Chapter 34 The Awakening

Chapter 34 The Awakening
Luna POV

The obstacle at the point of arrival was not the same. It was vibrating like it was breathing as it had never been breathing before. The colors were wrong. The vibrations were off.

Something not alright, Sera, panicked on the other side of the barrier. "Something is waking up. A long time back we put it away somewhere."

"What is it?" I demanded.

The original Void, said Elena as her grandmother. She was a strong, yet fearful presence. The Void which was so strong that it had to be divided into seven parts in order to be placed. We closed those areas of the world, but the machine of Sarah... her mechanism of control... it is also working on a different frequency that is turning on all the seven seals at once.

"Can you stop it?" I asked.

"Not from here," Sera said. "Not from the barrier. We must have somebody on your side of the realities that will break open the seals before they are completely sealed. We shall want one that shall be quicker than the rest that they will coordinate.

"I'll do it," I said.

"You can't," Elena said. "You're too injured. You need time to heal."

But I didn't have time. I could feel it. I heard the seals disengaging. I was able to sense fragments of the primordial Void coming to life.

"Then I'll go," Kai said. He stepped forward. "I'm from the future. I know where the seals are. I know how to destroy them. Let me do this."

"You could die," I said.

"Yes," Kai agreed. But in the time of my original timeline, everybody dies. When I can avoid that, then I will die.

Thomas pointed out that your timeline won't exist anymore, in case you prevent the disaster.

"I know," Kai said. "I won't exist anymore. My entire life will be erased. But I will be able to know that I rescued this one. That has to be enough."

Kai started to run. Thomas gave him coordinates. David gave him weapons. He was blessed by her ancient knowledge by Elena.

I looked when he went away and I knew. Everyone had taught me about sacrifice. From Sera. From Elena's grandmother. From The Architect. Still, to all who had followed the more difficult way because it was the right one.

I must go back into the barrier, I said to Ethan. "I have to amplify it. Kai must be given time to destroy the seals.

"I know," Ethan said. He was grasping my face between his hands. "And I'm going with you."

"What?" I said. "You can't. You're human. You can't exist in the barrier."

"I'm also a werewolf," Ethan said. "I'm also someone who loves you. And I am also one who is sick and tired of letting you do all by yourself.

He kissed me. In front of everybody, you see. He kissed me as though it could be his last time doing so.

"Then let's go," I said.

We got into the barrier as a unit. And it was not the same this time. It wasn't lonely. It wasn't isolating. It was robust and cozy and loving.

I was able to feel the grandmother of Sera and Elena. I was able to sense the presence of everybody on the other side of the fence who was on our side. I felt how Kai was crawling through the world and crushing the seals one after another.

And, as we, Ethan and I, joined the barrier, a wonder of a thing occurred. The barrier amplified. It was so powerful that it broke the control apparatus of Sarah. It had discharged a jolt, which roused all the human beings and werewolves in Pine Ridge.

And it roused them not with fear, but with togetherness. Their battle brought them back to consciousness of what they were struggling with. It awoke them prepared to fight the darkness.

The final seal was broken by Kai when the pulse became the strongest. The Original Void screamed. What a sound that sounded through all the realities. But it didn't break through. It couldn't break through. The barrier was stronger than ever before, that is why this time it was so. This was not just a sacrifice this time, but love. Not just duty, but choice.

And we turned and Kai came forth out of the closed chambers. He was transparent. Fading. His time was crumbling since he had altered history.

"Thank you," he said to me. Appreciate the fact that you demonstrated that there was a bigger and better way than the one my schedule was proceeding towards.

"You saved us all," I said.

I saved you all-we saved one another, Kai said. Then he was gone. His timeline erased. His existence was revoked. But the world that he had died in the attempt to protect was safe.

Ethan and I pulled away at the barrier. We blindly stepped into the actual world, tired and transformed. We had been in the barrier together. We had amalgamated with the peace itself. And we had come back together.

"It's over," Elena said. She was holding me.

No, the voice behind us answered Sarah. "It's not over. It's never going to be over."

Looking round we saw Sarah standing. She was changed. Her eyes were glowing red. Her flesh was sparkling with energy.

Sarah said: I have drunk the power of the Void. No more than suffices to be irrepressible. And here I shall complete what I began. I will ruin your tranquility. I am going to ruin all that you love.