Chapter 53 Chapter 53
Sable’s POV
"I know how to end it."
The words hit me harder than the Creator's power ever could. Because I knew what she meant and the worse of it, I knew she meant it.
The Fallen's fingers tightened around mine, silver–black light moving between our joined hands like living fire.
Around us, the battlefield was collapsing into chaos.
Kael was bleeding heavily, one of the Hollow creatures hanging from his shoulder before Malrik ripped it off and tore its throat out.
Zander moved like death itself, but even his unnatural speed was slowing.
Caius and the Shadow King fought side by side, their dark powers ripping through waves of Hollows, but the creatures kept coming.
The dragon's silver fire burned through dozens of them yet dozens more took their place.
And Leonidas—
Leonidas was on one knee.
Blood covered him, his breathing was ragged.
But his eyes were still on me, as always on me.
The Creator stood in the center of it all, untouched.
Watching and waiting for who knows what because he knew.
He knew what the throne had shown us.
One lock.
One sacrifice.
The throne pulsed behind us.
Ancient, hungry and demanding
Choose the lock.
The Fallen exhaled.
"There's only one way."
My throat tightened.
"No."
Her silver–black eyes met mine.
"You know it."
"No."
I pulled my hand from hers.
"We find another way."
Her expression softened.
And somehow that hurt more.
"Sable....."
The way she said my name was not like enemy or like rival but like family.
And I hated it.
Because family was the one thing I didn’t know how to lose.
Not again.
"You don't get to decide this."
The Fallen smiled sadly.
"That's the thing."
Her gaze shifted toward the Creator.
"I do."
The Creator laughed coldly.
"You think you can seal me again?"
The Fallen’s eyes sharpened.
"No."
Her power rose.
Dark silver flames wrapped around her body.
"This time...."
She looked at me.
"We end it."
The Creator's smile vanished.
The throne shook violently.
Leonidas forced himself up.
"Sable!"
I looked at him.
His face was pale from blood loss, but his eyes were desperate.
They were not afraid of death rather I could feel that they were afraid of losing me. Or her.
Or all of this.
Caius appeared beside me, his breath uneven, shadows curling around his arms.
"What's happening?"
I looked at him.
"The throne."
His face tightened.
"What about it?"
I swallowed.
"It needs a lock."
His eyes widened showing that of understanding, immediate and horrified.
"No."
The Fallen laughed softly.
"That seems to be everyone’s favorite word today."
The Creator moved fast.
Straight for the throne because he understood too.
If he reached it first, everything ends.
Leonidas lunged to intercept him.
Kael joined, Malrik, Zander, Caius as well as the dragon.
All of them hit him at once.
And for the first time, they drove him back.
Not enough but still enough.
The Creator roared.
Showing sign of real anger now.
Real fury.
The Hollows shrieked in response, attacking harder.
The arena shook so violently the sky itself began cracking like reality was unraveling.
The Fallen grabbed my shoulders.
"Listen to me."
I looked at her.
"This isn't your burden."
Her eyes burned.
"It was always mine."
Tears burned behind my eyes.
"No."
"Yes."
Her voice cracked and suddenly I felt it.
Her memories.
It was not forced more like she shared it with me.
I saw her fall, felt the betrayal, the loneliness and the rage she had always carried.
Centuries of darkness not because she wanted destruction but because she was abandoned.
Forgotten.
Rejected.
My chest ached and I understood.
It was not her choices but her pain.
"You were alone."
She smiled bitterly.
"For a very long time."
The throne pulsed.
Louder.
Choose.
The Fallen looked at it.
Then at me.
"You changed the throne."
Her smile softened.
"You gave me back balance."
A pause.
"And that means I can choose too."
I grabbed her wrist.
"No."
Her fingers touched my cheek.
It felt warm.
Real.
"Sister."
The word broke something in me because I believed it now.
We were not sisters by blood.
But by soul.
By power.
By history.
Family.
And I had just found her.
Only to lose her again.
"No."
Her smile trembled.
"You're stronger than I was."
The Creator broke free from the others.
Leonidas crashed into the ground hard.
Not moving.
My breath stopped.
"Leonidas!"
Rage exploded out of me.
The Creator turned to me which was a perfect timing.
He smiled.
"That anger."
