Chapter 56 Con
"Where is this blade?"
"That is the problem. It does not exist anymore. It was destroyed a thousand years ago by Elara. She feared someone would use it against her creations."
"So we have a solution that cannot be implemented. Perfect."
"Not cannot. Has not been yet. The prophecy says the blade can be reforged. But it requires three things." Isla read from the scroll. "The tears of a dead goddess. The blood of a living void. And the sacrifice of a soul freely given."
"Tears of a dead goddess? Which goddess?"
"I do not know. The prophecy does not specify. But there are legends of goddesses who died. Who were killed or faded from existence. One of them must have left tears behind."
"And the blood of a living void?"
"That would be me. Or you. We both contain Oblivion. We are living voids. Our blood would work."
"And the sacrifice?"
Isla's face was grim. "Someone has to give their soul. Willingly. Permanently. They cease to exist in every realm. No afterlife. No reincarnation. Just nothing."
"That is too much to ask of anyone."
"Maybe. But it is the only way." Isla looked at her mother. "I am going to do it. I am going to find the tears. Provide the blood. And give my soul. I am going to forge the blade and destroy Oblivion. Free you. Free everyone."
"No! You are not sacrificing yourself!"
"Why not? You sacrificed yourself for me. For the kingdom. Let me do the same. Let me finish what you started."
"You have a husband! A life! A future!"
"A future that ends in imprisonment anyway! At least this way I choose how it ends! I go out fighting instead of fading slowly!" Isla's eyes were fierce. "I have made my decision. I am doing this whether you agree or not."
"Isla, please—"
"I love you, Mama. But this is my choice. My sacrifice. Let me be the hero this time."
She turned to leave again.
"Wait!" Mara grabbed her arm. "If you are going to do this insane thing, at least let me help. Tell me what you need. What I can do from here."
Isla stopped. Turned back. "You really want to help?"
"Of course I do. You are my daughter. My everything. If you are going to throw yourself into danger, I want to support you. Even if I think you are making a terrible mistake."
A small smile appeared on Isla's face. "Thank you. That means everything."
"So where do we start?"
"With research. Finding where a dead goddess might have left tears. There are only three candidates. Lunara, the moon goddess who existed before the current one. Seraphine, the goddess of dawn who was killed in the god wars. And Morgana."
"Morgana was not a goddess."
"No. But she was a Shadow Wolf created by Elara. And when she sacrificed herself to seal the fracture, she might have ascended. Become something more. If she did, her tears would count."
"That is a lot of ifs and maybes."
"It is all we have." Isla pulled out more scrolls. "I have been researching for weeks. These are the locations where each goddess was last seen. Last known to exist. We search them all. See what we find."
Over the next months, expeditions were sent. Teams of researchers and warriors exploring ruins. Diving into ancient tombs. Searching for any trace of divine tears.
The first two locations yielded nothing. Just dust and disappointment.
But the third location, the place where Morgana had sacrificed herself, held something.
A single crystal tear. Perfectly preserved. Glowing with faint red light.
"We found it!" the expedition leader reported through a sending stone. "Morgana's tear! It was buried beneath the fracture site! Encased in shadow crystal!"
"Bring it back immediately," Isla commanded. "Carefully. Do not let anyone touch it directly. Use cloth."
The tear arrived three days later. Isla held it up to the light. "This is real. I can feel the power in it. We have the first component."
"Two more to go," Mara said. "Your blood and your soul."
"My blood is easy. The soul is harder. I need to prepare. Make peace with what I am doing. Say goodbye to everyone."
"How long will that take?"
"A few weeks. Maybe a month. I want to spend time with Adrian. With my friends. With you. Before I go."
"You make it sound so final."
"Because it is. This is not a fight I walk away from. Either I succeed and cease to exist, or I fail and Oblivion escapes. There is no third option."
Mara pulled her daughter into a fierce hug. "I am so proud of you. And so terrified. And so heartbroken. All at once."
"That is how love feels. Joy and pain mixed together." Isla pulled back. "But it is worth it. You taught me that. Love is always worth the price."
The next month was bittersweet. Isla spent her days preparing. Her nights with Adrian. Her mornings with Mara.
She told Adrian everything. About the seal. About the transfer. About her plan.
He was devastated but supportive. "I do not want you to do this. But I understand why you have to. And I will support you until the end."
"Thank you. For loving me even knowing our time together is so short."
"I would rather have one year with you than a lifetime with anyone else."
They held each other and cried.
