“...What should we do with the book?” Bella asked. “I mean – the last time we hid it didn’t exactly end well.”
Akilah smiled. “Now that the Master is completely gone and we have officially returned, the magic within the book’s pages will run out eventually,” she said. “After all, there wasn’t supposed to be any magic left for an eleventh Generation – but apparently, the book decided there truly needed to be one... And I guess it was right.” She paused to nod at the four teenagers, who did nothing but silently nod back.
“Anyway... I’d keep the book somewhere safe. As long as you don’t destroy it, it should be fine. The book has served its purpose, and therefore I highly doubt we’ll ever meet again.”
“Let’s drink to that,” Bella said with a smile. The others, even the Spirits and the teenagers, seemed to agree.
“When we get home, I’m going to get myself drunk,” Antonio mumbled, hoping his friends wouldn’t hear him. And if they did, he hoped that they’d think he was joking.
“Very well, then,” Aoife said, “are you ready for your journey back home?”
The Guardians nodded. They were ready to leave everything behind; ready to go back to their usual lives – for as far as they’d be able to call them ‘usual’ from this point further.
“Very well,” Akilah said. “James... I know we’ll meet again, but I hope not to see you here for a very long time.”
James was slightly caught off-guard, but deep inside, he knew what Akilah meant. Perhaps he’d always known – ever since he’d been resurrected. Akilah hadn’t resurrected him just because – she’d resurrected him with a purpose, so James could repay her one day.
“I can hardly wait to fulfil my duty by your side, Akilah,” he smiled. “But for now, I think I’ll enjoy my time with the family I have left.”
“I hope you enjoy every moment of it,” Akilah smiled. “Farewell once more, Guardians. Take care.
“...And sleep well.”
*
When James opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his wife. How her dark curls framed her face, her brown eyes filled with surprise. She was sitting on her side of the bed, looking at him; a smile appeared on her face as soon as she noticed James was awake.
“Hello, there,” Anna said, her voice shaking. “You’re back early.”
“Didn’t I promise you I would be?” James responded, kissing his wife on the cheek. As happy as he was to see his wife, he couldn’t bring himself to telling her what had happened.
Unfortunately for James, though, Anna asked, “Did you all get home safely? How did Luke and his friends find the adventure?”
James swallowed. “Anna, there’s something you need to know,” he said.
He told her to go downstairs and wait for him – James would wake up his children. They had to know what had happened, too.
James carefully woke up the two seventeen-year-old boys and their twelve-year-old sister, asking them to come follow him downstairs.
And thus there they sat, anxiously waiting for James to break the news. Obviously, Luke’s absence hadn’t gone by unnoticed; the teenagers asked their parents where he was, and James let out a sigh. He had to confirm his family’s fears, although he didn’t want to.
“Luke... didn’t make it back,” he said slowly; his eyes as well as those of his wife and children instantly welled up with tears.
“Oh, my baby boy,” Anna gasped. “What happened to him, James?”
“He...” James paused, thinking about what Samira had told him. “He’s a hero, Anna. He died saving Lunaria from destruction.”
Anna smiled through her tears, but couldn’t keep herself from sobbing as she threw herself against her husband’s chest. James beckoned for his children to come closer; both parents hugged their children tightly.
“He promised us he’d come back,” Ian said through his tears. “This isn’t fair! He said he’d come back!”
“I’m sorry, Ian, Theo, Emma, Anna, all four of you, I’m so sorry,” James said, noticing he was sobbing, too. “But – if Luke and Mari hadn’t sacrificed themselves, none of us would’ve come back.
“And I think the least we can do, is thank them for saving us. Whether they’re hearing it or not.”
*
James wasn’t the only one who returned home with sad news. Antonio had woken up in his apartment, instantly setting his mind to a mission; he had to go back to his old neighbourhood, to his ex-wife.
She had to know what had happened to Mari. After all, Louise hadn’t seen her daughter in four years, either.
Antonio drove back to his old house, the house he’d left three years ago to look for his daughter. Ever since then, he hadn’t truly had a real home; he kept moving from place to place in New York and the area surrounding the city, in hopes of finding his daughter.
And he’d finally found her... only to lose her again right away.
An event Antonio would probably regret for the rest of his life. But then again, it had been Mari’s own choice. She wanted to be the one to save the world, as if there was a debt she had to replay. Mari had grown up so fast – faster than Antonio ever would’ve wanted her to.
As Antonio pulled up at the sidewalk of his old house, he hesitated. He wasn’t sure whether this war the right time to tell his ex-wife what had happened to their daughter.
But whether it was the right time or not, it was Louise’s right to know what had happened. After all, there is never a right time for hearing your child has passed away.
Antonio slowly got out of his car and walked toward the front porch. He rang the doorbell out of respect for his ex-wife, despite having the key in his pocket.
The door opened slowly, and Louise appeared in the opening, her hair tied in a messy bun and her eyes tired. “Oh, it’s you,” she said, seemingly not too happy to see her husband. “You’re back.”
“Yeah...” Antonio mumbled. “I... I came by to tell you something.
