Act 2 Finale: Will to Live

In the morning as the sun touched the sky, the people of Luciana went on repairing the damages of their town left by the shadows. Blair tends to the wounded, Kenna helps with the construction, while Miriam supervises with Lana.

Alex is sitting on a crate with one leg up, overseeing everything. Then later, Rena walks up to him.

"All is well and ends well huh?" She chimed.

"I guess." Alex simply responded.

"Things are really fixing themselves. Speaking of which, I'm quite surprised that Wolf Prince decided not to kill you after we called truce after one battle."

They both remembered how things with Nate had been resolved.

________________________________________

(Flashback 2 hours ago)

After winning the battle against the dark angel, things had been looking up for Alex as he hugs Lana.

But there was one thing that was left unsettled.

Nate steps forward with his sword in his hand. Alex notices him, he releases from the hug and faces him.

"I have nothing left. Have your revenge." Alex concedes.

Silence passes and already the two women present already uneasy. Lana stood there, nervous of the outcome while Rena was ready to defend her brother.

Nate stood there without breaking his gaze, considering the choices and consequences, his journey had been to hunt down the Reaper both by law and personal vendetta. But never had he met anyone who kept his head spinning than him.

"I'm not sure what is even the truth anymore. You had taken so many lives, including my father's. But if what you say is true, then perhaps you are as much of a victim to revenge as I am. And for that, I'm not so sure..."

Nate sheathed his sword away.

"...Either way, this cycle of violence and revenge must stop. I'll find out of truth of my family. When I do, I'll come to you once I have my answer."

Nate began to turn around and walk away. The revelation of Nate's choice had stunned the three present, especially Alex.

(Flashback end)

________________________________________

Remembering that, Alex huffed with a small smile.

"Well, good on him. He was right, about that cycle needing to end. I couldn't do it myself, but I'm glad he made a mature choice.

"You sure don't look like it, but I know you are."

"By the way, what became of Shin?"

"Oh him...he's on way back to Endoa by now after I revealed the news that he cannot ignore. Let's just say I left a surprise for him there."

________________________________________

(Few days later)

Shin had stood in front of his home absolutely shocked and to his horror.

The Serpent Clan home has been reduced ash and ruin, with no signs of life.

He had to contemplate that in his pursuit of revenge for his son, he had left his clan unchecked.

His clan, his empire, everything he had built.

Gone.

It just him now.

The winds had gathered around Shin, who is absolutely livid. The wind grew stronger and violent, his breathing became panting in anger. He put his grip on his katana.

Although he stands alone now, this only fuel his hatred. He vowed that he would end the Corvus twins even at his last breath.

Letting out an angered yell, he unleashed a massive violent wind slashes in a single strike, decimating everything around him.

________________________________________

(Present day)

"So the Serpent Clan is no more?" Alex asked incredibly.

"Yep, it's just him now."

"How is the Raven Clan?"

"They're doing good, I lead them now."

"Really?"

"I've been meaning to tell you this but...Master Rai is dead. Shin killed him."

Alex looks down in sympathy.

"I see."

"But things will get better in Endoa now without the Serpent Clan. I'll see to it."

The two looked on for a minute, until Rena breaks the silence.

"I should getting back now, I kept my clan waiting long enough."

Rena was about to leave then she stopped her tracks.

"Listen, about us..."

"Before you say anything, I want us to start over." Alex interrupted her.

Rena turns around in confusion. "What?"

"What happened in the past won't change, but I think it's time we fix things between us. And whatever I face, I cannot do it alone. When the time comes, I'll need your help, sister."

Alex extended his hand and Rena looks at him for a second before her lips form a smile and takes his hand.

"I'm with you to the end and beyond, brother."

The two smiled before they hugged for minute. Once they let go, they bid each other goodbye before Rena leaves.

"You should pay a visit sometime. You'll know where to find me." Rena calls out.

He nodded as he watched her leave before turning his sights forward. After a brief moment of peace, he spots Lana approaching him.

"Heya! How are you holding up?" She asks cheerfully.

"I'm doing good, you yourself seem to be in high spirits."

"Yep! This town is more resilient than you think, and lively too."

"Yeah, I haven't had a town like before. I never told about my old hometown did I?"

"No, but I'm listening if you're willing." She responded.

"I lived in a town called Hollow Hills, that place but anything nice where most of its people selfishly held high standards to themselves and other people they to control and they barely took any responsibilities for their actions so placing blame is normal. It was a terrible state even before I burned it to the ground three years."