When the month ended, Isla was ready. She had said her goodbyes. Made her peace. Prepared herself mentally and spiritually.
"It is time," she announced. "Let us forge the blade. Let us end Oblivion."
"Where do we do the ritual?" Mara asked.
"Here. In the fortress. Where the seal is strongest. Where Oblivion is closest to the surface." Isla laid out the components. "Morgana's tear. My blood. My soul. Combined with fire and magic and will."
Kieran arrived to supervise the ritual. "Are you absolutely certain about this? Once you start, there is no stopping. No going back."
"I am certain. More certain than I have ever been about anything."
"Then let us begin."
They prepared the ritual circle. Drew symbols. Lit candles. Set out the tear.
Isla stood in the center. Cut her palm. Let blood drip into a bowl. "The blood of a living void. Given freely."
She placed the tear into the blood. It dissolved. Mixed. Glowed.
"Now the soul," Kieran said grimly. "Are you ready?"
"Yes. Do it."
Kieran began chanting. Dark magic swirled around Isla. Pulling. Tugging at something invisible.
Her soul.
Isla screamed. The pain was unimaginable. Like being torn apart from the inside.
But she did not stop. Did not break. She poured her soul into the bowl. Into the mixture.
The blood and tears and soul combined. Swirled. Rose into the air. Began to form.
A blade took shape. Long and thin. Black as night. Glowing with three colors. Red for Morgana. Gold for Isla. Silver for the divine.
The Blade of Un-Being.
It dropped into Isla's hand. She grabbed it. Felt its power. Its purpose.
"It worked," she gasped. "We did it."
But her voice was wrong. Hollow. Empty.
"Isla?" Mara approached carefully. "Are you okay?"
Isla turned. Her golden eyes were dim. Fading.
"I am dying. The soul sacrifice is taking effect. I have maybe minutes left." She looked at the blade. "Enough time to use this. To kill Oblivion."
"Wait! There has to be another way! We can—"
"There is no other way, Mama. This is how it ends." Isla smiled sadly. "But at least I end it on my terms. Fighting. Saving you. Saving everyone."
She turned toward Mara. Raised the blade. "Step aside. I need to reach Oblivion. Need to stab the seal. Cut through you into him."
"That will kill me too."
"I know. But you will be free first. Free from the burden. And so will everyone who comes after. No more living prisons. No more sacrifices. Just freedom."
Mara understood. This was the only way. The only path to truly ending the cycle.
She stepped forward. Opened her arms. "Then do it. Free us both."
Isla's hand trembled. Tears streamed down her fading face. "I love you, Mama. Thank you for everything. For my life. My freedom. My choice."
"I love you too. More than words can express. More than life itself."
Isla thrust the blade forward. It pierced Mara's chest. Stabbed through the seal. Struck Oblivion directly.
He screamed. A sound that shattered reality. "NO! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! I CANNOT DIE! I AM ETERNAL!"
"Nothing is eternal," Isla said. "Not even you."
The blade pulsed. Its power spread. Consuming Oblivion from the inside out. Erasing him. Destroying him. Ending him permanently.
Mara felt it happening. Felt Oblivion dying. Felt herself dying too.
But also felt something else. Freedom. Peace. Release.
"We did it," she whispered. "We actually did it."
"We did," Isla agreed. Her form was fading now. Dissolving. "Goodbye, Mama. See you in whatever comes next."
"Goodbye, my beautiful girl. My hero. My everything."
They faded together. Mother and daughter. Dying in each other's arms. But dying free.
When the light cleared, two bodies lay on the floor. Mara and Isla. Both still. Both gone.
And between them lay the Blade of Un-Being. Cracked. Broken. Its purpose fulfilled.
Oblivion was destroyed. The seal was broken. The nightmare was over.
Selene knelt beside the bodies. Touched their faces. "Rest now. Both of you. You earned it."
Adrian burst into the room. Saw his wife's body. Fell to his knees. "No. No! She said she would come back! She promised!"
"She did come back," Kieran said gently. "Just not the way you hoped. But she saved us all. Gave us freedom. That was her final gift."
"I did not want freedom! I wanted her! I wanted a life with her!"
"Then live that life in her memory. Make it count. Make her sacrifice mean something."
Adrian sobbed. Held Isla's body. Refused to let go.
Outside, the kingdom felt it. The seal breaking. The darkness ending. Freedom returning.
Wolves howled in celebration. Not knowing the cost. Not understanding what was lost to achieve it.
But those in the fortress knew. They knew two heroes had died to save everyone.