn't say anything as he reached forward and closed Serik's eyes.

"Rae," He said quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Rae, calm down. There's nothing you could have done."

"No..." Her voice quivered as she spoke, "I-I shouldn't have..."

"It's alright," Shen stood up, pulling her up with him, "He's gone. That's that."

And it was that moment, when she locked eyes with him when Rae knew he had realized. That was when he figured out why Serik vanished that night in Greenhaven, why she wouldn't tell him who was responsible for Sucia's death. And there was a silent exchange of gratitude between them that told Rae all was well.

"So," Kolin stepped forward as soon as he seemed to see that Rae had calmed herself, "The fight is over. Galactic is freed. What now?"

"I'm getting the feeling that there's more to the story than we thought," Ylva mused, eyes intently focused on the ground in front of her, "Everything Galactic said. Some of it...Just doesn't sit well with me."

In whatever oblivion Rae was in, she found herself agreeing. Something about the situation they were now in seemed...Off. So the one Darkcloak army here was gone, there had to be others. And regarding all of those, nothing seemed to have been fixed.

Talona clearly read those exact thoughts, because she said, "We don't know what Galactic is capable of. He could have already wiped every single Darkcloak off the face of Erdas with just a thought. The energy I was sensing from him...He's powerful. He could've easily done that. "

Kolin frowned, "But the Darkcloak who..." He shot an uncertain look towards Rae before continuing, "The one who shot Serik. She didn't just disappear. That bird of hers, like, teleported her away or something. So Galactic didn't do anything, really."

"She wasn't a Darkcloak," Ylva shook her head, gaze still fixed on the ground, "She...It's a long story, but I know she isn't with them. Until we return to Greenhaven, we have no idea what's the status of the Darkcloaks."