The Eternals

          The battle raged on, both on land and in space. Both were destructive and intense, and were the only ones that gave the universe light and color that was robbed from it.

          Seraphor felt that the whole thing was like a recollection of sorts to everything that had happened in their past, yet tripled. He had never thought fighting Ceroz in his current state of life could be as difficult as fighting him back in his youth. Ceroz’s abilities were clearly not his own, and his light-based attacks were clearly far more destructive that what the silver red remembered.

          He quickly remembered how realities were infinite, and in some of them, Ceroz could be a dangerous force of nature. Seraphor knew that in some of those realities, Ceroz was victorious against him an Avila, and effectively returning dragons to their proper place: the true rulers of the world. As the silver red dragon still loved humans despite their weaknesses, he did not want a world where they became the villains.

          Still, if it wasn’t for Avila’s darkness, they would not be able to counter his attacks. Seraphor quickly assessed the dragon in front of him, and found out that, while he was undeniably Ceroz, it wasn’t the one they fought.

          “Vila, he’s not our Ceroz!” exclaimed Seraphor.

          “How can you tell?”

          “He’s dumb, and covered with sealing and restraining runes! He’s a berserker on the loose!”

          “And how do you even know those are sealing and restraining runes? I thought runes are not your thing.”

          “I study, okay? I’m not the same youngling who can barely control his powers.”

          “Anyway, you’re right. He’s practically covered with that, so he’s a dangerous beast, not a cunning mastermind of a dragon,” said Avila. “And that demon we fought…”

          “Still not a threat. But your enemy…”

          “The Nightmare Roots are the same with the one I fought, but this time, I’m all alone. I had Sannourah and my counterpart with me, but right now…. Just try to be on your nerves at all times. Its fear ability is based on phobias, so it’s quite potent. It’s not just an intimidating illusion of fear like mine.”

          “Are you two finished? I thought that dragon’s your enemy!” exclaimed Ifrit. “Just so you know, we have our hands full here!”

          Seraphor pointed his finger towards the Infernal and mimicked a gun firing a stream of ice. It hit the demon and rapidly froze it in place. Then, he controlled a nearby tree and shattered him with its trunk.

          “At least he’s a piece of cake. Now, for the main problem,” said Seraphor. “Vila, focus on that Nightmare Roots of yours. I’ll try fighting him off.”

          “I don’t think that’s a wise idea.”

          “Your darkness can’t hit him, either. I’ll try and hold him off. You try and hold the nightmares from plaguing us. It’s a fight of two fronts. Let’s go!”

          As Seraphor and Avila went on to fight their nemesis, the others were also fighting their own battles. Unlike the two dragons-turned-draconians, however, they fared less well. The Forever Damned were clearly not ‘forever damned’ as their title would suggest. They were still wrapped in their chains, but they were clearly free. In addition to that, they were not the ones the group fought in the deepest bowels of hell. They came from a different hell.

          However, different hell or not, they clearly did not anticipate Anarim’s time manipulation ability, one that gave them an edge during the fights. The only problem was his old heart. His time manipulation ability caused arrhythmic heartbeat that put a lot of strain on his body, and in his old age, that heartbeat problem could be fatal. In fact, overuse of the ability would be fatal, even if he was still young.

          But, it was for the sake of the only chance they got. Ifrit and the others might not believe that their fate rested in one person, but it was the fact, and they needed to work on it to preserve everything they had ever known.

          Ifrit bombarded the enemies with his fire, but it wasn’t enough. One major difference of this fight was the chains, and they were far from the hellish plains. The chains were practically useless, as did their strategy of anchoring it to the ground. As they were on the surface, the ground would not act as tether, and would not mold with the chains to hold them down. It was practically impossible to fight them without help.

          As if fulfilling a wish, just as one of the Forever Damned tried to attack them, the body of a dragon flew in front of them. It was caught between one of the Damned attack, which was flinging a chain towards them. It caught the dragon, and quickly wrapped around it, restraining it. The dragon let out a terrifying roar as the chains wrapped around his limbs and let him fell to the ground, unable to even writhe free. His roar was silenced when it wrapped around his maw.

          “Holy shit. I wouldn’t want to end up like that,” said Seraphor. “Good riddance, though. What the fuck are they?”

