Serene’s POV

Arlo’s mother let me take the diary home because I didn’t want anyone else to read it. These were his feelings and he wanted to keep them private, and that was what I intended to do.

We attended countless funerals of all the fallen heroes in the next few days, every one of them mattered, and every one of them died protecting us and our world.

Vilarja didn’t survive the attack and a voting poll was held to choose the new ruler for Wampir Realm. One of her subordinates was chosen and we hoped he would make better choices than Vilarja did.

Meliana’s remains were burnt and her ashes were scattered, riding our world from her evil once and for all. People rejoiced after her demise for she had killed thousands of innocent people.

Creature attacks from Dark Realm had significantly reduced as well, seemed like those creatures were as afraid of us as we were of them. Without her mind control and the amount we killed, they had preferred to remain inside the Dark Realm.

But a plan was formulated, numerous shield bearers including myself gathered and we put up our shields, simultaneously. Merging, reinforcing each other as they spread all over the Dark realm since there were several of us, the range of our shields became immeasurable as we supported each other.

Artins Sensei, my father, and a few other renowned witches and warlocks used their spells to lock our shields in place above the Dark Realm and create a barrier, a very powerful barrier to hold the creatures at bay and lock them away forever.

I gave away every last ounce of the energy I possessed to cordon off the Dark Realm once again so no innocent could get hurt again.

"You alright," Zian inquired as he accompanied me along with father to cordon off the Dark Realm.

"I am," as a wave of jubilation and happy shouts filled the air when father and Artins Sensei locked the spell in place.

"Congratulations, everyone. Dark Realm has officially been sealed again, but this time we can cross over but creatures can’t," my father announced making all the Slayers and other people who had gathered cry out in joy.

I knew I should rejoice with them, but I felt empty. My heart had that void in it, which refused to fill. A month had gone by since Arlo’s death but I couldn’t forget him for a second. I never smiled and I hardly spoke to anyone.

Zeph had tried to talk to me numerous times but I found it difficult to forgive him, we were drifting apart, and the guilt was killing me and wreaking havoc on my relationships.

Kilamin was the same story, no matter how much he tried, my heart was not ready to accept his apology.

Mariela Sensei was visiting our realm for the cordoning-off ceremony and she approached me.

"Serene, I was hoping we could talk. Are you feeling up for it?" She inquired understanding I had just depleted all of my energy.

"I am, it will replenish soon, let’s go somewhere quiet," and she nodded at me while I took her to my usual spot by the lake and between the crystal trees.

Her eyes widened as she observed them for a while and spoke: "Magnificent and mind-boggling," I let her admire them for a while before we settled down.

She took my hand in hers and gave me a warm smile: "Your brother is worried about you and he is deeply sorry. He is hurting that you don’t talk to him. I understand your grievances about our actions, but bringing the dead back is something we avoid at all costs, it disrupts the natural balance of life. Have it in your heart to forgive us all."

I blankly stared at her before speaking: "Sensei, but he is gone because of my arrow. The guilt I carry is something I will have to do alone, all my life. The fact that he died because of me and then my freedom of making a choice was ripped from me, kills me every moment," tears were quick to brim in my eyes.

"I understand Serene, we all do. We would never push you but everyone is worried about you, especially Kili. Talk to him, please," she requested with her hands clasped.

"I don’t want to talk to him, every time I see him, I am reminded of Arlo and I can’t get his dying face out of my mind," this truth slowly killed me inside.

"Just once, if you have any respect for me as your Sensei or like your elder sister, do it for me. It pains me to see Kilamin hurt, and your anger toward him is killing him inside too. He acts so toughly but he is so soft inside."

Her words left me in a more vulnerable state, I wanted to ignore Kilamin just to show him that I was angry at his decision of dictating my life but I didn’t know it was hurting him this much. Mariela Sensei’s words and pained expression told me the gravity of the situation. She wasn’t the kind of person who would request someone and here she was begging me.

"I will talk to him, I don’t want to hurt him as he did," my heart was still heavy because of his actions.

"Thank you, my dear," she beamed at me and hugged me before getting up and leaving. I sat there quietly, observing the calm surface of the lake in front of me, the wind blew and the trees above me swayed, their crystals making a twinkling sound in the air as I felt Kilamin’s presence beside me.

I didn’t spare him a glance and kept staring at the lake, my hands gripping the bench as events of that wretched day flashed past me.

"Thank you, for agreeing to talk to me," he mumbled.

"I did it for Mariela Sensei, I respect her too much to refuse," I replied with little annoyance, not making eye contact.

"I will never say I am sorry for the choice I made that day because I will make the same choice a thousand times over. But I am deeply sorry for hurting you and not being able to help you grieve, not being there when you need me. Let me be here for you, stop pushing me away, stop pushing us away, Zeph needs you too and you need him."

His voice was gentle yet sad.

"I didn’t push you away, you made your choice which took away my choice to bring back someone I cared about. Let’s say you had the ability which I possess and I was to die in place of Arlo, would you have left me dead," I turned to stare directly into his eyes which held shock due to my words. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. He was speechless.

"Precisely, what I thought. You thought of him below you because he was a vampire but if it came down to your own family, you would have no issues bringing someone back from the dead. So, please save your moral lecture, for I don’t need it."

I averted my gaze back to the lake, hiding away my pain and distress which was driving me insane.

"Serene, I can live with your hate but I can’t see you in pain, you and father are my only family. And you already know I will burn the world down just to keep you two safe, that’s who I am, and that’s who I always will be," he reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I don’t want people to die so I could be safe, brother. That’s not how a ruler should think. I have to put their lives first," I murmured with teary eyes.

"That’s why you have me, someone has to keep you safe as well. It’s my duty, hate me all you want for it. Just don’t hurt yourself, please."

There was so much pain in his words, I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands, and cried. His arms engulfed me and pulled me closer and I didn’t resist and openly bawled on his shoulder he let me cry as much as I wanted, easing the burdens of my broken heart.

I missed this, pushing him away had been hard. He was my only sibling and he meant the world to me and yet I had to be cruel to him.

Suri came sprinting toward me from the forest that lay beside the lake and nuzzled his snout in my lap. It has been constantly there for me and understood whenever I needed emotional support.

We sat there for a long time and Kilamin listened to all my laments and complaints. He held me close and patted Suri, after a very long time, I felt a little ease in my heart.