His voice darkened.
"That power."
The Fallen stepped between us.
"You don't touch her."
He laughed.
"You still protect what replaced you."
Her jaw tightened.
"She didn't replace me."
That hit me hard.
Because for the first time, I believed that too.
We weren't replacements.
We were halves that were broken apart.
Made to compete when we were meant to balance.
The Creator attacked.
The Fallen met him head-on as their powers collided.
Silver–black against void–black.
The explosion shook everything.
The throne cracked again.
The dragon roared.
"The seal is collapsing!"
Caius rushed to Leonidas.
He checked his pulse, then looked at me.
"He's alive."
Barely.
Relief hit so hard my knees almost gave out.
But there was no time.
The Fallen was losing ground.
Even balanced, even restored—
the Creator was older.
Stronger.
The throne screamed.
Its light flickering wildly.
The Shadow King appeared beside me.
Blood running down his face.
"You have to decide."
I glared at him.
"You're asking me to let her die?"
His red eyes were grim.
"I'm asking you to save the world."
I hated him for that.
Because he was right. And I hated right.
Kael staggered closer.
There was blood everywhere.
"Well....."
He coughed.
"No pressure."
Even now.
He still speak in sarcasm.
Zander appeared beside us, covered in blood that wasn't all his.
"If we don't do something now......"
He looked at the Creator.
".....there won't be anything left to save."
The dragon bowed his head toward me.
"The Queen must command."
Command.
Choice.
Burden.
The same thing always.
The Creator slammed the Fallen into the ground hard.
She coughed blood.
My blood.
Our blood.
Because somehow it felt shared, felt connected.
He stood over her with a victorious smile.
"Still weak."
The Fallen smiled through blood.
"No."
Her eyes found mine.
"Just waiting."
Waiting for me.
My choice.
The throne screamed again.
And then I saw it.
This time not in memory but in possibility.
The seal.
It didn't need death rather it needed was surrender.
Not destruction.
Containment.
Willing containment.
The difference mattered which I understood.
And so did the throne.
I turned to the Shadow King.
"It doesn't need sacrifice."
His eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"It needs consent."
The dragon froze.
The Fallen looked shocked.
The Creator's eyes widened.
Fear.
At last.
Because he knew.
A willing lock was stronger than a forced one.
And if the throne was changed, the balanced and then the seal could be too.
The Fallen understood first.
Her eyes filled with something like hope.
"Sable....."
I grabbed her hand.
"Together."
Her breath caught.
"What?"
I looked at her.
"They made us choose once."
Silver–black fire surged around us.
"Not this time."
The Creator roared.
"No!"
He lunged forward but Leonidas moved out of nowhere still bleeding, broken but alive.
He slammed into the Creator with everything he had left trying hold him.
Stopping him even if it's for seconds.
His eyes found mine.
Go.
That one look.
Trust.
Love.
Everything together gave me the strength I needed.
I ran.
The Fallen with me.
Toward the throne.
The Creator threw Leonidas off violently but it was too late as we had reached it.
Placed our hands on it together making the throne exploded with light.
Silver.
Black.
Whole.
Balanced.
The Creator screamed.
"No!"
The throne's voice thundered—not singular anymore.
It became two voices.
One silver.
One shadow.
Balance was chosen.
Chains of light erupted from the throne which was not directed toward us but toward him.
The Creator fought, roared and destroyed.
But the chains kept coming.
The Hollows stood frozen, screaming painfully.
Breaking while returning to darkness.
The Creator's power tore at the arena. Reality splitting.
But the seal was stronger because it was chosen not forced this time.
The chains wrapped around him.
His body.
His arms.
His throat.
Dragging him backward toward the throne while he looked at me with a furious heartbroken expression which felt ancient.
"You would seal your father?"
I froze.
The words hit like a blade.
Father?
What?
The Fallen's face went white.
The Creator smiled bitterly.
"Yes."
His eyes stayed on me.
"You truly don't remember."
The truth slammed into me.
Not a creator.
Father.
Maker.
Origin.
The bloodline.
The Queen line.
His blood.
His power.
My blood.
My breath broke and in that hesitation, the chains weakened.
The Creator smiled.
Because that was all he needed.
One moment.
One doubt.
And everything began breaking again.