          “Forever Damned,” said Albreich after catching his breath. “You get the idea. I think you’re one of the smart bunch.”

          “And they are here, on the surface of the fucking Earth?” said Seraphor after getting the idea of who they were. “I know you have demonic friends with hellfire ability, but seriously, a demon from the seventh circle of hell is clearly not supposed to be here!”

          “There are a lot of weird things happening, Seraphor,” said Albreich. “And yes, they are not supposed to be here.”

          “At least one problem’s done. Now, we got these demons, which, uh…don’t look as disturbing as I thought.”

          “Demons are not disturbing,” said Albreich. “That’s what imagination do to you. They are beautiful creatures, and that’s why they are far more dangerous than we initially thought.”

          “I’m not sure if that’s flattery or insult, Al,” said Ifrit beside him. “Anyway, it’s good to talk normally like this.”

          “Now that you mentioned it, your accent sounds different.”

          “Well, let’s not talk about accents, and hold back our enemies. Miss wolf here is trying to help us, and we must help her, too.”

          Everyone nodded, and turned towards where the enemies were. They started to materialize again, but only lesser enemies, which was a good indication. The enemy was getting weaker. Still, he made sure that he gave the group the worst of their problems with any power he had left.

          Just then, the whole landscape seemed to change into something sinister. It started snowing, but it wasn’t snow. Instead, it was ash. The land seemed to become rustic red, and veins of some sorts started to form on it. They could not even see that far, as everything became shrouded in darkness. Not only that, the command post turned into rust, and a whole new world was made. It became horrifying all of the sudden as silence befell the area.

          “This is…familiar,” said Seraphor. “I seemed to know this from one of his games.”

          “Se…ra,” said Avila’s voice weakly. “Help…me.”

          Seraphor turned towards her, to see her maimed condition. It was horrifying, as if she was being eaten by something. Parts of her limbs were torn off, and she was missing an eye. Part of her body had their bones exposed, and she lost one of her horns. The most horrifying of them all was one of her wings. Her feathery wing, torn off like that. It was disgraceful for a dragon. Seraphor may had permanent torn wings, but he lived with it. Seeing her in that state was horrifying.

          “Avila,” said Seraphor, stunned and horrified. “Y-you…”

          “Please…Sera, help…me,” she said, while coughing blood. “That monster is…far too dangerous.”

          “By ancestors, you need help. Hey, you guys, help…”

          “Don’t, Sera! It’s an illusion!” said Avila’s voice. “Concentrate. Look at me.”

          Seraphor turned to find Avila’s still maimed body, but then he realized the discrepancy when he concentrated like she said.

          “You’re a dragon?”

          “That’s right,” said Avila. “Whatever you see, it’s not me. You’re caught in the Roots’ snare. If you’re drawn to it, you’ll die. It projects your worst fear. When you give in to it, then your life’s forfeit. Focus on my voice and don’t let it take you.”

          “What am I supposed to do, then?”

          “Trust me. I know you can. What do you know about me? What is it that cherish you the most about me?”

          “I cherish…our memories. Our hardships. We supported each other when everyone else fails. Even if we’re separated, we will try and find our way back together. With that relentlessness…we have a family.”

          The image of a maimed dragon form Avila was quickly replaced by a draconian form, healthy Avila, who was just lightly injured. Seraphor sighed in relief, but Avila did not share the relief.

          “Everyone is still trapped,” she said. “I was careless. Like a tree, there are smaller branches that eludes me.”

          “What should we do, then?”

          “No other choice. We must burn it. Come, Sera. Use your fire.”

          Seraphor was not a fool. He could not believe normal fire could burn something of a nightmare. But, he believed his mate. If she would devise a plan against a manifestation of nightmare, then he shall trust her.

          He breathed some fire to some nearby logs, while Avila fueled it with darkness. To his astonished eyes, the fire slowly turned blue, then black. It was an unsightly thing to behold, and it was full of uncontrolled darkness, one that he could not control. Not only that, it had a cold aura instead of warmth.

          “Is this even possible?” asked Seraphor.

          “Adding darkness to an element is nothing new. Adding destructive force to it, however…well, that takes a little bit of practice. I’ll explain later.”

