A sharp groan left me as my hand trembled to hold the artifact digging into Rem. It was a useless body reflex that wanted to take hold of me when the pain became somewhat unbearable. Noticing it, Vera's gaze found me as every fiber of her being trembled.
"Don't you fucking stop." I snapped at her as my voice was still shaky.
Even though I tried to put a bravado, I was probably a worse mess than her. However, the harshness in my tone caused her to flinch, as it was never my intention, but it appeared she wasn't as fearless as Rem thought.
Suddenly, Fenris grabbed onto my shoulder, causing me to get startled as my gaze briefly met with his. For a moment, I thought it was to draw me away from them, but that wasn't the case. His hand tightened on my shoulder when his body radiated the same aura that I had, dulling the pain that was coursing through me.
"Keep going, Vera," He reassured his daughter, prompting her to focus on the task.
The twins gazed at each other before clasping onto my other shoulder and doing the same as their father had done. The power that the moon had given them was so different from mine, as theirs was more defensive than destructive.
The dog familiar that had come with Fenris and Vera, Ruzgard, wrapped his tail around the blade's hilt under my hand as another portal revealed someone I had longed to see, but not for the reasons I used to.
At that moment, I couldn't appreciate the human Lilith, who had emerged from there. The weird cat, who had to be Shade, grabbed the hilt, too, as their mother wasted no time joining Vera and holding onto her hand.
The sting from where I held the hilt came back, but it wasn't for long because a second later, I wrenched the dagger out of Rem as it slipped into my hand, launching it towards the forest.
Even though my hand was in agony like I had never felt before, it came secondary to the little Luma in my arms as I cupped her face.
"Rem?" I called out for her, but there was no response.
Wait… When did you…. Ah… Hah… When…
The color had drained slightly from her face, and her lips were paler than the forest around us. Her skin was losing warmth by the second.
When… did you stop breathing?
A snap happened within me as I knew that with that much blood loss, there was no bringing her back. My sudden surge in aura repelled everyone around me as I intended to take the entire world with me if she didn't open her eyes.
A world without you has no meaning.
It was the first time I had ever felt like this. When Lilith died, it was painful, but it couldn't compare to this. Her death made me want to make everyone who caused it suffer but not destroy the entire world.
Her family could barely withstand my energy, struggling not to be blown away by me.
"Wake up! Please, Rem, don't leave me!" I pleaded, grabbing onto her hand, only to receive no response.
Ah… our last memory together can't be last night. It just can't be!
Tears streaked down my cheeks as I buried my face into her chest. I didn't think I had ever screamed as loud as I did then.
Suddenly, something grabbed my arm from a distance: a black tail.
Of course, a familiar would be the one to try and stop me. It's too late… Everything is too…
"Alijah!" Lilith screamed from within the mist of red that covered everywhere.
The wolves appeared ready to pounce on me if they had the opportunity, yet the aura coming from me would disintegrate anything organic. The only one safe from my onslaught was my beloved, who was in her eternal sleep within my hands.
They all appeared ready for a fight, yet I was tired of it all.
"Leave… Let us be. If you get far away enough, you might live. My last gift to your daughter for giving me this sweet, bitter pain." My voice didn't feel like my own as I shifted my gaze towards Rem in my arms.
"Please listen! If you care about her! You'll calm down, Alijah!" She suddenly announced, tears trailing down her cheeks as well.
All of them seemed ready to burst, as Vera already was.
"Hah… Don't test me, Lilith." I breathed, feeling snaps within me. "My light is gone! How can I calm down?! Tell me!" I snarled, only for those blue eyes to turn tender towards me.
A soft, bitter smile rose on her lips. "She might not be, " she suddenly announced, triggering everything that was causing me to stop suddenly.
Rem... isn't gone?
My chaotic energy died down to the point I felt like a lost child staring at her. Her brown hair reached past her shoulders, and she appeared older than I remembered.
"What?" I mumbled, shifting my gaze towards Rem's lifeless body before holding her closer.
It allowed Lilith to run to us as she lifted Rem's shirt, exposing her abdomen. The twin boys were comforted by the girl Lycan, who had come with them. I sensed something about her but couldn't care enough to figure out why, as my only focus was on Rem.
I watched her mother touch her wound as a weird purple shimmer was coming from her wound.
