Chapter 76 THREE DAYS
CHAPTER 076: THREE DAYS
The war room is packed when the final Council meeting starts.
Not just Council members are here. There are pack leaders, coven leaders, vampire elders and fae courts. Every supernatural group has sent representatives.
Everyone knows this is the end.
One. Another.
Luna sits next to me. Her presence calms me. The boys stand behind us. They're close enough to touch.
The new Magistrate, Corvina starts the meeting.
"The final four seals are failing at the time " she says. " Over the world. Many places are under attack."
A map appears in the center of the room. Four points glow red.
"We don't have forces to defend all of them " Commander Frost says. "Even if we did those Covenant servants are too powerful. We're losing ground everywhere."
"How long?" someone asks.
"Optimistically? Forty-eight hours before the first seal breaks completely. After that it will be a domino effect. The Covenant will appear within the day."
The crowd murmurs.. Desperation mix.
"What about the Phoenix?" an alpha asks. "That's why we're here right? The Complete Phoenix can stop this?"
Everyone looks at me.
I stand up slowly. "Yes. If I reunify with the fragments I can seal the Covenant permanently."
"Then do it. Now."
"There's a cost."
"We know. You die. That's okay."
"No." My voice is firm. "I don't die. They do."
I gesture to the boys behind me.
"The fragments aren't objects. They're people. Alaric, Cassian, Zev. They've lived, loved and fought. They're not just pieces to be absorbed."
"They're not people " Corvina says bluntly. "They're echoes. Fragments with consciousness."
Alaric steps forward. "Fake or not it's our consciousness. Our existence. We deserve time to accept whats coming."
"Time is a luxury we don't have."
"Two days " I say firmly. "We need two days to prepare. To say goodbye. To make peace with this."
"The world is ending and you want a farewell party?"
"I want two days. That's non-negotiable."
Corvinas eyes narrow. "You're being selfish. Millions will die while you mourn fragments."
"Millions will die anyway if we rush this and it fails. The ritual requires emotional preparation. Lyrae said so. We need time."
That's not entirely true. They don't know that.
Oracle Mira speaks up. "She's right. Forcing reunification while emotionally unstable could cause the ritual to fail. Give them two days. We can hold that long."
Corvina doesn't look happy. She nods. "Fine. Two days.. After that no more delays. The Complete Phoenix. We all face the Covenant unprepared."
"Agreed."
The meeting breaks into logistics. Defense strategies, evacuation plans, last-ditch efforts.
I stop listening.
We slip out quietly. All five of us. Luna.
"Two days " Sofia says when we reach the corridor. She appeared from somewhere always knowing when we need her. "What's the plan?"
"Honestly?" I look at the boys. "I don't know. How do you spend two days before you cease to exist?"
"However we want " Cassian says. "That's the beauty of it. No rules. No expectations. Just us."
"I have a suggestion " Alaric says quietly. "Lets leave Duskmoor."
"What?"
"The academy is full of fear and preparation and death. Lets go else. Somewhere beautiful. Spend two days away from all this."
"Where?"
He smiles. "I know a place."
Six hours later we're standing on a cliffside overlooking the ocean.
Alarics "place" turns out to be a house built into the rocks. Isolated beautiful forgotten by time.
"I bought it a century ago " he explains as we explore. "Somewhere to escape when eternity felt too heavy. I haven't been here in decades."
It's perfect.
Cozy. Two bedrooms, a kitchen that works a living room with windows facing the sea.
"There's no bed enough for all of us " Zev observes.
"Then we sleep on the floor " I say. "Together. Like we said."
We spend the evening just existing.
No talk of Covenant or seals or dying. Just dinner cooked together laughter that feels stolen moments of normalcy in the face of the impossible.
When night falls we drag every blanket and pillow into the living room. Create a nest on the floor facing the windows.
All five of us lie tangled. Luna gave us space staying in one of the bedrooms. This time is ours.
"I'm scared " I admit into the darkness.