“I found Mari.”
Louise’s eyes widened in surprise. “You did?” she said. “Did you run into her after you got back from the other world, or-?”
Antonio shook his head. “No,” he said. “I... May I come in?
“You might want to sit down before I tell you about Mari.”
Louise let her ex-husband in, and the two of them headed straight for the living room. Antonio wasn’t planning on staying long – Louise probably didn’t want her to.
“So... what’s going on with Mari?” Louise asked. “Anton, please tell me she’s alright.”
Antonio bit his lip. He felt his throat closing up; if he wouldn’t say it now, he wouldn’t be able to say it for a long while.
“Mari... was alright, Louise,” he said. “She was safe. Until...”
“Until what, Anton?” Louise asked, the worry in her voice resembling more than just an undertone. “What happened?”
“The Master, who once controlled Lunaria, had taken her prisoner for his own purposes,” Antonio mumbled. “He wanted her to help him fulfil his plans.”
“But she didn’t, did she?” Louise asked frantically. “For goodness’ sake, Anton, don’t pause like that!”
“She didn’t, Louise, trust me,” Antonio said. “Mari did quite the opposite, actually.
“She saved the world.”
Louise didn’t seem reassured. “She saved the world?” she repeated her husband’s words. “So... does that mean she came back home with you? Where is she, then?”
Antonio swallowed. “Mari... didn’t come back home, Louise.”
Louise’s eyes widened in horror. In her heart, she knew what had happened to her child, but she had to be sure.
“Antonio...” she said quietly, “is Mari... is she...?”
“Gone,” Antonio admitted, his throat finally closing up. “She died. Together with Lucas, James’s son. They saved the world, but... couldn’t save each other.”
Louise allowed her breath to escape from her lungs as she buried her head
into her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. “No...” she mumbled. “Marilyn... why did she have to be taken from us right after we’d found her again?”
“I’m so sorry, Louise,” Antonio said, placing a careful hand on his ex-wife’s shoulder; to his surprise, she allowed it. “I did what I could. But Mari wanted it this way. And... Luke followed her, even.
“This is what they wanted. To save the world, to save us.”
“But why?” Louise lamented. “Why our little girl?”
She suddenly turned and wrapped her arms around her ex-husband’s waist. “Please,” she said softly. “I don’t... I don’t want to fight anymore, Antonio.
“Please, stay. I don’t want to lose you too.”
Antonio accepted her hug. “I won’t leave,” he said. “I won’t leave you anymore, Louise. I promise.
“I will try my best keep the promise I made to Mari. The promise I failed to keep for her. But this time, for you, I will do everything within my power to keep it.”
A year goes by quickly. Quicker than you’d think, even.
Things never went back to what they used to be. Mari and Luke never came back; the void they left was never filled.
And it wasn’t just a physical void they’d left. They left a mental one as well.
The sound of Luke’s laughter was missed greatly by his siblings. Even his tricks and shenanigans were missed; especially by his parents.
Eventually, the inevitable winter came. Long, dark nights, that seemed to seamlessly blend in with the almost equally dark days.
No snow fell that year. Not even the slightest bit of white flakes came falling from the sky. But, despite the fact that there was no snow, the merciless winter cold remained.
But of course the winter came to an end. Spring began, the days started growing longer and lighter. Flowers and trees began to bloom, and so did eventually the hopes of the former Guardians.
Everything on Earth has a new beginning, so that meant that perhaps they could have one, too.
As a result of that, James and his family left New York for good later that spring. Anna and James felt like that was the first step to a true new beginning.
Sometimes, to move on, you have to leave the sight of old memories behind and create new ones. But the family made sure to never forget Luke.
Luke’s family took him with them, wherever they went. He was always in their hearts, no matter what happened.
And although the first year was a difficult one, they got through it, because they had each other to rely on. Family and friendship; the most important elements when it comes to human life.
Even Louise and Antonio found their new beginning. Three years later, they were finally ready to become a married couple once again. In their daughter’s memory. They didn’t organise a big, fancy wedding, but perhaps that wasn’t truly necessary, either.
It is important to keep your loved ones close, because you never know when they’ll leave you. People can leave you in many ways, after all.
But then again, if you love someone, you’ve got to learn to let them go. It isn’t healthy for one to stay fixated on each other forever. But just because you let someone go, it doesn’t mean you never have to speak to that someone ever again.
Actions speak louder than words, but words are the ones that hurt the most in the long run. But perhaps sometimes, saying nothing at all hurts more than saying the wrong thing. Speech is silver, but silence is golden, they say.
Well... sometimes, you’ll just have to settle for silver. And that’s because it’s the right thing to do.
Be careful with what you say and do to the ones you love. Cherish the time you have. Don’t take it for granted.
And, if you ultimately do decide to split ways, or are forced to do so, make sure that you always keep each other in mind. You’ll never know when you might meet again.
And you’ll never know what will happen once you do.
***
~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~
I: The Release
II: The Game
III: The Saviour
Guardian: Darkness Rising Page 21