          She snapped her fingers. The fire went out.

          “Now, listen to me closely. I want you to take a very deep breath, then breathe fire as long as you can while I add the property of darkness to your fire. Point it towards where I was moments before.”

          “So, like a lighter and a spray can, then? Okay. You ready?”

          “Ready when you are.”

          Seraphor took a deep breath, deeper than he usually had, then felt one of his lungs burning with fire. He then expelled all of it, in a great blaze of glory, towards where Avila was pointing. She then touched the fire stream he made and tainted it with her darkness, turning it into a fire as black as their surroundings, with blue core. The warmth of the fire, one that would sustain life, was replaced by the coldness that stop all life. The black fire, a diabolical twist of nature’s breath, hit the dark tree of death and fear.

          There was a loud, unnatural shriek that echoed through, and as Seraphor’s fire was expended, the illusion was dispelled. They could see further now, and the sky was still dark, but it was clear that they were no longer in the nightmare world.

          The others were dazed, but unharmed. The others saw the two draconians, and quickly realized that the two saved them.

          It was a short celebration, however, as more enemies started to come pouring. They all prepare themselves to fight again, but everyone had become exhausted. Fighting with all their strength, killing countless numbers of enemies. They all looked towards the remaining enemies, which had now surrounded them. They were all unimaginable dangers, and they were bent to massacre the group in the command post.

          Up in space, the enemies seemed to have vanished. Everyone was surprised by this, but then Dairyu realized that something must’ve happened down on the planet. He quickly instructed Seiryu and Capisa to fly down towards the command post.

          “That son of a bitch realized we’re the diversion,” said Dairyu. “Fuck! I should’ve known! Are they dead?”

          He was relieved to know that everyone was still alive in the command post, but his relief was quickly shattered when he saw a horde of sorts of enemies, clearly dangerous. The group on the planet seemed to struggle to the last of their breath, but even then, it was hopeless. Dairyu needed to back them up, using superior ship prowess that was saved by the St. Vincent from a bombardment of sorts.

          “I do hope that ship survives until the end,” said Dairyu. “She saved us too many times already.”

          Up orbiting the planet, the remaining four ships sustained massive damage from a barrage of spaceships attacking them. The Culax was almost destroyed and lost most of its navigational control. The crew survived, but casualties were high. The Sha’Kren fared better, and most of its crew survived. They were also the only one that could communicate with the planet.

          St. Vincent, however, fared the worst. The ship was crippled by barrages of attacks aimed towards her like a vengeance. She may had survived other bizarre situations that fell her, but now, it seemed her luck had run out. Not only that it was the biggest target there was, the entity seemed to be bent on destroying her.

          Inside, many of the crewmembers were killed because of the final attack. The bridge crew was mostly dead, and the engineering section was entirely crippled. Radiation flooded the whole compartment, and only the Scyllan engineers could work inside while the rest evacuated. Even then, there were not many Scyllan engineers on board. While radiation empowered them, it did not change the fact that there were only five of them manning a station for twelve engineers. In a desperate attempt to save the ship from dying, they shut down life supports on several decks of the ship and directed the ship’s Zero Matter fuel to power the impulse engines, all to keep the ship in orbit for a while longer.

          The medical deck of the ship was the only one with light damage. The ship’s design gave one simple rule of survival: always keep the medical bay safe, stemming from the fact that it was once a hospital ship. Despite of barrages from enemy ships, it only sustained minimal damage with no loss of hands. This enabled the medical crew to go around finding survivors to tend to, along with helping these injured crew to board available escape pods. Even then, a grim fact came upon them when they realized that only one-eighth of their original crew survived.

          The Azure Dragon managed to get into the crippled ship and tried their best to find survivors and tend the wounded. They managed to help reboot critical systems, and alternate Dairyu managed to reach the bridge, and found that it was hit the worst. Many were unconscious, others were maimed by destroyed equipment and malfunctioning computer, but the worst of it all was on the battle console.

          The console was destroyed beyond recognition, and there were many crewmembers either dead or surviving around it. One whole equipment collapsed and crushed some of them, leaving them with nothing but a pool of blood. Alt. Dairyu quickly found a survivor, who was being protected by a familiar person.