"Me too " Cassian says.
"Me too " Zev echoes.
"I'm terrified " Alaric adds.
"Same " Kieran finishes.
We're quiet for a moment.
Then Cassian starts laughing. "We're all scared. How wonderfully honest."
It breaks the tension. We're all laughing, the sound mixing with ocean waves outside.
"Tell me something " I say when we calm down. "Something I don't know. About each of you."
"Like what?" Zev asks.
"Anything. I want to know everything before..." I can't finish that sentence.
Alaric goes first. "I hate being a vampire. Always have. The bloodlust, the immortality, the isolation. I'd give it all up to be human again."
"Really?"
"Really. Two hundred years is too long. I'm tired."
Cassians next. "Every time I die I hope I won't come back. That it'll finally be permanent.. I always resurrect. One hundred twenty-seven times of hoping for an end that never comes."
My chest tightens. "You wanted to stay dead?"
"Not wanted. Just... Wouldn't have minded. Being alive that many times gets exhausting."
Zev sits up slightly. "I've never told anyone this. When I walk dreams I can see peoples fears. Their worst memories. I carry thousands of nightmares in my head. Sometimes I can't tell which ones are mine anymore."
"Zev—"
"That's why I'm not afraid of stopping existing. It sounds peaceful. No more nightmares. No more others horrors in my head. Just quiet."
Kieran is last. "The wolf fragment has been with me since birth. I thought it was me. Part of who I'm. Finding out it's separate that its leaving..." He pauses. "Part of me is relieved. I've never known what it's like to be Kieran. Without the wolf. Without enhanced anything. Maybe I'll finally find out who I really am."
"You're all insane " I whisper. "You're talking about dying like its a relief."
"Maybe it is " Alaric says gently. "We've all been carrying burdens heavy, for too long. You becoming whole means we get to rest. Finally."
". I lose you."
"You don't lose us. We become part of you. Closer than we've ever been."
I want to argue. I'm too tired.
We fall asleep like that. Tangled together. Five people who are really one person facing the inevitable.
The day we don't talk about the Covenant at all.
We swim in the ocean though its freezing. Cook breakfast that tastes like life. Walk along the cliffs holding hands.
Cassian teaches me card tricks. Alaric reads poetry loud. Zev shows me how to lucid dream. Kieran just holds me, steady and warm.
That night we talk again.
"What happens after?" I ask. "After you're... After the reunification?"
"You'll have our memories " Zev says. "Our abilities. Everything we were becomes everything you're."
"Will I still be me?"
"Yes. More complete."
"What if I don't want to be complete? What if I want to stay broken if it means keeping you?"
Silence.
Then Alaric speaks. "That's not your choice to make anymore. The Covenant is coming. You. Become whole or everyone dies. Including us anyway."
"I hate this."
"We know."
"I don't want to do it."
"We know that too."
". I'm going to anyway."
"Yes. Because you're brave.. Selfless.. Everything we love about you."
I'm crying again. Seems like all I do anymore.
Kieran pulls me against him. "One more day. We have one day. Lets not spend it crying."
He's right.
We spend the day making memories.
Every touch deliberate. Every word carefully chosen. Every moment savored.
Because tomorrow it ends.
Tomorrow I feel complete by giving up the parts that made me want to feel complete.
As the sun sets on our day together we stand on the cliff looking out at the ocean.
"Thank you " I say softly. "For everything. For waiting fifty years. For loving me. For choosing to let go so I can save everyone."
"Thank you for making life worth living " Alaric says.
"Even if we were pieces " Cassian adds.
"Being your pieces was the best thing that ever happened to us " Zev says.
Kieran just hugs me tighter.
We watch the sun go down into the ocean.
Tomorrow we go back to Duskmoor.
Tomorrow the ritual happens.
Tomorrow I lose them.
Tonight right now they're still, with me.
Still mine.
Still real.
I'm going to hold onto this moment for as long as I can.