Marcus/Rocco
"…Sera."
She smiled. "You made it."
Every part of my wanted to believe she'd be okay. That
we could figure something out.
I dropped to my knees, "We're getting you out of
here." The smile on her face never faded.
"No…" her breathing caught, "You need to finish it." I
reached for the claw still lodged through her side.
In front of us, Zephon laughed weakly, "You…" blood
spilled from his mouth, "actually pushed me…" he looked at Seraphina.
"Magnificent."
He tried to lift his spear but his arm refused. Noah
stepped forward. "We need to end this."
Zephon simply nodded. "You can try." Noah looked at me. I knew what we needed to do
but I couldn't move. Seraphina saw it.
"Rocco, Go." I looked at her. "I'll be right here." My
legs refused, she smiled. "I promise."
I stood up and
faced Zephon. Then we all moved at once. Zephon fought back, but he was no
longer the monster we'd faced.
Seraphina had taken everything from him. Which led to
the final opening. Noah's tonfa broke his guard. Riley drove her baton into his
chest.
Callie, despite the bandages over one eye cracked her
whip around his spear and pulled away. I stepped forward. Both swords rose.
He just laughed. "Not bad…" one clean strike. His body
dissolved into ash. The wind carried it across the snow.
I ran back to Seraphina. Livia was already trying to
stop the bleeding. She looked up, tears filled her eyes. "I don't know what to
do."
Callie collapsed beside Seraphina. "No…" she grabbed
her hand. "No."
Seraphina squeezed it gently. "Hey." Callie shook her
head violently.
"No!" her voice cracked. "You promised you'd come
home." The words shattered every remaining piece of me.
Seraphina lifted her trembling hand then brushed
Callie's hair behind her ear. "You did so well." Callie sobbed harder.
"I'm sorry." Seraphina smiled.
"You don't have to apologise for anything."
She looked toward Riley. "You are one stubborn girl."
Riley laughed through tears.
"Still giving orders, Sera?"
"Always. And I know, you'll show everyone… that one
arm works just fine." Riley couldn't
answer. She simply lowered her head and cried.
"Noah." He stepped closer. Trying so hard not to cry
and failing. "You always made us laugh." Seraphina smiled. "Don't stop."
He laughed once. Broken. "I'll try."
Then she looked and Darren and Livia. "You two threw
yourself into our world with no fear and kept us alive." Darren wiped his eyes.
"I only watched a screen." She just smiled.
Finally, her eyes found me. She studied my face. Then
she looked around at everyone. The family we'd become.
"You brought all of them together." She whispered and
took a slow breath. "I may have trained you to fight." Her eyes shone with
pride. "You taught them how to stay… even in tough times."
Tears blurred my vision. She took another shallow
breath. "A leader…" her voice grew weaker. "isn't remembered because they never
lost." A slight pause.
"They're remembered… because no one wanted to stand
alone while they were there." I couldn't speak.
She smiled one last time. "I'm proud of you… I'm sure
your father is proud of the man you've become."
"Sera…" she looked toward Callie.
"Take care… of each other." A final breath… then her
hand slipped from my face.
Nobody moved or spoke. Snow settled gently across the
battlefield. Callie stared, waiting. "Sera?" nothing.
"Sera…." Still nothing. Then she broke and threw
herself over Seraphina. "No!"
"You said…" her cries echoed through the empty
streets. "You said you'd always come home!" she clung to her, refusing to let
go. Riley covered her mouth and Noah turned away.
Darren removed his glasses. Livia buried her face
against his shoulder.
I couldn't cry. Not yet. I simply sat beside her,
holding her hand. Long after it had grown cold.
Three Days Later
Snow still covered the cemetery. Grey clouds hung low
overhead. a simply headstone stood beneath a lone oak tree.
Seraphina Azzurro
She gave everything… so others could live.
No speeches or crowds. She wouldn't have wanted them.
Just… us.
We carried her together. When the coffin was lowered.
Callie finally let go. One white lily rested on top. Riley stepped forward.
She placed Seraphina's sword against the headstone.
Noah placed a small silver charm beside the sword. Darren laid down one of
Seraphina's old notebooks.
Callie knelt and rested one worn training glove
against the stone. "Thank you…" she whispered. "For raising me."
Everyone slowly began walking away. I stayed. Valen
appeared beside me. Neither of us spoke.
"I don't know how to do this… be a leader." Valen
looked at the headstone.
"You already are."
I frowned, "I'm not sure about that…" he nodded toward
the others waiting for me.
"They are still standing, are not they?"
I looked back at them. Waiting. Because they'd become
a family, just like Seraphina said. I smiled through the tears.
"Let's go…"
For the first time in months, we walked forward…
without her.