          “Hey, Rendlok,” said alt. Dairyu to the survivor. “Link up.”

          He knew how to communicate with the telepathic race. The survivor, Atho, managed to establish connection, but it was very weak, as he was dazed.

          “The ship,” he asked, weakly. “Is it…safe?”

          “Let me be very honest with you, Rendlok. It has better days. Parts of a deck is ripped open and exposed to space, and you clearly lost a lot of crewmembers, and I mean a lot. The bridge is destroyed…your ship’s finished.”

          “Oh, well…it’s not mine, it’s Pritchard’s. He’s down there.”

          Atho turned towards the person shielding him. It was Lunera. The Orient slumped over Atho’s body. He was impaled by a support beam that fell on top of him and through his chest, inches to where Atho was. He was shielding the Rendlok from it, and reacted fast enough to keep Atho out from harm. It was a fatal injury, however, and the shock of the impalement caused Lunera to not consider melting the beam. It was apparently useless, given how it was a strong alloy that could withstand heat. Too good, in fact, that it became a killing object.

          “Lunera,” said Atho as he noticed the barely conscious draconian. “Is he…”

          “Alive, but not for long,” said alt. Dairyu, making a solemn expression. “He lost too much blood.”

          “Can you save him?”

          “Can you?” asked alt. Dairyu to his ship’s medic. The doctor checked him, but then he shook his head.

          “Pull the beam out, and he’ll bleed to death. It’s near his heart. I can operate on him, but at this point…I suppose he won’t survive the procedure, and it’s impossible considering the beam.”

          “No…,” said Atho, his tone shaky, as if crying. “He saved me. I was supposed to die in his place. Why?”

          “He may have seen something in you, Rendlok, or maybe it’s instinct. Draconians have quite a reflex, you know.”

          “I can still sense his brain pattern. I can attempt a link.”

          Atho did so, and he heard Lunera’s weak voice.

          “Who is it?” he asked.

          “It’s Atho, Lunera.”

          “Oh….” Lunera did not stir. It was clear that he was dying, and his eyes were fading. “So…I guess I had it, huh?”

          “Why did you do it?”

          “I don’t know. My…body moved on its own when I…sensed danger. It’s a shame that…I couldn’t save anyone else.”

          Lunera moved his eyes, to see alt. Dairyu and the medic.

          “In the end, it’s not our Dairyu Tsukasa. Pity. I idolized him. I thought I’d die seeing someone who inspires me, but, well…his alternate counterpart will do. Same face, anyway.”

          His eyes turned to Atho. He was trying to speak, but there was no voice coming out. All he could do was to concentrate his mental voice to talk to Atho. It was his final message.

          “Hey, Atho. I want you to give Dairyu and the captain a message. Tell them that it will be alright. You will all see the universe again. I guarantee it. Oh, and tell my girl that I…die bravely, and holding on her picture in my pendant. Anyway…take it to her and tell her everything. Make sure you take Pritchard with you. She is not very good around insects, especially human-sized. Oh, and for my brother…I’m sorry I cannot be with him when he graduates from the military academy. He’s a nice guy, smiles a lot, and loves the garden on Luna. I hope his crops have grown in there.”

          There was a slight pause as he shed his tears. Atho could see his maws stopped moving as his eyes faded away. He seemed to have died, but his brain was still alive, though not for long.

          “I…I give all my army pension for my brother. Orion…that’s my brother’s name. Orion Tsukihira. Red eyes, like mother. My girl’s a Terran Orient. Her name’s…Yuna…Yunari. Head covered with silver hair running down her back to her tail. Pretty sight. Will you be able to remember everything, Atho?”

          Atho nodded as tears trickled down Lunera’s motionless face.

          “Good. I hope my confessional’s intact, but if it’s gone…well, no matter. For my captain…don’t grieve my death and blame yourself. You’re always the kind of guy who want to take care of everything. Please…help Atho to find those I know, and relay the messages from me. I…I’m not sure how I have left, but I guess that’s it.”

          He stopped, and Atho felt his consciousness, and in extension, his life, slipping away, his telepathic link and brain activity weakening. Atho was a telepath, not an empath, so it was impossible to interpret his final feelings, especially when his body had died. His final words, however, gave Atho a clue of what he felt.