"I'm sorry." She sympathizes.

"After then, I fight and live on believing I was shadow of my former self, while taking lives I deemed deserving without remorse. Until you remind me of the boy I once was, the boy who fought for everything he cared for, you showed me that boy still exists in me. Now here, I can be that same boy, I can find reasons to live. I now know what I want."

"And what do you want?"

Alex turned to Lana with serene expression and brought up a small smile.

"I want to live. I want to live to cherish things, to protect things. And I want to live with people I come to care, with you."

Lana's eyes widen as she felt her cheeks heat up, but then softens and smiles as her hand reaches his and in response he lightly squeezes hers.

"Well enough with the mushy stuff, wanna go get something to eat?" Alex asked.

"Yeah I'm starving. But I'm surprised your character development progress quickly than I thought." She answers with a smug.

"Can you stop speaking like I'm made of stone?" He says dryly.

"Nope!" She sanged.

The two went off, passing by the people who were fixing the building and cleaning messes.

________________________________________

(Meanwhile elsewhere)

With the result of that battle, Valus was blasted away to a far distance.

What became of him?

A distance faraway from the ruins of the chapel, Valus is seen crawling in the ground. His body is scorched, his clothes were singed, and what once his black wings reduced to nothing more than stubs.

"T-that boy...Why?!...why did this... happened..." Valus croaked in pain as he continues crawling.

"I...was....a proud...scribe...of my fellow angels....a knowledge-keeper....I...did not mean....to colude...with the dark...How... could I...make this right?..."

In a desperate attempt, he gathered all the remaining dark mists to try to heal himself.

"...I have suffered...this world has suffered...I must cleanse it...I can...heal the world...so the Light may take me back..."

"Yes, by using the very thing the Light stands against will surely get you back to the heavens with open arms. Now where would you get an idea like that?" A new voice interrupted him.

Valus became tense as he hears footsteps approaching him and halted in front of him. He looks up to glance on his unexpected company.

"For a knowledge-keeper, you seemed very certain that's what heaven wants from you after your fall and make poor choices."

"You!" Valus growled in disgust.

This visitor is none other than Cypher. He wears a black suit and coat with yellow tie. His whitish-blonde hair seemed to grow slightly with a few small curled bangs hanging from his front hairline, his pale skin shined from the sunlight, and his snake-like orange eyes looking down on the dark angel.

He crouches down while sporting a taunting grin. Valus felt a sinister aura radiating from this man, yet he was somehow familiar.

"Now before I take you, I would like to share one last knowledge. You see when you first discovered darkness centuries ago, did you think it was there by coincidence?"

Cypher extended his hand and what happened next Valus didn't see coming. He suctioned all the darkness Valus had into his hand, and once he's done, the darkness danced around Cypher's palm.

"You simply took my bait and fell for my trap, leading to your fall. But I needed you to accumulate it. So I planted the idea of you, the messiah that saves mankind from suffering in your head. And now that you served your purpose puppet, I have no more use for you. You have done well, my...dear...brother." Cypher sang that last part menacingly.

That alone sent a spike of shock and fear into Valus now that he realizes his true identity.

"It's you!" He exclaimed with horror.

Cypher's smile grew wider as he brandish a snake-curved knife in his left hand.

"But I can't have you put the world to silence, not when there's so much chaos to unravel. I guess you could that some voices demanded to be heard."

Although it was audibly silent, Valus tried to utter his name, but Cypher brought down his knife and the last thing that was seen was a purple light before it vanishes completely.

Afterwards, Cypher held a glowing purple orb hovering his palm and stashed in his knife. Then he looks back to the distance, in the direction of the city.

"So the little reaper found his heart again? And a soul that's connected to his. Good, it will all the more delicious to break it again." Cypher laments with a sadistic smile.

Then a shadow grew behind him, and from it rises a red-skinned gremlin-like creature with black spiky armor, sharp claws and teeth, while its eyes has a fiery glow and two black horns on its head.

"Any particular reason you're here? I don't remember summoning my demons to walk the human world." Cypher asks, already knowing the aforementioned demon's presence.

"There is a problem in the underworld my lord, not any of us could quell." The demon responded in a deep hoarse voice.

"Would you care to elaborate that? I don't need to remind you what I do to creatures who brings me unnecessary news do I?"

"The Destroyer has escaped and is now wreaking havoc within the plates."

Cypher's smile had lessen and turned to face the demon.