It's… Sealing up?!
A sigh of relief came from her lips, suddenly turning to her husband, who had hands clenched into fists, refusing to gaze at his daughter's limp body. I didn't know it yet, but this marked the second time he had failed to save her.
"Fenris, it's just as the witnesses said! She's coming back!" Lilith announced, leaving me like she had said nothing.
What? What the fuck is going on?!
The alpha wolf, who hadn't opened his eyes since I had calmed down, shook his head, fighting the tears. Rem always said her closest bond was with her father, and the pain in his expression said it all.
He thought he had failed his little girl, but we all had. Usually, pure breeds hated hybrids, but he wasn't like the ones I knew.
No, you truly love your little girl.
"Boys... Get ready." Fenris sighed, shifting his gaze towards his sons.
One pulled away from the girl Lycan while the other pleaded for her to return to Silverant.
I can't tell the twins apart... You're like carbon copies of each other.
Vera slapped her cheeks before getting up and glaring at me. They all seemed to be getting ready for a fight, leaving me utterly bewildered. That was when Lilith turned to me, eyes fiercely focused on what would happen next.
"Alijah, you must place her down and back away." She suddenly declared as I cocked my head.
What the actual fuck? I'm… I'm not letting go of her!
If she was coming back, I wanted to be the first person she saw. I had so much to tell her, and I wouldn't wait any longer.
"No! Are you insane?" I growled, holding onto my beloved tighter.
Lilith tilted her head, "Wait, Rem, didn't tell you?" she asked.
I couldn't figure out what the fuck this family was on. They all appeared to get ready for something, though.
I need to get Rem away from you all. Wait... how did they even get here?
"Tell me what?" I questioned as it was apparent I was in the dark.
However, before Lilith could answer, Rem's body was suddenly consumed by a purple flame as the darkness that tainted her leaked out. The fire didn't burn me at all. I stared at her in awe before Fenris yanked me away, and Shade snatched Lilith.
Throwing me on the ground behind him, he turned towards his daughter.
"And our tango begins, little wolf!" Shade announced, allowing Lilith to ride her.
Are they about to attack you after saving you? What the fuck is wrong with this family?!
To be truthful, everything felt surreal. As I felt Rem go, I was sure she had vanished from this realm, yet she was slowly getting up from the floor.
No… Something's wrong.
"Rem?" I called out to my beloved Luma, standing up from the floor.
Fenris placed his hand between her and me, preventing me from taking another step forward. A sharp growl left me as his head turned slightly at me.
"Don't unless you want to lose your head." He cautioned, shifting his eyes back to Rem.
The fuck? Is that fear in your voice towards your daughter? Just what's going on?
"Hey... Baby sis, are you there? Or is there someone else home?" One of the twin boys with a pair of golden earrings on his ears asked Rem.
The other seemed annoyed by it. His accessory reminded me of mine, though I used silver ones. This was the last thing I had to remember about my father, who died long before I awoke to my powers.
"Shut up, Aiden. That isn't Rem. You know that very well." With a pair of blue-colored earrings on his ears, the annoyed twin hissed.
Ah… you must be Caden.
Aiden clenched his hands into fists. "I know that, but I can hope! It's always worth the try! I don't want to hurt her."
I don't understand. How can't that be you? You're right there in front of me.
However, that dark aura radiated out of her even more intensely.
Your chest glowed through your shirt in Azear, too. Is something like that happening again?
Rem seemed out of it, slowly turning to them.
"I would be more worried about you, or don't you remember she killed all of those criminals back in Celestelia," Caden growled.
Ah… So you know…
The luma stood there blankly, staring at the sky above.
"I… never… wanted to see you like this!" Vera struggled to hold back the tears as my heart ached, too.
Suddenly, Rem clenched her fists before releasing them and raising her palms to shield her face.
"Ah, what a damn fool... So, this is what a full merger would be. Stupid girl, why did you do that out of all things?" She mumbled in a weird tone as I couldn't follow fully what she meant.
Merge? What the fuck does that mean?
Even though I struggled to keep up, that voice didn't belong to my Luma. It lacked all the warmth that hers had.
Not once have you ever… Sound like that.
Even though Rem had returned from the dead, the person standing before us wasn't her. My little luma was nowhere to be seen.