          “I always wonder if I’ll meet my ancestors…or be forever in darkness…when I die. Now that it’s the end…I don’t need to wonder anymore,” said Lunera. “It’s sad…and ironic, really. I spent my life…looking at the black veil of space, and in the end, darkness awaits. Life starts and ends with darkness, I suppose. Well…thank you, Atho, for hearing the confessions of a dying drake. I…guess I’m going to sleep now….”

          “Yes. Sleep well, Lunera. Thank you,” said Atho in his mind, trying to ease the pain and let Lunera relax as he died. “It’s time to rest. You’ve done your work. Wherever you go, always know that your good deeds will always be remembered, and your efforts awarded.”

          And thus, Lunera Tsukihara, first officer of St. Vincent, met his end in the ruined spaceship floating in space. He served the ship well, and he would be remembered and honored forever, when the universe returned.

          Moments after his death, the universe seemed to return to life. Stars, forming as white dots in the black veil of space, slowly appearing, as did the rest of the fleet, and the sun near the patchwork planet. Lunera’s final wish did came true. The whole thing returned to its place, and everything returned to normal.

          Somehow, for everyone present around him, it seemed as if he traded his life for all realities. It was a shame that he would not be able to see the beauty of returning life.

***

          Rose finally got to use the ability bestowed to her by Artemis, and it worked perfectly. She helped reforming the sun near the planet, returning it to day, and causing the big horde to simply vanish. She was practically a goddess by this point, and it was so great of a power.

          But, she was not the one returning the universe. Her attempt was halted by the same entity destroying it in the first place, and she risked her own existence to try and return everything to its proper place. It strained her so much it caused her to experience evolution and devolution many times over, straining her sanity and almost causing her to lose control. It was only the strength of her desire to see her family happy and alive again did she manage to hold on and continue, along with a little support from Artemis.

          Then, when the entity finally showed his manifestation of a humanoid with angelic wings, he was stopped by Artemis and a group of mysterious people of many races walking near Rose, approaching the figure with angelic wings. They argued of something bizarre, like philosophers. Rose somehow understood what they meant, mostly because of her new ability.

          They argued about the balance of the universe and using it for research purposes, which for some reason was very infuriating. The angelic humanoid argued about his curiosity and pointing fingers towards some of them, telling them about their own ways and changing fates, which was strictly prohibited in their community. Artemis was the only one who did not talk with them, as she was standing beside Rose and Rosa.

          “Are they your kind?” asked Rosa.

          “Yes. It might be best if I tell you who we are. We are called the Eternals, and it is our purpose to look after the universe you Ephemerals build. One of us disrupted the balance in the name of curiosity and almost ended everything, prematurely.”

          “And he’s justifying it? That’s a lot of rubbish!”

          “As do justifying your persistence,” said the humanoid, appearing instantly in front of them. “I thought you might’ve accepted the fact that you will cease to exist, but no. Your resilience ensured the survival of this universe.”

          There was not a hint of malice or contempt in his voice. In fact, it was as if he was still observing them, like a scientist. This unnerved Rose, as she would expect him to be mad.

          “You’re not mad?”

          “Mad? Far from it. In fact, such feeling is irrelevant. In fact, I’m curious. You’re like the universe’s immune system, and you’ve done your work perfectly, preserving this universe’s integrity. I am disappointed, however, with the accidents that occur, and that is why it all failed.”

          “Accidents? Oh, you mean, external factors? Well, you do realize that it’s something to work on?” Rose realized what she said, and quickly said, “But, no! Don’t do that! Don’t you ever start this horrible experiment, ever again!”

          “But then,” said the angelic Eternal. “I never regret my works. I simply look towards its completion.”

          “Then why can’t I kill you right here and now, for causing us this much trouble?”

          “Kill me? Do you still value your life?”

          “He’s right,” said Artemis. “You are at the disadvantage here, Rose. I may have given you a power to warp reality, but killing an Eternal is impossible, a zero possibility. Either you simply cease to exist with a snap of the fingers, or he returns to life.”