"Oh dear! That is quite the news isn't it? Well, I guess I better address it then."

Cypher snaps his fingers and he and the demon disappeared into mist.

Cypher and the demon arrived at a new destination. The ground is black as ash and reeks of brimstone, while the skies are red and fiery swirl at the center. Screams of torment can be heard from afar. This is the underworld.

Cypher and the demon traversed forward and for a little time, they arrived at the problem.

"Look at that." Cypher says completely amazed.

They were both standing in front of a torned rift of space, as immaterial as it is.

"I didn't expect the Destroyer would muscle his way out of the dimensional rift bubble, but then again, he's not the primordial demon of strength for nothing."

A battle can heard from afar which got Cypher's attention.

"I wonder..."

Cypher then teleports to the source of the fight. Overlooking from a hill, he witness a vast horde of demons along with corpses of demons. Judge from the wounds inflicted on the fallen, it looked like they were killed from blunt force, definitely the work of fists.

At the center stood a large humanoid demon with a massive muscular structure. His has lilac skin, he has long white messy hair with two small black horns on his head. His arms are large and black dragon-scaled with fiery palms and fingers as well as the internals. His only clothing is his torn pants.

This is not any demon, this is the Destroyer.

"For eons of my imprisonment and free at last, all I get are weaklings!!!" The Destroyer growled with a deep, malevolent voice.

A demon charged at him, but the Destroyer simply backhanded it, causing it to explode in chunks

"IS THERE NO ONE STRONGER TO MATCH MY STRENGTH?!!!"

The demons were about to attack but they were stopped as if they were commanded to, much to the Destroyer's confusion.

Then demons shifted themselves to open a path for someone. The Destroyer turns to reveal his hardened face, two small horns pointed down from his chin, his eyes have black sclera and fiery orange irises. His gaze is now fixed, hoping to face a stronger opponent, but frowned in disappointment to see his company having a weak and scrawny build.

"Impressive that you broke out from the dimensional-rift bubble given that it was near impossible to escape. But you are special aren't you...Abbadon?" Cypher speaks.

"I know you!!! You sealed me away!!!" The Destroyer now known as Abbadon snarled.

"Can you blame me? I was so naive at the time. I don't work with my insufferable sibling anymore." Cypher shrugged.

"I would love to pop your head like a grape, but killing a weakling like you would leave me distaste. Only when I fight a stronger being that doesn't break will I be satisfied."

"And for that rude comment, I would love to show you your place, but things have changed big guy. I want to enlist you, to fight a certain reaper in the human world."

"Reaper?"

"Don't be so quick to judge. He may not know it, but this boy holds the power of the true Destroyer, something you were named after?"

"..."

Cypher then extends his hand and flashes a sinister grin.

"What do you say? Abbadon the Destroyer."

________________________________________

A few weeks has passed, and Luciana has repaired along with the incident of the Solus Carnival. Thanks to Mane, that incident has written off as a monster attack, excluding the presence of the Reaper.

Sullivan Mane, father of Charles, may not been the friendly face of the friendliest terms, he seems to have values that he wouldn't impart to anyone with an ambition to take charge of Luciana. But his contribution had been major rise of his city.

Alex started a endeavor to protect those he now holds dear, eradicate the monsters and placed himself in service for Luciana.

But there was one thing he needed to take care of.

The Luciana Foundation Anniversary Festival celebrates the day Luciana was founded held in the town's park. It may just be your average formal party, but lots of things can celebrated here, souvenir vendors, event celebration, or even a date.

Alex was invited to the festival by Lana, but he was hesitant at first, for he had an errand to run. He did not tell her he intended to go, if it's for her.

Lana had stood up on stage hosting the party. While everyone is dress formal, she stands out of all and rightfully so.

Her melon blonde hair is polished down and flowed like silk, but she has a blue rose with black feathers pinned the left side of her hair. The makeup she wore makes her skin glow with her beauty, her olive green eyes dazzled like gems.

She wears a beautiful sleeveless dark blue dress with blue roses design on the edge of her chest. The dress has a slit going down from her left waist, showing more floral designs in the slit. She also wears a pair of long, black gloves with scrunchie with white roses on her left arm. Around her neck is a black choker that matches the dress.

All-in-all, she is stunningly beautiful.

After she finished hosting, she exits the stage and seated at her table, as the party host requests everyone to find a partner for a slow dance. Everything has been going well, events like this are livelier compared to when she walks the streets.

But there was one thing that really mattered.