          “Well, that’s unfair, isn’t it?” said Rose, frustrated. “I don’t want him getting away with this. No. I simply do not accept this! You mean, even after everything, we still lose?”

          “Everything returns to the way it should be. Isn’t that enough?” said Artemis.

          Rose wanted to argue, but she realized her selfishness and stopped.

          “Only an Eternal can judge another Eternal, my dear,” said Artemis. “And his judgement is set.”

          The angelic humanoid them simply vanished without a trace, surprising everyone witnessing it.

          “He has been expelled from our council,” said one of the Eternals. “His proper punishment is to live among you, as a mortal being, deprived of every power and memories about us and his old life. But, he will not simply be changed into one. He will be reincarnated as one of the billions of races in this universe. He may be a human, or an Aquros, or even draconian. In fact, there is a chance this is not the universe he would end up in.”

          “So, he’s out from our reach,” said Rose. “Pity.”

          “His problems are no longer your concern, Rose Van Helsing. You, however, must concern yourself in this matter, as do you, goddess of the hunt.”

          “I do what I have to do to preserve our existences and let the universe run its course,” said Artemis. “You do not have the rights to prosecute her for something like this.”

          “Still, you gifted her the power to reshape reality, and she is no longer a mortal being. She is now an Eternal, but one with limited lifespan.”

          “And you are going to take the power from her, by killing her.”

          One of the Eternals nodded.

          Artemis turned towards Rose, who heard everything. She, however, knew this was going to happen.

          “I am sorry, Rose. This is the consequence I talked about,” said Artemis. “Like I said, you and your peers are not supposed to receive this gift. I gifted it to you because you made contact with me, and thus the only one who I trust not end up using it for greed. But, you agreed to use a forbidden ability, one that could only end with your death. The power of cancelling events is not something an Ephemeral is supposed to wield, or even use to return everything to its place. Like a burnt-out circuit, you will die for overflow of power. That mortal body of yours is simply not enough.”

          “But she will not die,” said one of the Eternals. “For she is your chosen servant, goddess of the hunt.”

          “Wait.” Rose looked around. She and Rosa were the only ones who moved. The rest seemed to be frozen in time.

          “I just realized,” said Rose. “You stopped time, didn’t you? To talk to me and my counterpart privately. The others are not aware of this.”

          “Yes, and to halt your impending demise. Once time starts, your body will disintegrate.”

          “I know the risks involved. I do not take your offer blindly, Artemis,” said Rose, resigned. “Will I be able to say goodbye?”

          “There won’t be time, Rose Van Helsing,” said one of the Eternals. “You are literally seconds from death. But, as the goddess of the hunt gave you the gift to reshape reality, we will bestow upon you another.”

          “We are asking you to be one of us. We are asking you to be an Eternal,” said another.

          What?” Rose was dumbfounded. She was already resigned to the fact that she would die, knowing full well that she had saved all realities. Her agitation and anger to the fact that she could not exact retribution to the perpetrator of her demise made her forget of the fate of those who took the power of god. Being given a chance to become one of them did not come to mind. Even so, she had made a conclusion.

          “I’ll die if I do not take your offer,” concluded Rose. “And joining you can also be considered death.”

          “You are right, Rose Van Helsing,” said one of them. “You have been given a power from an Eternal, and you have used it for a universal deed. Either for selfish reasons or not, you are no longer a werewolf from planet Terra, displaced in time. The Goddess of the Hunt will determine the title you will receive.”

          “But before that,” said Rosa. “Why am I not frozen like anyone else?”

          “Because you and her are the same, and it won’t affect both of you. All realities are simply branches of the same tree. The main tree, unfortunately, is no more. When our will gives you movement, you and your counterparts will be given it, regardless of who I chose.” The Eternal then stopped a moment. “Ah,” he continued. “But I reckon you are bored by my explanation. Now, say your goodbyes, Rose Van Helsing. It will be the last time you will ever see her for a lifetime.”

          Rose then turned to Rosa, unable to gather a choice. The werewolf huntress was similarly confused, but she knew that it could not be considered a choice, and Rose’s hesitation came from the overwhelming revelation of her gaining the status of a goddess, though not in the sense of ‘creation of all being’ goddess. She was better described as a patron more than a creator.

          “And what title will I get when I have become one?” asked Rose to Artemis, curious.

          “Wolf goddess, naturally.”

          “But that’s you.”

          “I never said I am,” said Artemis, smiling. “You only thought I am, therefore I am.”

          “Wait…does that mean…”

          “No, it’s not,” said one of the Eternals. “You may think that your ancestors worshipped a version of you that took this choice, but no. Once you have chosen to become one of us, your identity as Rosalinda Van Helsing will be gone, and you will never know that you are your own worshipper in one of those realities. This is not a paradox. It’s merely possibilities. You may choose to keep your identity, however.”

          “But…oh, bother,” said Rose with a sigh. “This is getting more confusing than overwhelming. Still…I suppose I don’t have a choice. Either way, the problem ends, right?”

          “That is correct.”

          “Then…I take your offer,” said Rose after a while of thinking. “On one condition.”

          “We have no rule imposed upon ourselves, Rose Van Helsing, unless you chose one with a grave mistake, as what one of us had done.”

          “When you put it like that, then…I guess I won’t regret it after all. Beats being alone in the darkness, anyway.”

          The Eternals then nodded, before vanishing. They opened some sort of tear, with lush forest similar to the ones she used to see in her childhood home in Vitania, where she could run freely and hunt like a werewolf. She felt like the queen of the forest back then.

          But now she knew, that the forest was the Hunting Grounds, the land where dead werewolves participate in the Eternal Hunt, living forever as a being somewhere between a human and a wolf. It wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it was an honor, at least in the pagan era of Terran history.

          As she looked at the scenery, she gulped, still unable to muster any courage. But then, Rosa, her human counterpart, grab her hand and said, “Do not fear whatever’s beyond.”

          “Aren’t you afraid?”

          “I have never been a believer for years,” said Rosa. “But, you’re right. I am afraid. Afraid that I will never change despite all this. Afraid that I will just become a regular hunter who still regards werewolves as simply monsters. But, seeing you, and your determination, those are all in the past. It’s time for me to see past the limitations of my life and look upon the future.

          “But still,” said Rosa with a grin. “You don’t mind me putting some of your people in that place, eh? I may have claimed of change, but it won’t change the fact that not all werewolves are good. It is still my job to protect the innocent and the weak.”

          “Does that mean I am an evil goddess in your eyes?” teased Rose.

          “Not really, but you really need to know who worship you. Good and bad are just some words apart, after all,” said Rosa. Her smile then faded when she said, “Even if you are gone, I will cherish our time together. I will make sure that you are not regarded as an all-evil goddess. There must be werewolves who are as forward-minded as you are.”

          “Thank you,” said Rose, shedding a tear. She then wiped her tear, hugged her counterpart, saying “Goodbye” softly, and walked towards the tear.

          As she crossed it, her body slowly morphed into something feral, and her fur turned from its brown color to pure white. Her eye also became blue. After she reached the other side with Artemis, she and her were identical in appearance, but not in voice. It was only for a moment, however, as Artemis turned into a human woman with curly dark brown hair and pointed ear, much like an elf. She was carrying a bow on her left hand with the arrow on her back. She wore the fur of a white wolf that was like Rose’s new form, and under it was a hunter’s leather armor of antiquity ages. Overall, she looked like a huntress from ages past, befitting her name, Artemis, the goddess of hunt.

          They both smiled towards Rosa, who smiled back, as the tear closed. Time slowly resumed as Rosa stood silently across where Rose crossed to the other side, not as a deceased, but as a new entity. She then heard the sound of engine, and a familiar draconian jumped down from it.

          “Rosa,” said Dairyu. “Where’s Rose? Isn’t she with you just now? What happened?”

          Rosa turned towards the Orient. “She’s gone.”

          “Gone? You mean…”

          “But not dead. Come. I’ll explain everything. I understand she has a family, correct?”

          “Oh, man,” said Dairyu, apparently remembering something. “They won’t like it at all. It’s going to be hard to explain to them.”

          “Not really that hard. She’ll visit them. I’m sure of it.”

          Rosa then walked with Dairyu towards the command post, with everyone alive cheering for their victory, and mourning the dead. It was the weirdest and greatest victory for everyone involved, but it was very worth it in the end.