Alex's absence had been bothering her whole time. She was really looking forward in seeing him.

Naomi, who wears a simple purple dress, approaches Lana's table.

"Is something wrong milady?" Naomi asked, concerned.

"It's alright." She simply answered without hesitation.

But Naomi wasn't buying it.

"Ms. Lana, I've been with you for a long time, I can tell something is bothering you. I'm guessing that something is Mr. Crowe." She theorized.

"I invited him for this festival but he said he had an errand to run. Now I worry he wasn't gonna show up at all." Lana says depressingly.

"Well, I'm sure he's trying his best." Naomi consoled.

Then a gentleman approaches their table and asked for Naomi. "Excuse me but may I have this dance?"

"Why of course!" She takes his hand but not before excusing herself. "I'll be right back for you."

"Have fun." Lana smiled with a wave as she watched them leave.

Leaving her to sulk silently in her table, she then receives a text message from her phone.

'Meet me at the playground.'

She read and tucked away her phone before leaving her table to the direction of her destination.

She finally reaches the playground only to find nothing. She waited for moment and just when she was about to leave, she spots a glowing red orb hovering in the distance.

Out of curiosity, she walks to it and looms closer. As it was front of her, she suddenly heard a crow's caw at her left. She turns and saw a crow perching on a branch and more glowing red orbs making a trail to a secluded pathway.

Having an idea what this is or rather who is doing this, she beamed and follows the trail. After following the trail, it led her to a secluded area and was met by a breathtaking sight.

The area is a garden of red and white roses, and red orbs glowed and hovered beautifully around. At the center was a man in a black suit, making these orbs levitate.

Lana entered with a smile on her face as she stands in front of him.

Alex reveals himself. The spikes of his raven black hair are waved backwards, though some of the side bangs were hanging down, his front bangs are swept upwards, revealing a full view of his face. He wears a black sharp suit with red linings and two-pointed tailcoats, a grey shirt with red tie, a pair of black gloves, black tight-fitted trousers and black shoes.

Alex lets out a smile of his own as he stood in front of Lana.

"You look dashing." She compliments.

"And you look exquisite yourself." He returns which made her blush.

"When you said you had an errand to run, is this what you meant? You really prepared all this?" She asked.

"I'm not exactly a people-person, you know that. I thought I make this so we would have this moment together." He explains.

"I think it's brilliant."

He smiles in response and looks left, then makes a hand gesture and music plays. Lana looks at where he's looking and saw Mr. Tanaka playing a violin while giving a nod to her.

Lana then notices Alex's hand in front of her.

"May I have dance Ms. Lana?"

Her eyes fluttered as she gracefully accepts.

"I would love to Mr. Crowe."

While Lana's hand is in Alex's, she placed her other hand on his shoulder while his free hand on her waist, and the two began the slow dance under the red lights.

The two couple lost themselves in each other's eyes as they moved in the rhythm, taking in the details, and wishing this moment last forever. The music no longer came from the outside, but rather it came from his heart. A heart that she reminded he still has, and the heart he now shares with someone; with her.

"Lana..." Alex began. "I wanted to thank you. Solitary would've been my doom, but you saved me. You were there for me, never gave up on me, taught me to look past my guilt and failures, and you given me what I could never have again."

"And what's that?" She asked, looking at his red eyes.

"Love. The love I now feel for this town, the love for its people, and now the love I feel for you."

"Alex." She cooed softly.

"I wanted not just to be there for you, but to be with you. I love you Lana." He confessed.

Her heart fluttered when she heard those words, and in an instant, she feels the same.

"I love you too, Alex."

Finally, neither of them could hold back.

They leaned in at the same time and pressed their lips upon one each other. Her kiss was soft and warm from the heat of her cheeks, and his was all the same. It was like the world melted around them in a pool of bliss and happiness. Eventually they had to part for air.

She placed her head on him as they swayed, and he rested against her own. The distance between their bodies is non-existent as they were chest to chest. For small moments there was no sound, no ground or sky. It just them and nothing else.

This was it. The path that he once thought impossible to achieve now comes to him. The past is gone, never to be reclaimed. But the people, Luciana, his friends, they became his home and family. Now he's never gonna be alone again. This chapter of his journey was over, but there's still more to tell.

Alex Crowe, the boy who walked the path of vengeance and solitude, now fights to protects everything he loves.

You need to become what you need to be for all you come to value.

That's what he believes in and his mind uttered his single wish.

"I want to live."

End?